Ouachita Stories

Alumni profile: Kim Fischer ('82) Practical help, spiritual purpose

Government employee by day, pickleball enthusiast by night and weekend warrior with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) Disaster Relief ministry – alumna Kim Fischer has been using her gifts, talents and experience to make a difference in the lives of those in crisis for nearly 15 years.

Honest to goodness: Faculty & staff explore meaningful work

This year, I was appointed to lead an initiative on the mission of faculty and staff to guide students toward “lives of meaningful work.” It started off like a bad round of Jeopardy. At first, I thought the answer I was seeking was “What is meaningful work?” By April, however, the question had become more specific. At Ouachita, we aren’t talking about any or all work. The heart of our work at Ouachita is studying. So the question for us Ouachitonians is “What makes academic work meaningful?”

Distinguishing between calling and career for a life of meaningful work

Every semester I pass on to my Spiritual Formation classes an important distinction that has helped me think about meaningful work. These are usually first- and second-year students with a lot of questions. So, I add more questions to the pile. I begin by asking them things like, “Why did you come to college anyway?” or “Did you come to college just to make more money with a better job?”

Closing thoughts: Preparing for lives of meaningful work

At the beginning of the academic year, I used my Convocation address to help us initiate a university-wide conversation on the theme, “Lives of Meaningful Work.” It’s a phrase from our mission statement that speaks to one of Ouachita’s desired outcomes for graduates: that you will be prepared for such lives and work.

Staff profile: Sherri (Greer '81) Phelps, An advocate for our people

Sherri Phelps always knew she wanted to work with people, but when she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech pathology from Ouachita in the spring of 1981, she hadn’t anticipated a career in human resources. When Ouachita offered Phelps and her husband, Bill (’81), jobs at the university, it was the beginning of four decades of service to Ouachita faculty and staff. They knew then that they were being called to lives of meaningful work right here at their alma mater.

Staff profile: Shane Seaton, Modeling creation care

Growing up, Shane Seaton loved playing outside, hiking, camping trips with his family and going to summer camp. He also spent a lot of time outdoors with friends during college in Oklahoma, where he earned a B.S. in business administration from Southern Nazarene University. But it wasn’t until later that Seaton realized how transformational those outdoor moments had been. Now, those are exactly the kinds of experiences he seeks to provide for students at Ouachita.

Staff profile: Susan (Voris '83) Atkinson, Working behind the scenes

From freshman beanies to mortarboards, every student who is admitted to or graduates from Ouachita passes through the registrar’s office. From high school test scores, GPAs and concurrent credit to semester grades, degree plan requirements and graduation day, Susan Atkinson oversees the detail involved in moving students through their Ouachita careers.

Staff profile: Mike McGhee, A legacy in relationships

Head Softball Coach Mike McGhee entered his 17th season at Ouachita in the midst of a battle with cancer. He passed away Feb. 24. McGhee left behind a lasting legacy in the lives of his players, fellow coaches and coworkers.

Alumni profile: Michael Bleecker ('00) Leading the local church

Michael Bleecker didn’t come to Ouachita to study worship ministry. In fact, he’d never even picked up a guitar. But freshman year, that all changed. Now, Bleecker leads thousands of people in worship each week at The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas.

Editor's Notes: Embracing meaning in the busy-ness

I rarely feel like I have the time to ponder, much less discuss, big questions in life around things like meaning, calling and purpose. It's enough most days to get my son out the door on time(-ish) for school, keep projects moving at work and make sure laundry is clean at home. It's easy just to feel like a "busy bee" rather than to see the importance of my place in "the colony."