Cynthia “Cindy” Lapp ’86 may have been destined to become a Mennonite pastor.

Her parents were both Mennonite pastors, as were her grandfathers. Her husband’s father and grandfather were Mennonite pastors, too.

Despite the family tradition, Lapp didn’t always envision following in their footsteps.

“I would ask my dad, ‘How did you know you wanted to do this?’ and he never had a satisfactory answer for me,” she said. “I think my children probably don’t get a satisfactory answer from me either. It’s a mysterious kind of thing.”

Lapp, pastor of in suburban Maryland since 2003, is the recipient of 91´óÉń’s 2026 Distinguished Service Award. The annual award recognizes alumni who exemplify the university’s emphases on Christian service and peacemaking and have made a significant impact on the lives of others.

“I was surprised. I thought they must’ve sent the letter to the wrong person,” she said. “Then I thought, ‘Oh, distinguished means old. It must mean I’ve reached a certain age.’”

Lapp grew up in Oregon after moving from Pennsylvania in the fourth grade. As a child, she dreamed of appearing on Sesame Street.

“I thought that would be a great job because you could play with puppets and spend time with kids and act and sing,” she said. “I feel like pastoring is like that. There are so many different things I get to do that are intriguing to me.”

Those roles extend well beyond preaching. Lapp works with other faith leaders to support immigrants through the Congregation Action Network, serves as a community chaplain with the Hyattsville Police Department, and volunteers with Congregations United for Compassion and Empowerment, which operates a day center for people experiencing homelessness or financial hardship.

In August 2017, she joined nearly 100 clergy and faith leaders the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville.

“I appreciate that our congregation is interested in relating to the larger community,” Lapp said. “It’s not just about taking care of one another, which we do, but it’s also about knowing who our neighbors are outside of the church and figuring out what their needs are.”

Some of her most significant ministry came through one of the most difficult chapters in Hyattsville Mennonite Church’s history.

The congregation became of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Mennonite church when it welcomed its first openly gay member in 1986. In 2005, two years after bringing an openly gay delegate to a conference meeting, the church was formally disciplined. For the next decade, Hyattsville representatives could not vote at conference meetings or serve in leadership roles, and Lapp herself was placed under review. In 2015, the Allegheny Mennonite Conference voted 72-70 to reinstate the congregation to full membership.

“We stuck around,” Lapp said. “We kept engaged with the conference, which was really hard, but it was definitely worth it. And I’m really proud of our congregation for how we navigated that.”

At 91´óÉń, Lapp majored in music, sang with the Chamber Singers, and participated in the Washington Study-Service Year, now the 91´óÉń Washington Semester. She later worked for the program from 1989-93.

“That was very formational for me,” she said. “I ended up coming back to D.C. and I’ve never left.”

After graduating from Wesley Theological Seminary in 1998, Lapp had not intended to become a pastor. But when Hyattsville’s pastor took a sabbatical and asked her to fill in, she discovered her calling.

“That was eye-opening for me,” she said. “It helped me feel that this was something I could do.”

Today, Lapp and her husband, Eric Stoltzfus, live in Mount Rainier, Maryland. They have three adult children, Cecilia, Jamie ’20, and Elijah.

Lapp will share her story at 91´óÉń TenTalks, held on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. in Martin Chapel during Homecoming 2026. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visitĚýemu.edu/homecoming.

For Trent Wagler ’02, lead singer and songwriter for the folk-rock band The Steel Wheels, music is a powerful way to bring people together.

“Anybody who’s been around music has had that experience,” he said. “Go to a music festival in some country far away, where you don’t speak the language, and listen.”

“The words don’t matter so much anymore. You’re not concerned about whether or not they’re on your side of the political aisle or on the team you root for. Instead, it’s just a rhythm we can all move to together.”

For more than 20 years, Wagler has toured with , performing about 100 shows each year across the United States, Canada, and Europe. During that time, the band has released more than a dozen studio albums, founded the annual , and earned several Independent Music Awards.

The banjo- and guitar-strumming frontman, who earned degrees in theater and peace, justice, and conflict studies (now peacebuilding and development), credits his 91´óÉń education with inspiring him to create music that invites people in, offers fresh perspectives, and leaves room for listeners to find their own meaning.

“Together, we create something special in a given night, on a weekend, and hopefully, over time,” he said.

That commitment to building community through music has earned Wagler 91´óÉń’s 2026 Alum of the Year Award. He shares the honor with fellow alumnus and Steel Wheels bandmate Eric Brubaker ’01.

“Being recognized for the work that Eric and I are doing, in bringing music that we believe in to people, it means a lot that people have noticed,” Wagler said.

At 91´óÉń, Wagler sang with the Chamber Singers and participated in the Washington Study-Service Year (now the 91´óÉń Washington Semester). For his intercultural experience, he spent a year in Gaza teaching English and guitar lessons in a refugee camp.

“I got to know quite a few really amazing young Muslim Palestinians who were primarily my peers as I lived over there,” he said.

That experience continues to shape his approach to songwriting and storytelling.

“These are people who love to play games, sing songs, enjoy the taste of fresh fruit, and joke, laugh and cry together,” he said. “To me, our job is to remember, even when it’s difficult or unpopular, that the basic human impulses, needs, desires, and joys are universal.”

Long before that formative year in Gaza, Wagler grew up in rural Indiana and later graduated from a small high school in south-central Kansas. The son of a Mennonite pastor, he remembers singing harmonies in church from an early age.

His parents, Howard ’71 and Cathryn ’71, met at 91´óÉń, but Wagler said it was a campus visit and conversation with Professor Emeritus Dr. Kenneth J. Nafziger, longtime director of the Chamber Singers, that convinced him to enroll.

“That one visit to campus made all the difference,” Wagler said. “There were a lot of little steps that brought me here. They may not be the reasons I value 91´óÉń most today, but I’m very grateful I ended up here.”

When he’s not touring, Wagler builds community through music in the Shenandoah Valley. He teaches at , a four-day strings camp for youth and adults held at 91´óÉń, hosts and performs at Red Wing Roots Music Festival, serves on the board of the nonprofit , and has taught in 91´óÉń’s music department since 2002.

He said he’s passionate about helping musicians of all ages grow and creating more opportunities for people to make music together.

“I think that makes a better community and a better world,” he said.

The Steel Wheels will perform a live show on campus at the annual Royal City Celebration from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, during Homecoming 2026.

Wagler will share his story at 91´óÉń TenTalks, held on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. in Martin Chapel, also during Homecoming. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visitĚýemu.edu/homecoming.

Eric Brubaker ’01, fiddler and founding member of the folk-rock band The Steel Wheels, jokes that he owes his touring career to 91´óÉń.

The social work major performed in the 91´óÉń Orchestra and choir and toured Cuba with the Chamber Singers. Music had always been an important part of his life, but he never imagined it would become his profession.

When he and four other students formed a bluegrass band called Reuben’s Potted Ferns during his junior year, 91´óÉń’s Admissions Office sent the group on a 10-day recruiting tour during the spring of 2000. The band played 16 shows, primarily at Mennonite schools and churches throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio.

“So, I blame 91´óÉń for starting off my touring career,” Brubaker said with a laugh.

After graduating, he quickly realized that a career in social work was not for him. He returned to music, joining fellow 91´óÉń alumni Trent Wagler ’02 and Brian Dickel ’98 and Goshen College graduate Jay Lapp to form what would become .

More than two decades, two additional band members, and over a dozen studio albums later, Brubaker and his bandmates have carved out a successful career as musicians.

“I know that’s a hard thing to do, and 91´óÉń gave me a great starting place for that,” Brubaker said. “I was allowed to find myself here. I didn’t know what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be, and here I was able to study different things but also continue to play music.”

He said his time in the Chamber Singers under Professor Emeritus Dr. Kenneth J. Nafziger taught him the importance of listening to the people he performs with.

“You can’t have a band that lasts for 20 years without truly listening to each other: on stage, off stage, musically, and relationally,” he said.

Beyond performing, Brubaker uses music to bring people together and build community. He is a co-founder of the , hosted annually by the band in nearby Mount Solon, Virginia, which has featured artists including Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucinda Williams, and Steve Earle.

He also hosts , a four-day music camp at 91´óÉń that teaches roughly 140 students ages 5 to 19—adults joined the program for the first time this year—to play string instruments. Participants perform on stage with The Steel Wheels during the music festival.

“Music creates a moment where everyone is focusing on the same thing,” he said. “It’s not politics. It’s not religion. It’s just a gathering of humanity that wants to celebrate something beautiful.”

Brubaker’s commitment to connecting communities through music has earned him 91´óÉń’s 2026 Alum of the Year Award. The award recognizes alumni for significant achievements in their profession, community, or church and serves to inspire others to lead lives of service and vocational excellence.

“I’m honored,” he said. “There are so many people who have done amazing work, and so many people working hard behind the scenes who never receive acclaim.”

The community Brubaker has spent years helping build became especially meaningful in 2019, when he and his wife lost their young daughter, Norah, to a sudden illness.

“We were surrounded not only by our artistic community, the people who loved the band and the music we made, but also by the community surrounding 91´óÉń and the larger Mennonite community,” he said. “They were incredibly supportive.”

Today, Brubaker and his wife, Peggy ’00, are continuing their commitment to making music accessible. They recently formed the nonprofit Red Wing Academy Foundation, which provides scholarships for students to attend the camp.

“It’s been amazing to connect with people who want to help pass music on to a younger generation,” he said.

The Steel Wheels will perform a live show on campus at the annual Royal City Celebration from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, during Homecoming 2026.

Brubaker will share his story at 91´óÉń TenTalks, held on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. in Martin Chapel, also during Homecoming. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visitĚýemu.edu/homecoming.

A last-minute road trip led Hannah Chappell-Dick ’16 to 91´óÉń, where she became one of the most accomplished distance runners in program history.

A biology major with minors in exercise science and honors, Chappell-Dick wasn’t initially focused on Mennonite colleges. She joined a friend traveling to Honors Weekend and quickly found herself drawn to 91´óÉń.

“I absolutely loved it,” she said. “I stayed overnight in the dorms, and we stayed up really late talking about ideas. It just felt like the people were really invested in intellectual curiosity.”

The Bluffton, Ohio, native made an immediate mark on 91´óÉń athletics. In cross-country, she earned First Team All-ODAC honors four times, was a two-time All-South/Southeast Region selection, qualified twice for the NCAA National Championships, and earned All-American honors in 2015.

Her track and field career was even more decorated. Chappell-Dick won 11 ODAC championships, earned 12 First Team All-ODAC honors, and qualified for five NCAA National Championships. She became a four-time All-American in the indoor mile and outdoor 1500 meters, received two Co-91´óÉń Female Athlete of the Year awards and the Co-91´óÉń Female President’s Award, and was named a top-30 honoree for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award after winning the ODAC’s Marjorie Berkley Award in 2016.

While she graduated holding 10 school records, Chappell-Dick says 91´óÉń’s greatest influence was its emphasis on global citizenship.

“91´óÉń gave me the tools to see people who are different from me as people first.”

She is now head cross-country coach and assistant men’s and women’s track and field coach at Amherst College in Massachusetts.

Chappell-Dick will be honored at a ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, during Homecoming 2026. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit . 

Jess Rheinheimer Bishop ’16 chose 91´óÉń because of its people. The Manheim, Pennsylvania, native appreciated head women’s basketball coach Kevin Griffin’s persistence in recruiting her, but it was 91´óÉń’s diverse community that ultimately set it apart.

“I wanted something a little different,” she said. “I appreciated all the different backgrounds and the people I knew I was going to be playing with.”

A nursing major, Bishop became one of the most decorated women’s basketball players in program history. She helped lead the Royals to an 84-26 record and two ODAC Tournament championship game appearances during her four-year career.

After earning All-ODAC Second Team honors as a sophomore, Bishop exploded onto the national stage in 2014-15. She was named ODAC Player of the Year, VaSID State Player of the Year, a D3hoops.com First Team All-American, and the recipient of the Jostens Trophy, awarded annually to the top NCAA Division III basketball player for excellence in athletics, academics, and community service. She also earned Co-91´óÉń Female Athlete of the Year honors.

As a senior, Bishop repeated as ODAC Player of the Year, was named D3hoops.com South Region Player of the Year, and earned another D3hoops.com All-American selection. She also received the Co-91´óÉń Female Athlete of the Year and Co-91´óÉń Female President’s Award. She finished her career with 1,567 points, the third-most in program history.

Today, Bishop has spent a decade as an oncology nurse at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. She credits Coach Griffin with teaching her that effective leadership requires more than setting an example.

“Not just leading by example, but offering encouraging words … and being a mentor.”

She and her husband, Jonny ’17, have two children, Turner and Aven.

Bishop will be honored at a ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, during Homecoming 2026. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit . 

Sarah Roth Shank ’10 faced a difficult college choice: follow her siblings to Goshen College to play soccer or attend 91´óÉń to continue her field hockey career. She chose 91´óÉń, a decision that launched an outstanding athletic career and opened the door to countless opportunities beyond the field.

A history major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with minors in pre-law, political studies, and peacebuilding, Roth Shank was a four-year midfielder for Royals field hockey, helping lead the team to four consecutive ODAC championship game appearances. She earned All-ODAC honors three times, including First Team recognition in 2007 and 2009, was twice named to the VaSID All-State Second Team, and earned a spot on the 2009 All-ODAC Tournament Team. In 2010, she received the 91´óÉń President’s Award, recognizing excellence in academics, athletics, faith, leadership, campus involvement, and community service.

Beyond athletics, Roth Shank embraced campus life.

“I was highly driven and wanted to be involved,” she said. “I didn’t need to just hyperfocus on playing my sport. I was able to do that, go on a cross-cultural, and be involved in student leadership.”

After spending the past nine years in New Zealand, while she earned a PhD in public policy and restorative justice, Roth Shank is returning to the United States with her husband, Benjamin ’10, and their two children. The family is settling in Columbus, Ohio, where she will continue her consulting work while teaching university courses at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Roth Shank will be honored at a ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, during Homecoming 2026. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit . 

For Ryan Eshleman-Robles ’13, choosing 91´óÉń was an easy decision. A Harrisonburg native and third-generation Royal, he followed his father, Rodney Eshleman ’88, and grandfather, D. Rohrer Eshleman ’45, to 91´óÉń after playing soccer at Eastern Mennonite School.

“I knew where I was and why,” he said. “I loved it. It was an easy choice for me.”

A biology and philosophy & theology double major with an English minor, Eshleman-Robles anchored the Royals’ defense for four seasons, appearing in 77 matches as a center back. Though defenders rarely receive the spotlight, he embraced the role, saying he gave up “individual glory to get some wins.”

His play earned him two First Team All-ODAC selections, two VaSID All-State First Team honors, and a spot on the 2011 ODAC All-Tournament Team. In 2012, he was named the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

His career culminated with the 2012-13 91´óÉń President’s Award, recognizing excellence in academics, athletics, faith, leadership, campus involvement, and community service.

Having recently completed a PhD at Texas Tech University, Eshleman-Robles, who lives in Rockingham County with his wife, Valeria, and their two children, is returning to where his journey began. This fall, he will teach English at Eastern Mennonite School while serving as head varsity boys soccer coach.

Eshleman-Robles will be honored at a ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, during Homecoming 2026. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit . 

“I get out of the car and these two girls are running by and, all of a sudden, one of them says, ‘Hi, Dottie,’” said Weber. That student turned out to be Maria Longenecker, a senior biology major who had Weber as an eighth grade teacher.

“Maria was one of the students I wanted to see,” Weber said. “And here she was, the first person I meet on campus. It’s unbelievable.”

Her husband Tim chimed in: “You have to understand, we could be at the top of Mount Everest and she’d know somebody. We could go anywhere and inevitably someone will say, ‘There’s Dottie!’”

Weber recalled last being on campus in 2005 to cater the wedding reception of alumna and former faculty member Catherine R. Mumaw. She was one of nearly 70 members of the Class of 1975 making a special trip back to 91´óÉń this weekend for their milestone 50th reunion during Homecoming 2025. 

As she and a group of classmates sat at a table in the Seminary Building on Friday leafing through a Shenandoah yearbook from 1975, they marveled at old photos and reminisced, sharing stories and memories from their time at 91´óÉń. 

“It’s amazing who I can remember from these photos,” someone says. 

Another alumna asks, “Does anyone remember taking classes in the old chicken house? Is this the building where it used to be?”

One of those classmates, Julia Shultz King ’75, traveled all the way from Melbourne, Australia, to attend the homecoming festivities. After graduating with a nursing degree, she worked for the Medical College of Virginia and eventually the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, before serving as a missionary with Youth With A Mission. She has lived the past 13 years in Australia. 

She shared a story about putting out a fire in the Northlawn dormitory, after someone had left a candle near the window and a curtain had caught alight. This was the first reunion she could remember attending. She had missed the 50th reunion for her high school in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, because Australia had been in lockdown in 2021, and so “it made me extra want to be here,” she said. 

“I’m happy to be well enough that I could travel alone to get here,” King said.

Her friend, Weber, said something similar: “Who knows, at this age, you might not be able to come back in another five years.”

This group of alumni, said Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, who serves as director of alumni engagement and community connections at 91´óÉń, was the only graduating class to ever create a two-volume yearbook. The Class of 1975 welcomed Alex Haley, author of Roots, to campus as part of a lecture music series. And the cross country team made 91´óÉń history, becoming the National Christian College Athletic Association cross country champion that year. 

“There was also a unique tradition that happened during y’all’s time here,” she said. “Newly engaged students were thrown in the fishing pond. A lot of people got engaged that year, from what I’ve learned.”

Homecoming weekend is all about celebrating and reconnecting with one another, with this campus, and with the values that make 91´óÉń such a special place, Reed said during the on Saturday morning. “Whether you’re an alum returning after many years or a student just beginning your journey, this is a time to remember that 91´óÉń is family,” she said. “And there’s always a place for you here.”

Keep reading for highlights and photos from the weekend’s events!

Seated on a couch in the Student Union, Doris Horst Toll ’79 and her husband Marvin took the morning on Saturday to relax and unwind as they sipped on a hot cocoa from Common Grounds and flipped through the latest issue of The Weather Vane student newspaper. The couple from Michigan had returned for Homecoming to connect with old friends and had attended the at Lehman Auditorium the night before. “It brought back a lot of good memories of being in that chapel as a student,” she said.

Hall of Honor

MainStage Theater was packed to the gills on Saturday for a ceremony celebrating this year’s four Hall of Honor inductees: 

• Athletics events coordinator Phil Guengerich ’70 was introduced by 91´óÉń Athletic Director Carrie S Bert ’97.
• Volleyball middle blocker Justin Reesor ’10 was introduced by former teammate Ben Yoder ’08. 
• Soccer forward Mitchell Leap ’12 was introduced by former coach Roger Mast ’85.
• Basketball center David Falk ’15 was introduced by former coach Kirby Dean.

An alumna attending the ceremony, Debbie Swartley ’08, of Penn Laird, Virginia, ran cross country and track while at 91´óÉń, and said she typically comes to Homecoming every year. “It’s just so much fun to be back on campus,” she said. “We typically walk around to see the changes for people who haven’t been here in awhile, and the kids love it.”

Gatherings and reunions

The weekend featured several gatherings, including:

• one celebrating the 50th anniversary of 91´óÉń’s social work program and the tenure of Professor Deanna Durham, 
• a gathering of alumni shaped by their experiences in the Middle East during 50 years of faculty-led interculturals to the region, 
• and a 50th anniversary get-together for alumni of the recently rebranded 91´óÉń Washington Semester program.

An alumnus of the D.C. program, Avery Trinh ’22, was attending the lattermost gathering with his mother, Rebecca Dietz ’79. Both of them were in the program while it was called different names (Trinh was in WCSC in Fall 2021, while Dietz was in WSSY from 1977-78) and under different program directors (Trinh was led by Ryan Good, while his mom was taught by Ryan’s father, Nelson Good). In fact, Trinh said, his mom used to babysit Ryan Good. 

It was his first homecoming since graduating from 91´óÉń, Trinh said, and the D.C. reunion offered a way for both him and his mom to get involved. 

“There’s always a lot of chatter about how 91´óÉń is changing,” he said. “The reason I really enjoyed my time here is the professors who taught me. They were in it to help students grow. So, as long as people like them stick around, I think 91´óÉń is in good hands.”

It had been a little more than a decade since Chris Fretz ’05 had been back to Harrisonburg. But for the economic development grad, who now works as a web developer for a marketing agency in Lancaster, the 20th reunion was enough of a draw to bring him back to campus. His wife, Lindsey Frye ’04, was a student and staff member for the D.C. program and so they also attended the 50th anniversary gathering. 

Some of the biggest changes he’s noticed since he’s been gone include Common Grounds’ move upstairs and the renovation of the old gym into the MainStage Theater, though other changes less visible have been just as significant. 

“It’s been encouraging to see the growing diversity of 91´óÉń and to see that the administration is really looking to meet students where they’re at,” Fretz said. 

Meet-and-greet with Interim President Dycus

At a meet-and-greet with 91´óÉń’s interim president inside the Campus Center, the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus answered questions from first-generation student and senior nursing major Emily Suarez Nunez. Dycus spoke about her path to 91´óÉń and to the leadership position she’s held since July 1, as well as what excites her most. 

She called on alumni to loudly and proudly share the stories of 91´óÉń’s successes and talk to others about how 91´óÉń has impacted their lives, their children’s lives, and the ways their families have been nurtured by the university.

“We’re not proud enough about who 91´óÉń is, but we have an amazing community here, a meaningful mission, and it shows up across the world,” said Dycus, who is the first Black woman to serve in the role. “And I am most excited about being able to be the person who gets to advocate for that everywhere I go.”

TenTalks

At the annual hosted at Martin Chapel on Saturday afternoon, 91´óÉń’s three 2025 alumni award winners each had 10 minutes to impact, influence, and inspire the audience. This marked the first time that alumni award winners presented at the event.

The speakers were: 

• Jessica “Jess” King ’96, recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, has led equity-driven public sector organizations for more than 20 years. She spoke on the theme of fear and the role it’s played in her career and in her life.
• Outstanding Alum of the Year Brittany Caine-Conley MDiv ’14, one of the lead organizers for Congregate Charlottesville, shared her experiences making connections with local justice groups leading up to the white supremacist rally in 2017 and spoke on the importance of solidarity.
• Alum of the Year Fabrice Guerrier MA ’15 (conflict transformation), founder and CEO of the first collaborative worldbuilding production house for science fiction and fantasy storytelling, spoke about the power of imagination. He invited audience members to close their eyes and picture building a city on a new planet in the year 2035.

Royal City Celebration

Outside on the Front Lawn, the Royal City Celebration had everyone grooving to live music from the Richmond-based Premiere Band and savoring bites from food trucks offering barbecue, tacos, and ice cream. The crisp fall temperature and clear skies could not have been more perfect for the occasion.

The event also featured 91´óÉń’s second annual crowning of a homecoming court, which included:

• Seniors Jamaury Starks and Royale Parker
• Juniors Christopher Varone and Janaria Kenreich
• Sophomores Bennett de Tenley and Shawna Hurst
• First-years Johnathan Badowski and Logan Turchetta

Justin Reesor ’10 grew up in a Mennonite family in Stouffville, Ontario, Canada, where he played volleyball in middle and high school. His cousin, Allan Reesor-McDowell ’02, played on the 91´óÉń men’s volleyball team—and Reesor had traveled to see him play at a tournament in New York. His uncle, Robert Reesor ’89, and sister, Denise Reesor ’07, also attended 91´óÉń.

While visiting his sister, Reesor fell in love with the 91´óÉń campus and Harrisonburg. “I thought it was a beautiful area, and I liked the idea of a small college with smaller classes and easier access to professors.” Reesor arrived in fall 2006 prioritizing academics and his social life, but after walking on during a scrimmage, he spent four years as a middle blocker on the 91´óÉń men’s volleyball team under Coach Steve Benson.Ěý

Reesor made an immediate impact. In his first season, he was named the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) Western Conference Rookie of the Year and 91´óÉń Newcomer of the Year. He earned spots on the NECVA All-Western Division Second Team in 2009 and the NECVA All-Western First Team in 2010. At the time of his graduation, Reesor led the Royals in career blocks (462) and sets played (406), and ranked fifth in career kills (867). 

While at 91´óÉń, Reesor majored in business administration and minored in accounting. He now serves as senior director of finance at Accumulus Synergy. He and his wife, Rachel Mast Reesor ’09, have three children: Emma (10), June (7), and Charlie (4). 

Reesor will be honored at a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 10 a.m. in the MainStage Theater (University Commons 170) during Homecoming 2025. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visitĚýemu.edu/homecoming.

Mitchell Leap ’12, a health and physical education major, followed in the footsteps of his parents, Bill ’86 and Renee Kreider Leap ’85, and attended 91´óÉń after a successful soccer career at Eastern Mennonite School in Harrisonburg, a city he “always liked.” His mother has worked in 91´óÉń’s financial aid office since 1986. “I’d been around 91´óÉń all my life, and I thought it would be a good place to continue my education and play soccer.” 

During his four years as a forward under head men’s soccer coach Roger Mast, Leap was a two-time All-ODAC First Team honoree, earning the distinction in 2009 and 2011, and made the Second Team in 2008. He received VaSID All-State First Team honors in 2011 and VaSID All-State Second Team honors in 2008 and 2009. One of the most prolific scorers in 91´óÉń men’s soccer history, Leap ranks fourth all-time in the Royals’ record book for career goals (35) and fifth for total points (80).

Leap looks back fondly on the tight-knit campus community at 91´óÉń. “There’s value in attending a place where you feel like you know everybody and everybody knows you.” His connection to 91´óÉń Men’s Soccer continued after graduation: his brother, Parker Leap ’16, also played forward for the Royals, and his cousin, Justin Carey MBA ’21, has served as head coach since 2022. 

Today, Leap lives in Lynchburg, Virginia, with his wife of nine years, Amber, and their three children—Rory (6), Rhema (3), and Mesa (1). He works in full-time ministry with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as area representative for the City of Lynchburg and Amherst County. 

Leap will be honored at a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 10 a.m. in the MainStage Theater (University Commons 170) during Homecoming 2025. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit emu.edu/homecoming.

AS ONE OF THE LEAD ORGANIZERS FOR CONGREGATE CHARLOTTESVILLE, BRITTANY CAINE-CONLEY MDIV ’14 (aka “Smash”) called for 1,000 clergy and faith leaders of all denominations to counter-protest a gathering of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. Her efforts denied white supremacists key locations that would have made their Unite the Right rally more visible, and later that year, she was honored by the National Council of Churches as a co-recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Faithful Leadership.Ěý

Caine-Conley believes in the importance of connecting Christian communities with radical activists, using her pastoral presence as a bridge to form meaningful relationships between the church and social justice movements. She has been selected by 91´óÉń’s Alumni Association as the 2025 Outstanding Young Alum. The award is given annually to an alum who, through professional achievement and/or Christ-like compassionate service, is making a significant contribution to the local, national or global community. 

“I feel honored,” said Caine-Conley. “As a queer, Christian woman called to serve in the clergy, the space hasn’t always been welcoming. This award feels like an acknowledgement of my work and an affirmation for other queer folks who are serving the church and the kin-dom of God.”

The space betweenĚý

Caine-Conley learned to bridge the gap between communities at Eastern Mennonite Seminary (EMS), where she earned a master of divinity degree. Professor David Evans’ Christianity through the Eyes of the American Outsider course impacted her deeply. Reading from the texts of enslaved people, Jewish individuals and queer Christians, she was able to explore the experiences of marginalized groups within Christianity.Ěý

In another course, Formation in God’s Story with Dawn Monger, Caine-Conley’s small group was challenged to think about life journeys and how they intersect with God’s story.Ěý

“Our group considered how many loops, intersections, roadblocks, obstacles, and reversals we experience in our individual paths. The conversation led us to one word: mangled.” 

The “mangled” moment stuck with Caine-Conley, as did the seminary experiences of discussing theology over beers at Billy Jack’s and sitting on the campus lawn learning about peacemaking from people across the globe. 

Caine-Conley graduated from EMS in 2014, the same year she married her wife, Lindsay. The two met while working on the leadership team for RISE United Methodist Faith Community in Harrisonburg. 

“My love for ministry was significantly shaped by RISE and its pastor, Amanda Miller Garber. There, I learned to yearn for beloved community, and now I seek to co-create such community wherever I go.” 

Baptism by fire

In the summer of 2017, co-creating community in Charlottesville meant undergoing “baptism by fire.” 

“Everyone remembers that night on August 12, but there’s so much that came before it… prayer and worship meetings, late-night strategizing, direct action training on nonviolence, even active shooter training. It was a lot,” said Caine-Conley. 

Through it all, she was focused on building bridges between communities that didn’t want to interact with each other, between people—particularly white, progressive Christians—who had different ideas about what it meant to resist, from peacefully protesting to doing nothing. 

To build greater understanding between progressive groups who desired change, Caine-Conley organized educational seminars and anti-racism training. She wrote various post-rally articles, and Congregate Charlottesville received national press coverage. 

Vocation and communityĚý

Caine-Conley is now bringing her experience to the classroom at Denver’s Iliff School of Theology where she is a PhD student in religious studies and adjunct instructor of Identity, Power, and Vocation in Community. A theme of the yearlong course is understanding how individuals are shaped by histories, structures, systems, practices, and memories. She aims to create a “disruptive,” yet caring, environment to help students become better ministers, leaders, and caregivers.Ěý

“I am inspired every day by people who allow the spirit to shake their assumptions, trajectories, and long-held orientations,” said Caine-Conley. “It takes so much courage to allow the spirit to truly move us in new directions.” 

Caine-Conley will share her story at 91´óÉń TenTalks, held on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 1:30 p.m. in Martin Chapel during Homecoming 2025. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visitĚýemu.edu/homecoming.

David Falk ’15, a general studies major with a concentration in business, grew up in Madison, Virginia, where he had an impressive high school basketball career. He spent a postgraduate year playing at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, before head men’s basketball coach Kirby Dean recruited him to 91´óÉń. 

As a 6-foot, 6-inch center, Falk played in 105 games with 56 starts, tallying 1,058 career points in four seasons with the Runnin’ Royals. He was a two-time ODAC First Team honoree, earning the distinction in 2014 and 2015; he received VaSID All-State First Team honors those same two years. Falk also made the D3hoops.com All-South Region Third Team in 2014 and the D3hoops.com All-South Region Second Team in 2015.

At the time of his graduation, Falk held an 91´óÉń career record for blocks (214) and ranked third all-time in career rebounds with 952. Today, he still holds 91´óÉń records for most rebounds in a game (28 vs. Lynchburg on Feb. 28, 2014), most rebounds in a season (375 in 2013-2014), and most blocked shots in a season (82 in 2013-2014).

After learning life lessons from Coach Dean—including “having perspective” and “to always have faith in God”—Falk returned to Madison where he and his wife, Katelynn, live with their two children, Preslee (4) and McCoy (2), on a 2,000-acre farm focused on cattle, corn, and soybeans.Ěý

Falk will be honored at a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 10 a.m. in the MainStage Theater (University Commons 170) during Homecoming 2025. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visitĚýemu.edu/homecoming.

JESSICA (JESS) KING ’96 has worked to bring the foundational lessons of her Mennonite upbringing and education to others during her more than 20-year career leading equity-driven public sector organizations—from creating economic opportunity to facilitating transparency in government to building journalistic literacy in communities. In recognition of her work, 91´óÉń’s Alumni Association and its Awards and Nominations Committee have selected King as the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Service Award, which honors alumni who have significantly impacted the lives of others. 

“It’s an honor to be recognized by my alma mater,” said King, who graduated from 91´óÉń with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with minors in English, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and psychology. 

Service lights the way

After graduation, King volunteered with Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service (PULSE), founded by 91´óÉń alumnus John Stahl-Wert ’81. In an experience she likened to a post-graduate program, King joined a community of young leaders to partner with Pittsburgh nonprofits for a year of service and leadership. She served at the Thomas Merton Center, a Catholic-founded center for peace and justice, and was later hired as executive director of PULSE, where she spent four years expanding her understanding of urban communities and the local businesses, organizations, and governments that serve them.Ěý

King then led a six-year effort as founding executive director of the Union Project to transform an abandoned church building into an arts and enterprise incubator space. She spent more than a decade in Pittsburgh, where she met her husband, Chad. The couple has two daughters, Eleni and EsmĂŠ King Martin. Both Jessica and EsmĂŠ were greatly impacted by their intercultural studies at 91´óÉń; Jessica studied in Greece and lived with families in France and CĂ´te d’Ivoire (West Africa), while EsmĂŠ, a rising junior at 91´óÉń, spent the spring 2025 semester in Guatemala and Mexico.Ěý

Foundations in communityĚý

King grew up Mennonite in Lancaster County. Her father was killed in a plane crash when she was two. After her mother remarried, her mother and stepfather started a paint store, where King and her three siblings all worked at different points. 

“Growing up, my family had a robust network of support, and our church community was also an essential part of our local economy,” King said. “Connections are important for a prosperous community.” 

King has intentionally lived in low-income neighborhoods for much of her adult life, creating relationships and solidarity that have informed her work and career path—from Pittsburgh to Lancaster, where she fought poverty through entrepreneurship for seven years as executive director at ASSETS; ran for Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional District; and served four “eye-opening” years as chief of staff for the City of Lancaster. 

“There’s a narrative that our situations in life are based on our choices, but generational trauma and poverty, oppression based on race or gender, and access to quality education are huge factors. The rules of our economy are created by the wealthy and well-connected, creating systems of opportunity and disinvestment that are so much more than choice,” said King. 

She says that Jesus teaches us about economic issues more than many other Christian themes. “Loving our neighbors as ourselves includes examining and changing socioeconomic systems that support people,” she said. 

Since September 2023, King has served as inaugural executive director of in Lancaster. The nonprofit is focused on funding innovation in local news to support informed and engaged communities. It is also working “upstream from news” to build trust, center solutions, and equip action.Ěý

King says her recent work reminds her of the conflict transformation teachings at 91´óÉń, including those taught by John Paul Lederach.Ěý

“Change is possible,” said King. “We can choose not to participate in the dystopian fears that can paralyze and isolate us. Values, teachings, and examples from 91´óÉń and the broader world provide guideposts and road maps to other ways forward.”Ěý

King will share her story at 91´óÉń TenTalks, held on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 1:30 p.m. in Martin Chapel during Homecoming 2025. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visitĚýemu.edu/homecoming.

Phil Guengerich ’70 was a staple at 91´óÉń sporting events between 2000 and 2013. His part-time position as athletic events coordinator turned into a full-time role responsible for ticket sales, concessions, game events, and some fundraising. 

Guengerich graduated with a degree in elementary education from 91´óÉń, where he played on the soccer team and met his wife, Susan Hess Guengerich ’69. He taught fifth grade at Linville-Edom Elementary School in Rockingham County, Virginia, for 30 years before returning to 91´óÉń. 

“I came back because I loved working with young people, always enjoyed sports, and was familiar with 91´óÉń.” He joined his father, Paul T. Guengerich, who worked part-time in alumni relations into his 90s after having served in various full-time capacities from 1964 to 1981. His mother, Marjorie Yoder Guengerich ’68, earned a teaching degree from 91´óÉń. His three children—Melani Guengerich Novinger ’96, Gail Guengerich ’98, and John Guengerich ’01—also graduated from 91´óÉń. 

Guengerich used his experience in classroom management to train his staff of work-study students to run 91´óÉń events like a well-oiled machine—from setting up pre-game to slinging hot dogs and hamburgers in-game to doing laundry post-game. While he got to know staff members and assigned jobs accordingly, he expected students to “dress neatly, be courteous, prompt, and accepting of all people.” 

Guengerich managed some high-profile events at 91´óÉń, including multiple ODAC Championships and games during the 2003 women’s basketball Sweet 16 run and 2010 Runnin’ Royals Elite Eight berth, but says his best memories are the friendships he built with 91´óÉń Athletics personnel, work-study staff, student-athletes, and business owners who supported the university.

Guengerich will be honored at a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 10 a.m. in the MainStage Theater (University Commons 170) during Homecoming 2025. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visitĚýemu.edu/homecoming.

LOS ANGELES VISIONARY ARTIST AND FUTURIST FABRICE GUERRIER MA ’15 (CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION) has been selected by 91´óÉń’s Alumni Association and its Awards and Nomination Committee as the 2025 Alum of the Year for his work as founder and CEO of (pronounced Syll-a-ble), the first collaborative worldbuilding production house for science fiction and fantasy storytelling.Ěý

“Being selected for this award feels quite unbelievable and affirms my work around collaborative worldbuilding,” said Guerrier, who defines worldbuilding on his website () as “the creation of intricate, plausible fictional universes often found in sci-fi, fantasy, and video games.”Ěý

In collaborative worldbuilding, underrepresented creators from diverse cultures come together to imagine and publish their shared stories. 

A refuge of books

Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Guerrier immigrated with his family to Coral Springs, Florida, when he was 13. Already fluent in French and Haitian Creole, Guerrier learned English as his third language. 

“It’s kind of magic… being Haitian from an Afrocentric world… being from an island… being able to speak multiple languages,” said Guerrier. 

Nevertheless, Guerrier was an exile in a foreign country, forced to flee the 2004 Haitian coup d’état. He says while he “wanted to be an American,” the more he tried to fit in, the more he felt like he was destroying a precious part of himself. 

Guerrier found refuge at Northwest Regional Library, where he worked as a page, volunteered, helped with community programming, and explored everything from manga and comics to encyclopedias and films to nonfiction and sci-fi books. His curiosity sparked Syllble, an idea that was furthered while reading “Blindness,” an essay in Jorge Luis Borges’ “Seven Nights” collection, as a sophomore at Florida State University.Ěý

“I resonated with how Borges described being in a library as the closest thing to heaven, and how his blindness allowed him to see things in different ways. The impact of his words inspired me to become a writer,” said Guerrier. 

Healing and growth

After graduating from Florida State in 2013 with a bachelor of science degree in international affairs and a leadership studies certificate, Guerrier decided to pursue a master of arts in conflict transformation from 91´óÉń’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP).Ěý

As a graduate assistant at the Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice, he worked with its then-director and CJP professor, Carl Stauffer MA ’02 (conflict transformation), and conducted “humbling and eye-opening” field research on the impact of Fambul Tok International in promoting reconciliation in communities after an 11-year civil war in Sierra Leone (West Africa). 

“91´óÉń was a place of healing for me,” Guerrier said. “My peace studies showed me how personal and interpersonal work affects peace in the world.” 

Guerrier worked with CJP Professor Emeritus Barry Hart MDiv ’78 to explore theories and practices of Strategies for Trauma Awareness & Healing (STAR), and in 2014, he started a chapter of Coming To The Table (), a racial healing and reconciliation organization aimed at Taking America Beyond the Legacy of Enslavement—a program that began at CJP. Guerrier later served on CTTT’s board of managers and became its youngest national president.Ěý

Looking to the future

After graduating from 91´óÉń in 2015, Guerrier worked on two novels, revising one to the point of exhaustion. 

“It was probably one of the most painful and loneliest experiences I’ve ever had,” he said. 

Guerrier began researching collaborative writing techniques in Hollywood and beyond, which led him to invite three writers to his home to create a story together. The successful session set Syllble in motion. 

Today, Syllble is enabling marginalized voices across the globe to conceive and tell the stories of their shared universes in order to disrupt modern-day inclinations toward disaster and doom. 

“Imagining radically hopeful futures allows us to replace the realities imposed by capitalism and technology and media with something that’s beautiful, nourishing, warm, and healing,” said Guerrier. “It is how we reclaim what it means to be human.”

Guerrier will share his story at 91´óÉń TenTalks, held on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 1:30 p.m. in Martin Chapel during Homecoming 2025. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit emu.edu/homecoming.