Athletics Holds Induction for 2025 Hall of Honor Class

Ken German ’61 and the 1998 Field Hockey Team are the latest inductees into the Houghton Athletics Hall of Honor after a luncheon ceremony among friends, family, and Houghton staff on May third.

The honorees of this induction class join a Hall roster that now totals 71 alumni, coaches, teams, and contributors.

Ken German, Class of 1961

Described by his friend and classmate, Paul Mills, as “…the epitome of a scholar-athlete”, Ken German excelled in four sports during his years at Houghton College, while studying pre-med and zoology. In athletics, German was best known for his accolades on the baseball field and the basketball court, but he also participated in football and track & field. A native of nearby, Cuba, New York, German studied pre-medicine under Dr. George Moreland. While with the Highlanders, he would also serve as Vice-President of the Pre-Med Club, Business Manager of the Lanthorn, and as a member of his class cabinet and student senate.  German would eventually graduate with honors in the spring of 1961. Following graduation, German earned his medical degree from Temple University and practiced orthopedic surgery in Las Vegas, Nevada.  He and his wife Elaine eventually moved to LaGrande, Oregon, where he retired from a private medical practice in 1997. They had three children: Brian, Laura, and Robert.

1998 Field Hockey Team

The 1997 team, which produced an upset win over Bloomsburg University, set the stage for the successes of the 1998 team. Heading into the 1998 campaign, Head Coach Donna Hornibrook labeled her young squad as talented, fast, and well-balanced, but she was anticipating a rebuilding year. The team opened with a 4-1 preseason win over defending DIII champion William Smith, and knocked off Ithaca and Juniata to open the regular season. The third game of the year brought in DII Lock Haven, a team that had won three national championships over the previous six seasons and would go on to finish as national runners-up in 1998. The Highlanders got the 4-2 upset win with Judy Johnson tallying three goals. Houghton would win nine-straight games to open the season before losing to eventual DII national champion Bloomsburg, then closed the year with six more wins to finish with a 15-1 overall record.

Night of Excellence Gala Honors 2024-25 Student-Athletes, Teams

The department held its annual Night of Excellence Awards Gala in April, honoring student-athletes, teams, and moments that highlighted the 2024-25 season.

Among those honored were Noelle Linenfelser (cross country and track and field) and Evan Kurtz (track and field), who were the recipients of the Student-Athlete Excellence Awards that go to those who have regularly exhibited excellence in the areas of athletic performance, academic achievement and Christian character during their time as Highlander student-athletes.

Kanta Ueno (baseball) and Victoria Brewster (track and field) were selected as the 2024-25 Athletes of the Year, while Samuel Garay (tennis) and Alexa Belanger (track and field) were the Newcomers of the Year.

Track Athletes Earn All-America Honors 

Victoria Brewster and Alexa Belanger were the Highlanders’ first-ever participants at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field National Championships, with both claiming All-America honors at the March event in Rochester, N.Y.

Brewster, the Empire 8 champion and regional champion in the indoor 60 meters, finished as the national runner-up in the event and produced the No. 5 time all-time DIII mark of 7.49 seconds to earn First Team All-America recognition. Belanger, also a conference and regional champion, earned Second Team All-America honors in the high jump by finishing in Ninth place with a jump of 1.68 meters.

Excerpts from And You Shall Remember: A Pictorial History of Houghton College, written and edited by Frieda A. Gillette and Katherine W. Lindley

The Houghton University we know and love is a four-year, residential liberal arts college offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. The idea of a high school student taking Houghton courses might be a foreign one to some of us. At Houghton’s founding, however, in 1883, there were no collegiate courses at all. Houghton Seminary’s purpose was not college degrees, but rather accessible, affordable, Christ-centered education. Students as young as 11 enrolled at Houghton, and the first accredited college diplomas weren’t awarded until 1925. The high school division remained, however, and eventually became Houghton Academy. 

When [Old Sem] was dedicated in August 1884, no one knew how many students would enroll in September, who would teach them, or how much of the building would be completed. Although the building was only partially finished on September 15, 1884, school opened with “70-80 scholars” under Principal-Preacher William Henry Kennedy and his assistant, Luther Grange. Miss Alice Boardman taught the high school courses and Miss Eva Davis taught the English Course for students not prepared for high school. “Sister Mary DePew to take oversight of the lady students and to give them weekly lectures,” wrote Willard Houghton in his ledger. James S. Luckey, who enrolled in the second of the three terms of that first year, later wrote, “Equipment, to say the least, was scarce. I think one globe was to be found and perhaps one or two maps, but nothing else in the line of apparatus. I was told there were no blackboards, but they had come at the beginning of the second term” (The Houghton Star, April 1911).

Although the curriculum included only the upper elementary grades and the first year of secondary school in that first year, one year of high school was added annually until a four-year diploma was issued. Melvin E. Warburton received the first diploma in 1887 and James S. Luckey the second in 1889.

As faculty became available, new programs could be added. When Gussie C. Dodd, an accomplished artist and wife of the new principal, A.R. Dodd, moved to Houghton, the Seminary added “a complete course in drawing, crayoning and oil painting.” Luther Grange started a commercial and business course in 1885 for “young men and ladies too, if they desire;” in 1890 Miss Effie Crow initiated a music department; in 1893 a two-year elementary teacher course was introduced. In 1895 the church approved an Advanced Department, i.e. “college equivalent work,” and in 1901 John Willett of Levant, New York, completed that course, the first graduate of the Advanced Department.

By Amanda (Shine ’05) Zambrano

Ask anyone who has taken courses on campus at Houghton University: a hallmark of the Houghton experience is the faculty who embody academic excellence with intentionally integrated faith, and who pair that excellence with a deep care and concern for the individual student. It might be challenging to imagine this distinctive Houghton feature applying to students who aren’t on campus. Faculty members at Houghton, however, approach online education—including Early College courses—with the same intentionality and academic integrity they bring to their physical classrooms.

The theme of intentionality rings throughout Houghton’s faculty as they discuss their approaches to Early College coursework. Dr. David Clem ’05 MM’07, Dean of the Greatbatch School of Music, said, “We [the faculty] are dedicated to a Christian worldview that permeates our syllabi. We take the same approach to Early College education and expectations—with a bit of extra patience and grace—as we do the courses we teach on campus. The faculty all feel strongly about maintaining the integrity of a Houghton education.”

One of the ways Houghton maintains this academic integrity is by offering Early College coursework taught by full-time professors, a distinctive from many other institutions that rely on part-time or adjunct instructors. For some Early College courses, high school students have the opportunity to interact with college students, discussing ideas and working off the same course expectations. There is no “free pass” for Early College students.

Professor of English, Dr. Jonathan Gates ’85, echoes Dr. Clem’s sentiments. “For many Early College students, this is their first college experience and an introduction to Houghton. I have the same teaching philosophy for my high school students as I do for my college students, although I approach my high school students with the understanding that they have a little less life experience. I want them to have a good experience with Houghton courses, but I also want them to have a true experience.”

Whether Dr. Clem is teaching Intro to Film Music or Dr. Gates is teaching Writing in the Liberal Arts, they both prioritize integrating a Christian worldview into their course content. This isn’t simply tacking on a devotional or prayer, or exclusively exploring Christian works—this integration of faith and learning helps students develop a Christ-centered framework for how they think about a topic and how they apply their learning. “We want to help students develop critical thinking skills on complex issues within the guides of a Christian worldview,” remarked Dr. Clem. “Early exposure to these concepts will help students in the future, whether insuring they’re prepared to attend Houghton or supporting their personal development if their educational futures take them elsewhere.”

Dr. Gates designs Writing in the Liberal Arts with intentional time for students to reflect on the interrelationship between “the character of The Word, words, and our own words,” then helps students to understand the direct relation of their reflections to their studies. “Students long to know writing matters to who they are and who they’re becoming,” said Dr. Gates. “This class is an opportunity to explore that.”

Dr. Gates dedicates hours to interacting with his Early College students through Zoom meetings, email and online chat-style platforms for course dialog. In these contexts, he writes to them extensively, modeling the types of thoughtful, well-constructed written responses he expects of his students. “I want students to grow in love and enjoyment of writing, while recognizing it is a difficult task.”

“This is a college course,” Dr. Gates stated quite plainly. “It’s the real deal. Some Early College students struggle because they’re not ready for college coursework, and we build in off-ramps for those students who are in over their heads. But when my students begin to view themselves as writers—that is, someone who writes regularly and well—it is truly rewarding. Seeing even my youngest students increase in confidence and competence, I know that their needs are being met.”

When Houghton’s distinctive qualities rely on personal relationships, it can be challenging to understand how online Early College classes can provide a “real” Houghton experience. “The delivery is different,” observed Dr. Clem, “but it is there. The care with which we structure our courses strives to maintain the relational, academically challenging, Christ-centered education for which Houghton is known.”

“Online coursework, including Early College coursework, exists and it isn’t going away,” remarked Dr. Clem. “If high school students don’t get Early College coursework from Houghton, they’ll get it somewhere else. Houghton has the opportunity to speak into the online educational arena with the same distinctives that it speaks into in-person education. A Houghton education is what it is for reasons that go back to our founding; those reasons are applicable in the online space and we have the ability to bring Houghton experiences to students who might otherwise not have that opportunity.”

One of the ways Houghton provides access to Early College courses is through dual enrollment arrangements with our partner schools. Houghton’s partner school network comprises more than 40 private Christian schools, some as close as Houghton Academy, or Northstar Christian Academy (Rochester, NY), and some as far as Rift Academy (Kijabe, Kenya) and Alliance Academy International (Quito, Ecuador). One of the many benefits Houghton provides to our partner school is the opportunity to offer dual enrollment courses to their high school students. Dual enrollment courses, unlike online early college courses, are taught by approved high school teachers in a traditional classroom setting. The instructors and their syllabi are reviewed and approved by Houghton’s academic department to ensure appropriate academic content and rigor, and students who complete their classes earn college credits for those classes.

Alumna Lori Miranda ’02 is the English department chair, director of curriculum and instruction, and English teacher for grades 10, 11 and 12 at Northstar Christian Academy in Rochester, New York. Lori is one of Houghton’s approved dual enrollment instructors, who teaches College Literary Studies for seniors at Northstar Academy. Lori holds a BA in Writing from Houghton University and an MA in Missions and Intercultural Studies from Wheaton College Graduate School. She’s been a teacher at Northstar Academy since 2016. Prior to her work at Northstar, Lori taught high school English at Webster Christian School.

Lori shares the following about her early college dual enrollment course:

My Houghton Early College class, College Literary Studies, appeals to students who want to continue challenging themselves in their last year of high school. I rarely have students who plan to study literature in college, so my students are selecting this class very intentionally for its academic rigor and impact. That is quite a contrast to many other seniors who seek to make their academic load as light as possible. My students don’t want a simple, passive final year of high school studies. Instead, they want to continue growing in their academic skills and understanding. By partnering with Houghton, I am able to reward those students’ diligence. Additionally, beyond the academic benefits of the class, my students gain the immediate, concrete benefit of earning college credit, which they can apply wherever they study. The significantly discounted tuition for the course is greatly appreciated by my students, many of whom are preparing to take significant financial responsibility for their lives for the first time in the near future. 

Lori asked her students for anonymous feedback on the impact of the class and was happy to share some of their insights.

“This class has benefited me in many ways. Firstly, it has made college more affordable, as the classes are cheaper to take here at NCA rather than at any college, and I found this class worthwhile. I enjoy coming into class every day to learn about the author’s true intentions of what we have read. Some of the works we have covered this year have impacted the way I think and look at the world in a positive sense.”

By Amanda (Shine ’05) Zambrano

Ryan Kullander ’27 began his Houghton journey as a high school student when he enrolled in online Early College courses. A homeschool student from Anchorage, Alaska, Ryan and his family searched for college credits that would count toward completion of his high school diploma and help him get ahead in college. While Ryan had taken college classes through similar programs, when he and his family found Houghton University’s Early College program, it struck a chord.

Ryan has always had an interest in Christian education, which attracted him to Houghton’s offerings. The tangible benefits of Early College, however, were the affordability of the classes and their asynchronous format that allowed him to participate in spite of time zone differences and his other responsibilities.

“Online can feel a little distant at times,” remarked Ryan, who has experience with online classes from other institutions. “But I felt the distance between me and my professors less because of the way they recorded their lectures or wrote in emails or discussion forums. I felt very welcomed. I felt my professors really cared.”

Ryan, an elementary education major with a focus in humanities and a minor in Bible, began his Houghton Early College experience with introductory-level classes, Biblical Literature with Rev. Dr. Ron Duttweiler ‘85 and Intro to Sociology with Professor Suzanne (Brenneman ’94) Beardsley. He went on to complete at least two more higher-level online courses, including Board Game Science with biology professor Dr. Ransom Poythress and Developmental Psychology with Dr. Hannah Kim.

As a homeschool student, independent course load management wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to Ryan. His time with Early College, however, pushed him to hone practical skills in time management. Board Game Science, a summer course, provided Ryan the opportunity to learn to balance his summer job with his studies, not dissimilar to the way he juggles a busy schedule on campus now.

“I think those Early College classes cultivated my abilities so that I could then confidently take on five classes at once and then the London Honors program the next semester,” noted Ryan.

The Early College courses set a high standard within the context of a welcoming and Christ-centered community. Both Developmental Psychology and Board Game Science had a mix of college students and high school students. “It was real work,” said Ryan, as he compared his Early College courses with his undergraduate work on campus, “with a real final project. The classes felt like a pretty real workload in a real class.”

Ryan enjoyed his time in Early College, but wasn’t convinced about coming to campus for his undergraduate degree. His youth pastor, Houghton alumnus Ross Atherton ’21, encouraged Ryan to submit an application to Houghton University anyway. It was Ross’s description of Houghton’s welcoming community and opportunities for spiritual growth that inspired Ryan to apply.

When Ryan was accepted to Houghton, he was invited to apply to the first-year London Honors program and offered a travel voucher that enabled him to interview on campus during an Honors Interview Weekend. The beauty of the campus and the welcoming atmosphere of his interview weekend, including a one-on-one interview with Dr. Susan Bruxvoort-Lipscomb, solidified Ryan’s decision.

Ryan is profoundly grateful for his time with Dr. Benjamin Lipscomb, Dr. Bruxvoort-Lipscomb and Dr. Christian Esh ’98 during his semester in London. “All three of them were so in tune to me and to my academics both. Frequently, they would see me reading and check on how I was doing, not so much how the reading was going, but rather asking about me, my spiritual life, about moments of fun I’d had.”

Ryan stepped on Houghton’s campus with a desire to engage with community and an enthusiasm for a wide array of activities. His first collegiate Houghton experience was with the Highlander Wilderness Adventure program prior to the start of his first semester. He joined the Roaring Sheep Ultimate Frisbee Club, where he crossed paths with Dr. Poythress for the first time in person. Ryan joined a Bible study, hosted by Matthew Foster ’25, whom he had first met through Board Game Science’s online discussion forums. Ryan auditioned as a guitarist for Sunday night’s Koinonia services, and has enjoyed the connectedness and corporate worship as a member of a Koinonia team. Ryan also stepped into a leadership role on campus as a resident assistant (RA) in Rothenbuhler Hall, where he welcomes young men into Houghton’s community the way he was welcomed.

Ryan shared that his experiences on campus at Houghton live up to everything he imagined and more. Thanks to completing his introductory Bible classes as a high schooler, in his first semester on campus, Ryan enrolled in an upper-level Bible course studying the Pentateuch with Dr. Andrew Walton ’06. He was the only first-year student in his class. That class presented an opportunity to build a relationship with Dr. Walton, and Ryan has taken a class with him every semester since.

Ryan isn’t the only member of his family to benefit from Houghton’s Early College courses. His younger brother, Caeden, has also taken Biblical Literature online, as well as Dr. Peter Meilaender’s course on C.S. Lewis. Caeden loved the class and shared with Ryan how eye-opening and challenging it was. Caeden will be joining the ranks of Highlanders on campus in the Fall of 2025 and, like his brother, will spend Spring 2026 in London with the London Honors program.