Covenant News

Students Honored During ACC Commencement

SOLDOTNA, AK (May 7, 2004) - Fifteen students received their one-year diplomas and six were recognized for academic progress in the extended education ENCORE program as Alaska Christian College celebrated its third annual commencement service last Sunday afternoon.

Loren Leman, lieutenant governor of the State of Alaska, gave the commencement address, focusing her message on "Whole-Life Discipleship." Donn Engebretson, executive vice president of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), and Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska (ECCAK) Field Director Rodney Sawyer were among the special guests during the weekend. Engebretson was the guest speaker at the school's Saturday night banquet and at a Sunday morning worship service prior to commencement.

Beatrice Katongan of Unalakleet, Alaska, and Charis Sheldon of Noorvik, Alaska, were recognized as female students of the year while Ryan Mute of Bethel, Alaska, was named male student of the year.

Farewell gifts were given to Mark Hill, ACC's outgoing director of admissions (who is attending North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago with assistance from a presidential scholarship), and Allen Minturn, who served as ACC's dean of men for two years.

"Now after three years since the beginning of ACC, we have seen almost 70 young people enter our program of whole-life discipleship," said school President Keith Hamilton. "We have again seen God's touch and hand on our campus. We desire to be Alaska's primary choice for young Christian men and women who desire to grow in all areas of their life as disciples of Jesus Christ. We celebrate another 15 graduates who will return home to impact their villages for Christ. Pray for our upcoming class - we already have 52 applications for first-year students and we have 28 beds and hope to fill each one."

Although classes are over, ACC has plenty of activity occurring this summer, as 17 guest work groups are headed to the campus to help with needed projects. An accreditation board representative will tour the campus in June as a step for needed accreditation. Hamilton hopes that phase two of a large construction process can eventually result in a fully functional commercial kitchen and dining hall on campus. A small prayer chapel is being built to assist the spiritual life of individuals and small groups. These steps are among the additions Hamilton said could help ACC in moving from the "start-up" phase of its existence into a more mature "development stage."

To learn more about ACC and its upcoming projects, call Hamilton at 907-260-7422. Information is also available by visiting the school's website at www.alaskachristiancollege.org.

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