Alumni Awards

Becky Savage '16

Alumna of the Year

In 2015, the oldest two of Becky and Mike Savage’s four sons, Nick and Jack, died as a result of prescription drug use at a party. Becky, in an effort to help parents, students and communities address and prevent prescription drug abuse, started the 525 Foundation. As the Savages take this journey to educate others about the opioid crisis and save lives, they take the memory of Nick and Jack with them. The 525 Foundation partners with law enforcement agencies for prescription take-back events and has installed pill drop boxes at local businesses, including Martins Super Markets. Along with other organizations, the 525 Foundation has collected over 14,000 pounds of pills. Becky has spoken all over the country and even testified before Congress about the opioid crisis. In 2019 the Foundation and Becky herself received several awards. The Foundation was named “Playmaker of the Year” by the Kelly Cares Foundation and was recognized by the Addiction Policy Forum for addressing opioid addictions. Becky was recognized as the 2019 Indiana Mother of the Year by American Mothers Inc., and Indiana University recently awarded her the Bicentennial award. Bethel University is proud to name Becky as the 2020 Bethel University Alumna of the Year. 

Amy (Baker) Baddley ’14 

Young Alumna of the Year

Amy completed her Bethel degree while in Washington, D.C., through the American Studies Program with hopes of kickstarting a public policy career in the nation's capital. That summer, she participated in the American Enterprise Institute's Summer Fellowship program before accepting full-time employment in the House of Representatives. For three years, she served as a legislative assistant for a  congressman from Oklahoma and cut her teeth in federal policy, legislative drafting and congressional procedure. When her husband was offered the opportunity to obtain his Master's in Theological Studies at Harvard, they moved to Cambridge, Mass., and she accepted employment at athenahealth, a health technology company. She first served as a product associate, managing a technology-enabled physician workflow, and later transitioned to become the company's Government and Regulatory Affairs Senior Associate. In this capacity, she used her prior experience in federal policy to advocate for legislation and regulations that promote technological innovation and enable better patient outcomes. Five years of experience in public policy confirmed her passion for our nation's legal and legislative processes, so she decided to pursue legal education at Vanderbilt Law School to continue growing in this field. She is currently a Juris Doctor Candidate at Vanderbilt Law.

Kevin Blowers ’96

Timothy Award for Outstanding Service

Joel Boehner ’05

Alumnus of the Year

Joel is currently Executive Director of IN*SOURCE (Indiana Resource Center for Families with Special Needs), a non-profit organization that provides Special Education Parent Support throughout Indiana. Under his leadership, special projects geared toward interpreter training, youth self-advocacy, and site-based community outreach have emerged and grown, as have collaborations with researchers and institutions of higher education. For eight years (2007-2015), Joel served Bethel in varying roles in both faculty and staff positions. During this time, he helped facilitate change in the location and in the services of the Katherine J. Gribbin Learning Commons, while elevating the profile of the Center for Academic Success and the Center for Career Development and Global Engagement. Joel’s proudest achievement is being Anne’s husband of 15 years and the parent of Alyssa (8) and Christopher (5), who are his guiding lights, inspiration, and deepest expression of his calling in life.

Kory & Alison Lantz ’09

Young Alumni of the Year 

After graduating in 2009, Kory and Alison (Gingrich) moved to the northwest side of South Bend and started building relationships with their neighbors. Their passion for youth, hospitality and culture drove their decision to put down roots just 15 minutes away from Bethel. The Lantzes now serve at Transformation Ministries, an organization that provides support for middle school and high school students living in the Keller Park area. One of several avenues the Lantzes use to reach their neighborhood is Iron Sharpens Iron (ISI), a youth leadership program they started, named after Old Testament verse Proverbs 27:17. In ISI, neighborhood youth spend time eating, talking, holding each other accountable, and bearing one another’s burdens. The Lantzes also run the Urban Ministry Experience with Bethel students, host study tables, and run Greater Impact Lawn Care – a for-profit business to teach youth how to work through meaningful employment opportunities.

Kristy Mikel ’05

Timothy Award for Outstanding Service

Kristy lives and works in Mae Sot, Thailand, located on the Myanmar (Burma)/Thailand border. Here, she co-founded Braverly, a café and sewing center. Braverly, working under Outpour Movement, empowers women by serving as a training center for business management, sewing, culinary arts, and product development. The work done at Braverly enables women to provide for themselves and their families and gives them the tools they need to be confident, try new things, and make an impact. Kristy and her team strive to connect the women they serve with Jesus. They desire to see each woman they work with pursue a relationship with Jesus and live boldly and to be the person He created them to be. Kristy works tirelessly for Kingdom impact, and has been transforming lives in Thailand, one woman at a time.