Alumni

Religion and Philosophy majors and minors leave Otterbein with the skills and knowledge to pursue a plethora of careers, from law school to the Peace Corps to the military. Here's a look at what some of our recent graduates are doing:

Sarah Martindell

Sarah graduated in June 2008 with a B.A. in English and a minor in Religion. She currently works in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the Crossroads Urban Center where she is a social justice advocate. The Center serves lower-income families through a food pantry and a thrift store, organizes "low-income people to be advocates for themselves," and Sarah also works with Utah legislators in an effort to fight "the systems that create the need for a food pantry."

She recently wrote of her experience in the department, "I took Introduction to Religion autumn quarter of my freshman year. The class blew my mind. And I was hooked. Religion courses at Otterbein opened up so many questions. I had grown up in the Christian tradition for 18 years, with two ordained pastors for parents, so I thought I knew plenty about Christianity. Not quite. . .Even if you don't consider yourself a religious person, these classes are still vital. Religion colors so much of society, especially politics, history, and international relations. You don't have to become a ‘believer' to enjoy these classes. They're just helpful in developing a global perspective and understanding people who are different from you...a skill we all have to learn eventually."  In thinking about her service to the people of Salt Lake, she remembers that her "religion courses gave [her] a glimpse into Jesus' life on earth, and the message he spread of good news to the poor...They are the strongest voice for the issues they face. They are the ones who belong on Capitol Hill. And they are the ones Jesus talked with, ate with, and lived with."

Joe Achterman

Joe graduated in June 2008 with a major in Philosophy. He is now studying law at Capital University. He writes to us that the skills he developed in his Philosophy classes - particularly the focus on critical thinking - are put to use "every day" in law school.

Kris Vigneron

Kris graduated in 2005 with a major in Philosophy and History. He then pursued a Master's in Philosophy and Social Theory at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England.

Upon completing that degree, he and his wife returned to Columbus, where he presently manages the textbook department of the DeVry University bookstore. He expects to begin teaching a few classes in the near future and ultimately hopes to teach Philosophy full time.

Of his time at Otterbein, he writes, "Studying philosophy at Otterbein changed me in many significant ways, not only academically, but in more deep-rooted personal ways. Coming from a small town in southeastern Ohio, I was narrow-minded and naïve...Studying philosophy challenged every single presupposition I had about myself and the world around me...It has changed the way I think about and understand everything, from a baseball game to relationships to politics to the food I eat....Philosophy taught me to open myself up to the world. It taught me to be an empowered and informed member of society."

Kari Benge

Kari graduated in 2006 with a major in Art and two minors, Art History and Religion. She recently returned from living and working in Ghana, West Africa doing volunteer work for the Peace Corps. She was in the Northern Region, teaching Art at the Savelugu school for the deaf. She hopes to return to Ghana in the near future. Upon completing her tour with the Peace Corps, she anticipates earning a Master's Degree in Art Education.

Of her time at Otterbein, she writes, "Taking a minor in religion didn't make any drastic difference in my life, but it really helped me solidify my views, morals and approach to life. In Buddhism class I was forced to step outside myself and critically assess my spiritual journey and beliefs. In History of Christianity I learned the solid facts behind all the stories I had been hearing since I was a child. In the Religion INST survey I learned about ways of approaching life around the world that I didn't even know existed. I know I won't become a Religion professor or found a new religion, but taking your classes helped me to better understand aspects of my chosen profession, art, and aspects of my outlook on life in general."

Amanda Pershing and John Nash

Amanda graduated in 2001 with a major in Religion (and another major in English). After graduation, Amanda worked as a Pastoral Assistant at Vineyard Church of Columbus. She and John (a Philosophy major) married in 2003 and now have a son, Grason Lewis. She and John are currently living and working in Amsterdam Netherlands, as part of a mission team charged with planting a new Vineyard Church there.

Jim Wright

Jim graduated in 2002 with a major in Religion. After leaving Otterbein, he earned a Master's Degree of Physician's Assistant Studies. He and his wife Kristy were married in 2005. Jim is now serving as a Physician's Assistant with the Ohio Army National Guard, and has been deployed to Iraq.

April Casperson

April graduated in 2003 with a B.A. in History and Philosophy, and a Psychology minor. While in school here, she served as associate pastor of the Asbury South UMC in Columbus.

After leaving Otterbein, she went to the Methodist Theological School of Ohio to begin work on a Master's of Divinity degree. In 2007 she was hired as a full-time Coordinator of Recruitment for MTSO, a position she still holds. She anticipates completing her M.Div. degree within the next year, and plans to seek ordination as a deacon in the United Methodist Church.

Of her time at Otterbein, she writes, "My interests in philosophy started as an intellectual curiosity, became a minor, and then a second major. I said this as I graduated, and I say it again: my studies at Otterbein taught me how to think."

Karen DeJong

Karen graduated in 1997 with a major in Religion. After leaving Otterbein, she earned a Master's of Divinity in Pastoral Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary. She was an Associate Pastor at Zion Christian Fellowship (a non-denominational church in Powell, OH) for eight years; there she established a counseling program and wrote the curriculum for a 12-week course for new church members.

She currently is on the Board of Directors for the Emergency Spiritual Care Team in Columbus. This team partners with the Red Cross to give spiritual care to people in crisis, and to train counselors, priests, rabbis and other religious leaders to deal with crises their members face.

Finally, she began (along with three partners) a multi-faceted private ministry called Grace Connection. Among this ministry's constituents are women prisoners in a nearby correctional facility, high school students interested in community service, and students in Bible study groups.

Erin Hood

Erin graduated in 2005 with a minor in religion. She worked for a time at Nationwide Insurance as a temporary office worker, and then as a Research Assistant with OCLC. In the summer of 2008 she began work on a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science.

She writes that so far her Otterbein degree has not contributed directly to her professional life, but insists, "religion and philosophy classes were never useless. Understanding a person's or a people's religion is to understand their society and their viewpoints. It forces you to stand in their shoes and see life from their viewpoint, thus creating an understanding and tolerance of thoughts and actions you may not have been able to comprehend before. I am thankful for my classes every day."

Chris Durban

Chris graduated in 2006 with a major in Religion. He writes that in 2007 he "left his comfort zone, and everything he knew" and moved to Southern California. He worked as an office PA for Ricochet Television (famous for ABC's Supernanny), and part-time at KDAR, a Christian talk station. He recently accepted a position with KDAR as full-time Production Director.

He writes of his time at Otterbein, "How did the Religion and Philosophy Department help me? It's made my faith stronger. I walked into those classes a Christian, and walked out a stronger one. The Department both challenged me and helped me look at things in a different light. It was amazing exploring the history of my faith, as well as exploring why I believed it."

Pat Dietsch

Pat graduated in 1999 with a major in Religion. She writes, "I am definitely one of those students who is using my Otterbein degree for a purpose other than teaching."

She is now Senior Program Manager at Columbus Public Health, where her specialties are Communicable Disease Prevention and Response. She writes, "My day to day work involves working with people from all nations and races with a focus on the Somalis now living in Columbus. My understanding of their religion and culture makes it easier for my team to provide the services that the refugees need....We try to respect their patriarchal society, their dietary restrictions, religious holidays, and dress codes."

Pat also works with the Biological Event Response Team in Columbus. The team is charged with preparing for disasters as wide ranging as Pandemic Flu epidemic to terrorist attack, to outbreaks of Anthrax or Smallpox.

Robert Evans

Robert graduated in 2003 with a Philosophy major and a Religion Minor. From 2004-2007, he was in Japan teaching English in elementary and junior high schools on the JET Programme, in Kyotango city in Kyoto Prefecture. From 2007-2009, he was at Ohio University getting an MA in Philosophy. His thesis was titled "East-West comparison of 'aesthetic attitude' theory of Edward Bullough and Kitaro Nishida."  His future plans are to find adjunct work teaching Ethics and/or Logic and then to apply to PhD programs in East-Asian and Comparative Philosophy, Value Theory, and Metaphysics.

Of his time at Otterbein, he writes, "My education in Religion and Philosophy from Otterbein College is directly responsible for the professional and personal opportunities I have enjoyed since my time in Towers hall. Without the attention and care of the faculty I would not have been able to live and teach in Japan, and would not be pursuing a career in teaching Philosophy. Having developed an understanding of a variety of religious and philosophical world views at Otterbein, it was possible for me to experience the Japanese culture to a degree of depth not afforded to all visitors. This experience solidified my conviction that Religion and Philosophy are subjects that, when studied academically, contribute greatly to personal and interpersonal development, and thus should be a significant part of all students' education. To this end, I intend to continue my own education in Philosophy at the PhD level, with the hopes of developing a specialization in Modern Japanese Philosophy, East-West Comparative Philosophy, and Value Theory. And, I encourage all students at Otterbein to take advantage of their opportunities to study Religion and Philosophy during their undergraduate education. 頑張って！

The Japanese at the end is 'ganbatte!' which means 'do your best!' or 'you can do it!' It is a common Japanese phrase used to encourage."