Stephanie Boegel 
Each graduation carries a uniquely bittersweet weight. As a faculty member in Christian higher education, I do not merely witness the completion of academic programs; I participate in a moment of sending. We send graduates into ministries, professions, families, and communities with the conviction that God has been forming them long before they ever entered our classrooms—and will continue that formation … Read more
Every year, someone asks me a version of the same question: Why the UK? It is a fair question. In a world of digital classrooms, Zoom lectures, and AI-driven research tools, why put students on a plane and fly them across the Atlantic? Why invest the time, money, and energy required for international travel? Simple. Because formation requires exposure. At … Read more
At most colleges, commencement marks the end of a journey. At Manna University, it does more than that; it brings a community together that, for many students, has only existed online until that moment. Commencement matters everywhere. Full stop. But at Manna University, it carries a different kind of weight for graduates, faculty, and staff alike. To … Read more
Family has a way of exposing us. I come from a large one. Two brothers. Two sisters. Fourteen nieces and nephews. A growing collection of grand-nieces and nephews. Add in aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws and you get a room full of people who know exactly how to push each other’s buttons. There is no argument quite … Read more
From the outside, graduation looks simple: caps, gowns, a stage, and a tassel turn. But behind the scenes, college commencement preparation is far more complex than most people realize. What appears to be a single ceremony is actually the result of months of graduation planning, detailed coordination, and a dedicated university events team working to ensure students are honored … Read more
Division is not new. In the twentieth century alone, we watched governments weaponize difference with devastating efficiency. Nazi Germany built citizenship around bloodline. Apartheid South Africa organized daily life around racial hierarchy. Belgian colonial policies in Rwanda hardened ethnic distinctions into permanent identity categories, setting the stage for unimaginable violence in 1994. Each of these systems relied on … Read more
Christian students have to consider more than financing and flexibility when choosing a college. They also need professors and course content that will strengthen their Christ-like character. Supportive relationships are critical to reinforcing Christian identity, increasing capacity, and stewarding God-sized callings. Students today need effective faculty mentors who invest in their personal development as much or more … Read more
Hope may be one of the most misused words in Christian leadership. We often talk about hope as optimism, relief, or resolution. Hope becomes shorthand for things working out, pressure lifting, or circumstances improving. In that framing, hope functions like escapism. Resurrection hope is something different. In Scripture, resurrection does not erase suffering or rush past it. It … Read more
On the beautiful, bright spring morning of March 27, 2026, Manna University supporters gathered for our sixteenth annual Dr. Steven Crowther Memorial Charity Golf Tournament — a standout example of how university fundraising events bring a donor community together to create real impact. Players, SERVE team, alumni, and campus leaders combined friendly competition with purposeful giving to support … Read more
Leadership looks different depending on where you stand. That may sound obvious, but it is a lesson I keep relearning every time I travel to Rwanda. Not because leadership principles change across borders, but because context exposes assumptions we do not realize we are carrying. The longer I lead, the more convinced I am that leadership formation … Read more
