Alumni Award Winners 2002

The 2002 recipients of the Alumna and Alumnus of the Year awards and the Carry the Torch award have been announced by the MNU Alumni Association. The recipients will be honored during the Homecoming Extravaganza, Friday evening, Oct. 18.

Carry the Torch Award: Shawn Siegfreid (87)
Shawn currently serves as senior pastor of the First Church of the Nazarene in Visalia, Calif., which has an average attendance of 800-900. More importantly, many new believers are being brought into the kingdom, and many lives are being touched by the compassion and ministry of this young pastor.
While at MNU Shawn had a dramatic salvation experience that changed the course of his life. He now uses all he has learned from his life before Christ and his life after Christ to minister to people. Shawn and his wife, Sherri (Pedersen, 88), have three children, Shawna, 11, Shayli, 6, and Shaden, 3.

Alumna of the Year: Cheri (Quick, 77) Bladholm
Since 1995, Cheri has illustrated for Max Lucado, Janette Oke and Focus on the Family publications, including Brio and Breakaway magazines. She has received the Excellence in Media Award and is currently a Gold Medallion Award Finalist for two books.
Cheri lives in Syracuse, N.Y., with her husband, Glen, and two children, Courtney, 18, and Avery, 14. She has a master’s degree in fine art from Kansas University. She also teaches 6th grade Sunday School at Redeemer Covenant Church.

Read the Accent's Cover Story article on Cheri.

Alumnus of the Year: Dean Nelson (76)
Writer of eight books, founder and director of the journalism program at Point Loma Nazarene University, business reporter, magazine writer, and regular contributor to The New York Times are all descriptors of Dean Nelson.
He has won many awards given by the Society of Professional Journalists, American Bar Association, San Diego Writers and Editors Guild, and The CINE Society for a screenplay for the Josh McDowell organization.
He currently lives in San Diego with his wife Marcia (Ranum, 76), and their two children Blake, 15, and Vanessa, 12. Dean also has a master’s degree in journalism from University of Missouri and a doctorate in journalism from Ohio University.