Decade of the 1990's

Marc Evan Acton ('96)

Marc went from ECS to Indiana Wesleyan University before graduating from Ball State University in 2003. Along the way he married his high school sweetheart, Michelle Robertson in 1999. He is justifiably proud of his two beautiful children, Wesley ('03) and Catelyn ('07).

Graduating with a degree in Telecommunications /Productions, Marc's career took a bit of a turn. He is presently employed by the US Army Reserves and is serving as a Warrant Officer and helicopter pilot in Iraq.

ECS joins his family and friends in praying for his safe and swift return. 

Matthew Caldwell Class of 1999

A 7th generation Florida native, Matt grew up in Lee County, where he met his wife, Yvonne. They have settled in Lehigh Acres where they are raising their daughter, Ava.
After graduating from ECS in '99, Matt attended Edison Community College in Fort Myers where he received his Associates Degree.  Anxious to continue his education, Matt enrolled at Florida Gulf Coast University where he earned his Bachelors of Arts with a major in History and then went on to finish his coursework to become a State-Certified General Real Estate Appraiser.
Following college, Matt entered his career as a real estate appraiser with Maxwell & Hendry Valuation Services, Inc., where he now serves as a manager with the firm. He has attained the highest state certification  in his field and is qualified as an expert witness in both state and federal court. Professionally, Matt is involved with the Real Estate Investment Society and is an Associate Member of the Appraisal Institute. Matt also currently serves as the Vice-Charmian for the Lee County Republican Executive  Committee. He is active in serving his community and state in public office.
 

Chad ('91) and Kari (Erickson '90) Conley

After graduation from ECS, Chad went to the University of West Florida and received his BS in Political Science. Kari attended Samford University and received a BA in Journalism and Public Relations. After college, Chad moved to Orlando to work at Kirchman Corporation in Orlando, a computer software company. Kari moved to Washington D.C. to work for the Salvation Army National Headquarters, then went to Baylor University for her Masters in Communications.

The couple were engaged in 1996 and Kari moved to Orlando to work for CBR Public Relations firm. They married in March, 1997. Chad now works for Harte Hanks Data Technologies and has for the last 7 years. Kari has worked for the Orlando Magic for 7 years and is the Director of Community Relations and the Magic Foundation. She serves on the boards of the Ronald McDonald House, Florida Public Relations Association, the Children Home Society and the City of Life, an organization serving foster youth.

They live in Lake Mary and have two children, Camryn (4) and Carson (5).
Chad's fondest memories are of his hours spent playing sports. Kari is justly proud of the fact that she went all through school and received only one detention (for wearing the wrong shoes).

Kari writes, “Seriously, my favorite memory is the camaraderie with the friends and teachers that ECS provided. They gave me, not only my husband but my best friends to date. Another favorite memory is the Senior Ski trip. What a great experience !”
 

 

Stephen and Marcia Corbin ('94) Westover and Family

 
 
After graduating from ECS, Marcia went to Asbury College and earned a degree in Social Work. Two weeks after graduation, she married Stephen Westover and moved to Texas where he finished his degree in Computer Science/Engineering. While her husband was attending school, Marcia was a case worker for children with emotional/behavioral problems. They lived in Rockwell, near Dallas, for the next 9 years. While there, they had their first child, Corbin Benjamin, who is now 7 years old. Four years ago, they were blessed to be able to adopt two young girls from Russia, Katerina, then 3 ½ and Emma, who was 18 months, giving them 3 children under the age of 4. She says that there was never a dull moment in their house. Marcia is very much enjoying being a stay at home mom. They recently moved to Charles Town, West Virginia to be closer to their families in Pennsylvania and Maryland. They are loving their new home.

Marcia's fondest memories of ECS were the times she spent in Drama productions. Among other roles, she played Helen Keller in “The Miracle Worker”. She has continued her love for the stage through community theater work in Texas and is looking forward to getting involved with it in their new home. She is also very anxious to hear from anyone from her class of '94. You may contact her at westovers@gmail.com

Joel (1993) and Angela DeBoer

 
After graduating from ECS, Joel attended the United States Air Force Academy and was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in History. While at the Academy, Joel started his flying career by becoming an instructor pilot in the gliders which were used to teach cadets the basics of flying. Upon graduation, Joel was commissioned as an officer in the US Air Force and went to pilot training at Columbus AFB, Mississippi. Following one year of flight training, he received his wing and was selected to fly the F-16. From there, Joel went to Luke AFB in Phoenix to train on the F-16. Following his training, Joel was assigned to Eielson AFB in Alaska for 3 years where he eventually became a flight leader in the F-16. Joel's next assignment was as an F-16 instructor pilot back at Luke AFB in Phoenix for 3 more years. Joel had the unique opportunity at that point to move to Salalah, Oman where he stood up the Royal Air Force of Oman's first F-16 Squadron. He acted as an advisor and instructor pilot while there. Currently, he and his family are at Randolph AFB in San Antonio, Texas, where he is serving as an AT-38C instructor pilot, teaching new pilots air-to-air and air-to-ground combat before the students move on to the F-16, F-15, A-10, and F-22. He has served over 10 years on active duty and is currently a Major.
 
Joel is married to a beautiful redhead named Karen "Angela" DeBoer. They got married in August 1999 and started their adventure together in Alaska. They have 3 wonderful children with a fourth on the way. Angela is a stay at home mom and is a wonderful singer. She sings in our church's praise team and gives voice lessons to children. Katheryn is 6 years old and loves kindergarten at First Baptist Academy. Claire is 4 years old and loves to dress up as a princess. Luke is 2 years old and is all boy.

The things I remember about ECS are the wonderful teachers that put their heart and soul into us. Several teachers went above and beyond to push us harder and see us do better. In addition to the academic foundation, the focus on my walk with God has served me well. It is wonderful to have met God at an early age and continue to walk with him throughout my life through the ups and downs. I owe that first to my parents and their devotion to their kids for ensuring they have a Christian upbringing and education and second to ECS. I am so thankful for my Christian school education and have chosen to do the same for my kids. I remember how at times I hated uniforms but I am so glad that Katheryn wears them now. How times change! Thanks ECS for a wonderful and Godly education.

Tyler Fisher('99)- Magdalen College, University of Oxford, England

Tyler Fisher ('99) earned BA's in English and Spanish at University of Central Florida in 2002 and 2003 respectively. He became the first UCF graduate to receive a Rhodes Scholarship. The Scholarship allowed him to pursue an M.Phil. in European Literature at the University of Oxford, England, where he studied Early Modern Spanish poetry and earned the highest marks in the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages. He is currently lecturing at Oxford and preparing to defend his doctoral thesis on Spanish devotional poetry.

Tyler has been recognized by the USDA for his work in producing durable paper from non-indigenous aquatic weeds. He has also authored a multi-lingual manual on sustainable tropical agriculture. Talented in the arts as well as academics, Tyler has produced three recordings featuring original arrangements and compositions on the 56-stringed hammered dulcimer and bowed psaltery. An avid writer, Tyler has had numerous poems published in various anthologies and journals. His biographical account of the combat and captivity experiences of his grandfather, A Medic's War, is currently available; and his most recent work, the first bilingual translation of Jose' Marti's Ismaelillo, has also recently been published.

In addition to studying at C. S. Lewis’s college, Magdalen College, Tyler presently resides at The Kilns, Lewis’s home in Oxford from 1930-1963.

Paul (‘91) and Bob (’88) Ura

Paul and Bob Ura didn't go to Las Vegas looking for good fortune. And they certainly didn't plan to leave as heroes. The brothers, special agents for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, went to support a cousin, who believed an 07/07/07 wedding would charm her marriage. The Uras left Tampa on Thursday. Just after midnight Friday, they were inside the New York-New York Hotel. The 16 gunshots started about 12:45 a.m. At first, the brothers mistook them for fireworks. Then they saw people diving for cover. It all happened too quickly to think of a plan, the Uras said at a news conference.

Instead of hiding, the brothers headed toward the gunman. They raced up an escalator to a balcony, where they saw two men struggling over a 9-mm handgun. One man, an off-duty military reservist, wrestled it free. The Uras, armed only with FDLE badges, kept the gunman captive until local law enforcement arrived.

The gunman was wearing a khaki vest and bullets fell out of his pockets as the Uras held him. They estimated he had 100 more rounds. The man, an unemployed house painter and Hungarian immigrant was greatly distressed said authorities. A relative had reported he tried to commit suicide on July 4.   His plan had been to draw gunfire from law enforcement in order to kill himself. In the end, four people had been wounded and the gunman taken into custody.

After it was over, the Uras tried to shift the focus to their cousin, to keep the attention on her wedding day. But normality was difficult. The story made national headlines, and Gov. Charlie Crist called them during the wedding reception to thank them. The don't really feel like heroes, just glad that they were able to help. Bob is a '88 graduate and Paul is a '91 graduate of ECS

Dirk Kleinmann ( 99) and Family

Tabitha, Noah,and Evan

Dirk was a three sports stand out while in school. He played and won awards in Varsity Soccer and Baseball for four years and Football, the first year it came to ECS. His senior year, he won the Rotary Club South Scholar Athlete and was named to the All-Area 1^st Team in Baseball. After graduation,  Dirk went to King College where he again played baseball for four years.  In 2002, he was named to the AAC All-Conference 1^st Team and drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays. Along the way, he married his beautiful wife Tabitha and together they had Noah, now 3 and Evan, 7 months. Dirk and his family presently live in Cleveland, Tennessee, where he is a Physical Therapist and  baseball coach for Lee College.

When asked to explain how ECS had impacted hi life, Dirk had the following answer: “ECS laid a firm foundation that grounded my life on Biblical principles and taught me to live for Christ with all my heart, mind, and strength.  That carried over onto the athletic fields for me. I am thankful for all of the instruction and encouragement that I received from my coaches during my time at ECS.  I learned that playing sports can be a form of worship, and if we use our God-given talents to honor Him, He will be pleased.  Evangelical is a great school with a great tradition of athletics, and I will always cherish the memories from my time there.” 

Heather Wheeler Ives '96

     Before we were married , we knew missions was our calling but we just didn't know when.  So we prayed and we moved to where God led us, Missoula, Montana, for the first five years or so of our married life.

During that time, I bought Brad a T-shirt for his birthday with a  picture of the Patagonia mountains on the back. After he opened it, he said that whatever mountains those are, we need to go there one day. In Missoula, we were mainly in charge of the skate park and hang out area in the rear of our sanctuary, reaching thousands of kids through skateboarding, BMX, in line skating, video games and concerts.

     Surprisingly, one day Brad felt God leading him to talk with me about moving. When he asked me if I felt we were supposed to leave, I said, “Yes”.  After a few weeks of wrestling with the thought of leaving, we decided to put God to the test. We put our house up for sale in a very slow market.  IT SOLD IN 1 DAY !!!.  We were off to Florida! Our church in Ft. Myers had a  month long focus on a financial study.  The last Sunday of the study brought up how rich we are here in the U. S. and don't realize it.  But we have an accountability in being rich to serve. Brad turned to me after the service and said, “What if we sell everything we have, pay off our student loans, and go overseas?” I said “YES” almost immediately.

     We decided to check out a mission agency that we had heard about called YWAM (Youth With A Mission). We found a page that listed basic descriptions of ministry opportunities available around the world.  We found a base that listed five basic but foundational ministries. When we saw it, it sounded very close to the ministry that we had  loved and hated to leave in MT.  We sent them an email commitment to that area, based only on the ministries listed, before we even knew what town or country or even continent it was in. After the email, we decided to look up the place we had thrown ourselves into...and it was even better than any place  we could have chosen on our own. It's almost like God actually likes us! We were moving to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina.

            Remember  the mountains on the back of Brad's birthday T-shirt? The ones he said we needed to visit someday. They are the Patagonia mountains that run just south of Bariloche!  God has given us the desires of our hearts. Always remember that God and Him alone is the fulfiller of all of our wildest dreams! Life is crazy. But God is consistent and very faithful whether we are or not. Our mission field is where we walk. Pray for us as we walk wherever God takes us! www.samejourney.com

Jeremiah G. Dys,(97) Esq

Jeremiah G. Dys, was born in Lancaster, PA in 1978. Shortly thereafter, the  family moved to Ft. Myers, FL. Jeremy  graduated from ECS in 1997. Dys then  attended Taylor University. While at Taylor, Dys met his wife, held several leadership positions, was active in the Taylor University Theater, and was a four-year member of the Taylor University Concert Chorale.
During the last semester of his collegiate career, Dys studied in Washington, D.C. at the American Studies Program. While there, he interned with the Marriage Law Project of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Following graduation, Dys moved to Washington, DC intending to work in politics. Instead, God provided Jeremy with the opportunity to assist in the starting of a new campus of Nyack College in Washington, D.C. For one year, Dys worked as Assistant to the Dean of Nyack College, DC.
From Washington, D.C., Dys and his wife moved to Morgantown, WV to attend the West Virginia University College of Law. After graduating with his J.D. in  2005 and passing the West Virginia Bar shortly thereafter, Dys went to work for the Hon. Russell M. Clawges, Jr., Chief Judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit of West Virginia as his Judicial Law Clerk. On August 1, 2007, Dys began work for the West Virginia Values Coalition as its Executive Director and General Counsel.  Now as The Family Policy Council of West Virginia, Dys provides leadership as corporate president and general council.
Jeremy  now resides just outside of Charleston with Jennie, his wife and his two sons, Johnathan, and Joshua.
Thanks to the example of godly parents and God’s grace, Dys recognized his need for a Savior at a very young age. Dys now endeavors to live – as a lawyer, husband, father, or friend – by I Peter 3:15, “But, in your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

Eric Elmquist('96)

Though the picture above shows Eric in Alaska, he is currently living in Franklin, TN and is working at BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc.  He has been given the task of building the protein analytics division. 

After graduating from ECS, Eric went on to the University of South Florida to earn a BS in Chemistry. He then attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN where he earned his Ph.D. In Bio/Organic Chemistry in 2005.  His work focused on synthesis and structural analysis of food mutagens on DNA sequences.  He then moved to Cambridge in Boston where he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT in Biological Engineering. There he worked on developing biomarkers of disease progression. In 2007 he took a position in a startup company in Franklin.

In addition, he is currently a member of the Young Republicans Committee in Williamson County, trying his hand at politics.  He is also actively starting a charity organization called The Charity Assistance Network (CAN). He is single, still regularly playing soccer, and attending a church called Fellowship Bible Church and trying to catch up on all of the sleep he has missed while in school.

Lisa (Wicks) Pickard ('92)    

I was checking out the ECS website and thought I'd send a picture and update in.  I am currently living in Jacksonville, FL.  I have been married now for 16 years.  My son Alan is 15 years old and my son Clay is 11 years old.  I have been a stay at home mom and a college student since graduating.  I finally got my AA degree from FCCJ in December of 2007.  I have been accepted into University of North Florida and will be attending there in the spring.  Better late than never. My husband, Heath, is in orthopedic sales.  We attend First Baptist Church of Jacksonville. 

Sarah Hribar ('94) Hitzfelder

A decision by Sarah Hribar ('94) Hitzfelder and her husband,  David, to adopt a 6 month old baby from Taiwan in 2006 has led to greater changes than just having a child in their home. Through their close association with the Morning Light Orphanage in Taitung, Taiwan, they are not only adopting another child but have found themselves working as  an advocate for Taiwanese adoptions throughout America.

Currently living in Colorado, Sarah,makes her own line of natural soaps and jewelry at home and sells them on her online business at Alwaysnaturallyyours.com. By being a stay-at-home mom, albeit a very busy one, she finds the time to be on the advisory board of Morning Light and act as a  representative for their adoptive families. She also writes information for a Taiwan online adoption  site. In addition Sarah runs a personal site to inform families about ways to adopt in Taiwan and  navigate the twists and turns of Taiwan adoption.

Sarah and David feel it is their ministry to  see the children of Taiwan get homes rather than be aborted. In Taiwan there is a horrible stigma attached to having a child out of wedlock. As a result, most unmarried pregnant teens and young women seek abortion rather than bare the humiliation of giving birth. Sarah and David work with missionaries, Deann and Luke Pan of the Independent Baptist association, who have several ministries in Taitung as well as in the underground Christian organizations of China. The group's first and foremost responsibility is to show the love of Christ to the people of Taiwan.  Secondly, they reach out to the teens in the community, educating them about God and the consequences of having sex before marriage. They also offer another solution to abortion through adoption.

Sarah may be reached, not only at the website listed above but also at Taiwankiddo2blogspot.com  and Babyhomepages.net/dearonebaby/. She would love to hear from her old school pals as well as anyone who is interested in learning more about adopting a child from Taiwan.