|
“At Huntington, I loved the
accountability and the fact that we are a family.
Huntington produces excellent students that are at the
top of their field. I’m so thankful that I ended up at
Huntington!”
|
When
Susan
(Guilkey) Beckwith stepped into classes at Huntington University the fall
semester of her freshman year, she didn’t know the path she
wanted to take or the doors God would eventually open for her.
Susan
serves as
development officer for Riverview Memorial Foundation, managing
donor cultivation, public outreach and volunteer committees to
help support Riverview Hospital in Noblesville, Ind.
“I’m horrible
at science,” Susan admits, “and my mom said that I loved to talk
so I should just pursue that!”
Well, she did –
in a way. As a communication studies major, Susan dove into
communication theory and interpersonal relationship classes, as
well as gender-specific courses that captured her attention.
Susan quickly
used those classes to help her encourage young girls to be
"strong, smart and bold" through the national organization,
Girls,
Inc. During her senior year, with the help of Huntington
University’s Enterprise Resource Center, Susan was able to
complete an internship with the Indianapolis-based branch of the
organization.
And the very
next month after her college graduation in 2005, Susan was given
the grand opportunity to become the official Indiana state
spokesperson for the organization. Standing on a stage much
different than the one of her graduation just six weeks earlier,
Susan was announced the
winner of the Miss Indiana Scholarship
Pageant, which is a part of the Miss America Scholarship
Program.
“The Miss
America competition is much different than the Miss USA
competition,” Susan says. “The Miss America Scholarship Program
is a non-for-profit organization that is the largest scholarship
provider for women solely in the world. When I competed in 2003,
I was almost embarrassed to tell anybody that I was competing in
a beauty pageant because I understood the many stereotypes.
“I really felt
like God spoke to my heart, though, saying, ‘You cannot do some
of the things other people can do yet there are things you can
do that others cannot,’” Susan continues. “I was given a sense
of purpose and an opportunity to share God’s name with others
through conversations and through service.”
After being
named
Miss Indiana, Susan quickly realized the opportunities
that she would be given to share the impact God has made in her
life with thousands of Hoosiers.
“I think the
best ministry is when you are able to get so much joy out of
giving to others; that’s honestly what I live for,” Susan says.
“The thing I am most excited for as Miss Indiana is to give back
and be a servant to our state. I hope people can see Christ
through me in this opportunity.”
In addition,
Susan’s eyes light up when she talks about her official
platform, Girls, Inc. During her internship, Susan developed a
before-school program for the Indianapolis area to complement
the already existing after-school and summer programs. When she
approached the organization about adopting them as her platform
for Miss Indiana, she says they were very excited. Regardless of
winning the crown, though, Susan says she is deeply committed to
the organization.
“I made a
life-long commitment, and I’m anxious to see where it goes from
here,” she says.
Now as the
official state spokesperson for the organization that’s been
around since 1864 and provides educational and outreach programs
for millions of American girls, Susan has a message of service
to share.
The girls Susan
has worked with may be in awe of her crown, but she is extremely
grateful for each of them. “As much as I hope that I inspire
them, they’ve inspired me that much more!”
Susan’s degree
in communication studies prepared her for the public role of
Miss Indiana and the service-oriented role of working with young
girls at Girls, Inc. During the interview portion of the Miss
Indiana Scholarship Pageant, which Susan won in the preliminary
competition along with talent and People’s Choice, Susan spoke
about her Huntington education.
“I opened by
saying that I had just graduated in May and that Huntington
University was where I really attribute the fine-tuning of my
interpersonal skills and building relationships that would help
me be an effective Miss Indiana,” Susan recalls. “I attribute
Huntington in a lot of different ways. I feel it helps you grow
as a person, and I love the fact that I was close to a lot of
the faculty.”
Two of Susan’s
communication professors, Dr. Kevin Miller and Dr. Mike Rowley,
especially pushed her to excel. “I knew they cared and had
expectations, and I wanted to meet their challenges. I
definitely think that they helped shape me not only as a student
but also as a person.”
Being actively
involved in extra-curricular activities also helped Susan shape
her personality and passion for service. She served as the
student director of the Joe Mertz Center for Volunteer Service,
participated in various worship ensembles and took part in
student government. She encourages other Huntington students to
enjoy their time on campus, seize every opportunity and make
life-long friends.
Taking note of
her own advice, Susan will go on to impact thousands of people
across the state and beyond, attributing much of her success to
the opportunities Huntington University provided.
“At Huntington,
I loved the accountability and the fact that we are a family.
Huntington produces excellent students that are at the top of
their field,” she says. “I’m so thankful that I ended up at
Huntington!”
Susan was a recipient of the 2007
Governor’s Award for Tomorrow’s Leaders. She earned $1,000
for charity, with $500 going to Riverview Memorial Foundation
and $500 to Girls, Inc.
|
