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Spring 2015
- 1. 20 | WINDOWS - SPRING 2015 ALUMNI ON THE JOB: CAREER CONVERSATIONS IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH BY: MARY ELIZABETH GOODELL (12) A desire to serve and influence the community and the world is a characteristic outlined in the WestminsterPortrait of a Graduate that we strive to instill in each one of our students. While many of our alumni volunteer in their churches and communities outside of work, a few have made it their primary profession. We caught up with two of our alumni, Danny Linsz (88) and Libby (Gates) Daugherty (00), who have turned their passion for service into their dream careers. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT JOB? DL: Im the director of recruitment at Serving in Mission (SIM), and my job description is constantly evolving. We are an interdenominational and multicultural organization that responds to need, proclaims the Gospel and equips the church. The process of becoming a missionary with SIM begins when people inquire about SIM and then fill out an application, and that beginning portion is when I work with them. Most of the people who apply are those whove readRadical or gone on a mission trip and seen something God has used to turn their lives upside down, and they realize they dont want the American Dream anymore. LD: I am currently working as a social worker for an adoption agency, Lifeline Children Services. In this capacity, I work with families through the process of adoption (both domestic and international), including their home study, education necessary to parent children from places of harm and supporting them during their waiting period, travel and then post placement. I will also be working with birth mothers in the Augusta area who desire to place their children for adoption through Christian counseling, connecting them with needed services, helping them choose an adoptive family and supporting them through the process of adoption and afterward. WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS MINISTRY IN THE FIRST PLACE? DL: I love kids and families. I ran a tutoring program for at-risk kids at a middle school in Wheaton and really enjoyed that. My church took three different trips to Cuba, and I was able to go on all three. Thats really what God used to help my wife and me see ourselves doing ministry as adults. LD: I have always been drawn to adoption because I have two siblings (Cullen and Emily) who are adopted. Liberty University has a home for unwed mothers and an adoption agency that work hand-in-hand, and when I shadowed a social worker there, I immediately thought, This would be my dream job. I felt that with the gifts the Lord has given me to serve and my passion for orphan care, social work was the best vocation for me. WHAT HAS BEEN A PARTICULARLY MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE HAD IN YOUR WORK? DL: I got to go to Ethiopia this summer with my family to participate in a ministry called Sports Friends, which uses sports to reach kids and their families. In Ethiopia, tons of kids, some Muslim or Orthodox, would come every week to play soccer. I would host church teams from the U.S. who would come to help with the program and debrief with them every day during their visit. LD: The most rewarding case of my career so far was when I was able to find an adoptive home for a sibling group of four who had been in numerous foster homes for six years. For many children who I had the privilege of working with, I was the only stable person in their life. Their foster home, school, therapist and friends were constantly changing. Although I was often the punching bag because I represented an agency that stepped in when their world fell apart, my kids knew I really loved and cared for them. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO A STUDENT WHO IS LOOKING TO PURSUE A CAREER IN YOUR FIELD? DL: As young people, they should find out if they love Jesus or if they love missions. Missions is something cool and fun, but it doesnt last. I would encourage people to love Jesus first, because youre not always going to love missions. Love Jesus first, then there will be missions wherever you go. LD: Social work is a difficult field because it is often a very emotionally-draining and thankless job. However, it is a wonderful career if you want to be challenged and really make a difference in the lives of those who are vulnerable and needy in our community. ABOUT DANNY LINSZ (88): After Westminster, Danny went on to study youth ministries and adolescent studies at Moody Bible Institute and Judson College. He then worked at Franklin Middle School in Wheaton, Illinois, for two years before moving to Malawi, Africa, to work at ABC Christian Academy. He has been with Serving in Mission (SIM) for 14 years and is currently living in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife, Corrie, and sons Tyler (12), Joshua (10), Samuel (8) and Amos (3). ABOUT LIBBY (GATES) DAUGHERTY (00): Libby graduated from Liberty University with a bachelors degree in psychology. After serving in missions in South Africa and Qatar, she went on to earn her masters degree in social work from Valdosta State University. Libby has worked in foster care and adoption for the Division of Family and Children Services as well as a medical social worker at University Hospital. She currently serves as an adoption worker for Lifeline Childrens Services and lives in Augusta with her husband, Patrick, and daughter, Madelyn. DANNY LINSZ (88) LIBBY (GATES) DAUGHERTY (00) ALUMNI