Leaving a Legacy

With the passage of time comes reflection on the past. I try to stop every now and then and look back on what influence God has through me for the Kingdom of God, and I wonder, What legacy am I leaving behind? That word — legacy — carries a resonance with it. It speaks to a life well-lived, a life broken and poured out, a life emptied for the sake of others. This was the life of Dr. Robert Reardon. Though not a student under his presidency, I am a privileged recipient of his legacy at Anderson University. He loved the college, and even more, he loved his Lord, and the evidence of his faith is found in his fingerprints all around the campus.

As a member of the Alumni Council, I see “legacy” in another light. Every year, we invite hundreds of students to call our campus home, and many of these young men and women come from families that have a long-standing history with Anderson University. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, sometimes even four and five generation deep, families continue their bond with AU by adding another family member to the roll. We call these folks “legacy students.” These are the stories that truly excite me — to see the impact that AU has on former students and how they pass those blessings forward through stories that stir the hearts of their families to enter into the same journey. Sometimes those stories reach outside to friends, and even strangers, and the result is often the same — an alumnus’ legacy begins a new heritage for someone else. I can’t say for sure what kind of legacy I created as a student at AU, but I can testify to the invaluable impression its students, professors, and the church have made in my life. It is where God shaped my heart to answer his call, and where he planted the desire to be a legacy-maker today. If you echo the same sentiments, get involved with the Alumni Association. I can say with confidence you’ll be hard at work helping to leave an important legacy for thousands of people in the years to come.

—Joy (May) Sherman BA ’97, MTS ’03, alumni council member