Five excellent alumni receive 2026 Goshen College alumni awards

Five excellent alumni have been chosen to receive Goshen College’s 2026 alumni awards for their commitment to living out the college’s motto, “Culture for Service,” and for exemplifying the college’s core values. They will receive their awards during the Homecoming Weekend festivities.

The 2026 alumni awardees are:

• Jonathan Shenk ’88, Princeton Junction, New Jersey — Culture for Service Awardee
• Stephanie Rogers ’00, San Francisco, California — Culture for Service Awardee
• Edgar Saucedo-Davila ’11, MA ’15, Goshen, Indiana — Young Alumni Awardee
• Bruce Kooker ’76, Apple Creek, Ohio — Dr. Roman Gingerich Champion of Character Awardee
• Lynda Nyce ’91, Bluffton, Ohio — Dr. Ruth Gunden Champion of Character Awardee

The Culture for Service Awards and Young Alumni Servant Leadership Award were established by the Goshen Alumni Association. Recipients distinguish themselves through commendable accounts of service and achievements at home or in their churches, colleges, communities and the larger world. With the same criteria as the Culture for Service Awards, the Young Alumni Servant Leadership Award is presented annually at or before the recipients’ 15th class reunion year.

The Goshen College Maple Leafs Athletic Club also presents the Dr. Ruth Gunden and the Dr. Roman Gingerich Champion of Character Awards. The two awards, created in 2005, are presented to a male and female alumni athlete who exemplify the college’s core values in their lives, work and community service. Gunden and Gingerich were pioneers in Goshen College’s athletic history. There will be a special reception honoring the Champions of Character awardees.

While teaching, Shenk had a run-in with a born-again Christian student. Their brief interaction pushed him to question his religious identity. “I realized I wasn’t able to serve that student because of all the baggage I had,” Shenk said.

Shenk went on to earn a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He then became a youth leader at First Presbyterian Church of Pleasantville, New York, and later an associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck, New Jersey – a role he held until 2005.

His pursuit of theology and faith in practice didn’t stop there. Shenk has since completed a Master of Science in Restorative Practices from the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP), and certifications in spiritual direction and contemplative leadership through Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development.

As Tom Coogan, one of Shenk’s four nominators, observed, Shenk has long believed that “if one wanted to look for Christ in our society, one should go where Christ would be: among the marginalized.”

Shenk’s community work runs just as deep. He co-founded Nassau Presbyterian Church’s Mass Incarceration Task Force, served on the board of the New Jersey Association on Corrections and was a founding member of the Trenton Microloan Collaborative, an organization that provides no-interest loans to previously incarcerated entrepreneurs.

In 2006, Shenk founded Greenleaf Painters in New Jersey — an award-winning house and commercial painting company that specializes in low-toxin paints. Initially a small entrepreneurial project, Greenleaf is now celebrating its 20th year and has grown to 18 employees.

In an interview about Greenleaf with Princeton’s local newspaper, Town Topics, Shenk said, “I like to shift (customers’) perspectives about painters and their reliability. We emphasize a customer connection and we get things done on time.” And his customers have noticed, citing his team’s attention to detail and honesty during projects as primary reasons they work with him.

A business review of Greenleaf from Sheila Schnell, a Lawrenceville, N.J. resident and Greenleaf customer, said: “We trusted him and his crew in our house, and we’ve been recommending them to others because of the high quality of their work.” Other customers noted Greenleaf’s thorough assessments, clean workspaces and honest quotes, even when it isn’t the least expensive option.

Shenk thanks his Goshen College education for helping him develop transferable communication skills he is able to use at Greenleaf. Most notably, his experience reporting on Goshen College’s student judicial councils while serving as executive editor for The Record “planted a seed” in him for “restorative practices that could be used in his professional and daily life.”

His leadership approach at Greenleaf incorporates restorative practices, including joint decision-making on large-scale changes to business operations and circle check-ins on site visits where employees can share what’s on their mind and how they’re feeling. He also facilitates restorative circles for crew members in conflict.

Frida Rundell, a professor at the IIRP, described Shenk’s leadership philosophy as “an inherent belief that the human spirit needs connection, a sense of mastery and a sense of purpose.”

In 2018, Shenk drew on his spiritual direction training to found Peace Builders, a monthly, diverse small group of social justice activists who meet to combine contemplative practice with mutual support. It is a reflection of what Shenk describes as his ongoing effort “to balance contemplative practice with action.”

Shenk lives in West Windsor, New Jersey, with his wife, Cynthia Yoder ’89. Their son, Gabriel, lives and works nearby.

As founding medical director of the UCSF Age-Friendly Health System, she leads a collaboration spanning the Institute for Healthcare Improvement — overseeing more than 100 interdisciplinary team members and shaping geriatric workforce education across UCSF Health.

Under Rogers’ leadership in 2019, the UCSF Division of Geriatrics was recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement for helping make UCSF Health an Age-Friendly Health System Committed to Care Excellence. Later, she and others from UCSF’s Division of Geriatrics helped develop an Age-Friendly Emergency Department at UCSF.

In May of this year, “A Novel Approach to Addressing Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in the UCSF Emergency Department: Code DICE,” co-authored by Rogers and her colleagues, was published in the Academic Emergency Medicine Journal. The article explains an innovative approach to addressing neuropsychiatric symptoms in the emergency department setting.

Her work is systemic. Rogers has championed safer hospitalizations and care transitions for older adults, founded UCSF’s Anti-Ageism Awareness Committee and advocated for communication systems that allow older patients — including those with cognitive or sensory limitations — to be heard and understood.

Rogers provides a holistic model of care that her mentor and church elder, Jon D. Byler ’66, described as bringing “shalom and dignity” to a too-often-overlooked population.

Rogers traces the roots of her calling to Goshen College’s Study-Service Term in the Dominican Republic in 1999, an experience that confirmed her career path and ignited a lifelong commitment to underserved communities. Since then, she has extended that work internationally — serving in Sierra Leone, consulting with Australia’s Safer Care Victoria on age-friendly health systems and delivering keynote addresses at an International Hospital Summit in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

To bring evidence-based guidance on healthy aging to a broader audience, Rogers uses the social media handle @AgewellwithDrSteph where she cuts through wellness trends and teaches healthy aging, dementia prevention and medication safety across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.

Earlier this year, she competed in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, using her training period to raise $11,500 for Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly, a San Francisco organization dedicated to reducing isolation and loneliness among older adults.

Nominators describe Rogers as humble, collaborative in leadership, and unwavering in her belief that every patient deserves to feel listened to and respected. One of Rogers’ best friends, Erin Sharp ’02, wrote: “Her focus is not on recognition but truly on creating positive, lasting change in the lives of others.”

Rogers enjoys outdoor activities like swimming, biking, running and hiking. Her brother, Brad, lives in Los Angeles, and her sister, Vanessa Rogers, lives in Memphis. Her parents, Charles (Buddy) and Sherry Rogers, are still living in Metamora, Illinois. While her family is spread out, Rogers has a circle of Goshen College friends in San Francisco, and visits annually with friends from college across the United States. She also enjoys traveling internationally — “adventure traveling,” she calls it. When she is not on a road trip or in a plane seat, Rogers flips through The New Yorker or finds a good nonfiction book for the month.

In 2011, Saucedo-Dávila earned a Bachelor of Arts in K-12 Education, with a concentration in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. He returned to Goshen in 2015 to complete a Master of Arts in Intercultural Leadership.

During his undergraduate and graduate years, Saucedo-Dávila served as president of the Latino Student Union, helped Latino high school students navigate the college application process and taught reading skills to nonnative English speakers at the Boys and Girls Club of Elkhart County.

A dedicated educator, Saucedo-Dávila has built his career around the students who need the most support. From 2015 to 2022, he served as a mentor teacher and instructional coach at Goshen Junior High School, meeting weekly with fellow teachers to analyze student data, lead professional development focused on English language learners and develop actionable plans to address academic needs.

From 2023 to 2024, he participated in the Indiana TeachPlus Fellowship, a year-long leadership program for outstanding educators to deepen their knowledge of education policy and drive student equity across Indiana. During his time, he had the opportunity to advocate for students before the state legislature.

Saucedo-Dávila is currently a Spanish teacher and the head of the world language program at Goshen Junior High School. He serves on the Goshen College Latino Advisory Committee, which advises the president and cabinet on issues affecting Latino students and the broader Latino community. In that role, he has been instrumental in developing initiatives to strengthen connection and support for current and prospective Latino students.

Guided by Goshen College’s value of servant leadership, Saucedo-Dávila approaches his vocation by meeting students where they are, advocating for their needs and helping them grow into individuals who will serve and lead within their own communities.

As Rebecca Hernandez, who nominated him, said, “Edgar’s life experience as a Mexican immigrant defines his commitment to equity, inclusion and justice for all. He applies peaceful practices in his community and professional roles, teaching others through his walk and life.”

Saucedo-Dávila lives in Goshen with his partner, Rut Wisser, and his parents, Everardo Saucedo and Maria Dávila. Outside the classroom, he enjoys photography, engaging with the arts, and reading — recent titles include Luigi Pirandello’s “One, No One, and One Hundred Thousand” and “The Book of Joy” by the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams.

Kooker attended Christopher Dock Mennonite High School (now known as Dock Mennonite Academy) from 1963 to 1967, where he played on the school’s basketball team — the only interscholastic sport offered at the time. When he entered Hesston (Kansas) College in 1967, he expanded his athletic prowess to soccer and baseball. As a sophomore, he earned All-Conference recognition, joining a pitching staff with a combined 1.9 team ERA — the college’s record to this day — and led the team in conference batting average.

In 1969, Kooker transferred to Goshen College. He attended for one trimester before he and his wife, Sheryl, moved to Idaho to serve two years with Mennonite Voluntary Service. They were placed at a labor camp where they served as social workers to nearly a thousand migrant farm workers.

Kooker returned to Goshen College in 1974. He played baseball for two years and was selected as an All-Conference player his senior year. He also coached the college’s cross country team for one season.

He and his family moved to Holmes County, Ohio, in 1981, where Kooker began his 36-year career at Central Christian School (Kidron, Ohio). He started as a development and admissions director and later served as a teacher, guidance counselor and athletic director. In 2011, he initiated an Asian international student exchange.

Throughout his time at Central Christian, he also coached the school’s basketball and baseball teams. Kooker’s coaching led the team to its first district title in 1999. Kooker’s coaching legacy lives on. Now, his son, Zach, is the athletic director at Central and coaches the baseball team. In May 2026, Zach helped the team secure their second district title — just 27 years after his dad.

Kooker’s coaching and mentorship have impacted Central Christian baseball players. Dominic Gasser, a 2025 alum of Central Christian, reflected on Central’s Six Distinctives and nodded to the Kookers’ coaching. He said, “I strongly believe Zach Kooker and Bruce Kooker guided us to be diligent in our actions and do things with a purpose.”

Kooker’s love for baseball has resulted in traveling to all Major League Baseball stadiums since 2006. He also continues playing baseball in a senior 70s-and-up league. Though retired, Kooker still serves Central Christian, assisting with lawn care and outdoor maintenance. Kooker and his spouse, Sheryl, live in Apple Creek, Ohio.

After graduating from Goshen College, she earned a master’s degree and a PhD in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, then worked in higher education as a professor and administrator for 13 years.

She continued her love for sports by playing club soccer in the Michiana area, playing intramurals at Notre Dame while in grad school, and coaching girls’ soccer at Bluffton High School for several years. 

Nyce began her career in higher education at Bluffton (Ohio) University as a sociology professor, and later became director of cross-cultural programs, and division chair. 

In 2006, Nyce returned to Goshen College as an adjunct instructor and visiting research fellow at the college’s former Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning. While serving, Nyce conducted sociological research on transnational migration and intercultural leadership.  

Nyce is strongly committed to global citizenship and social justice. For more than a decade, she taught short-term, cross-cultural experience courses and led more than 200 students from Bluffton and Goshen to the South Texas/Mexico border region. In 2013, Nyce and Cyneatha Millsaps led the Mennonite Church USA Central District Conference in an anti-racism plenary session, which focused on undoing racism and advancing intercultural transformation within the Central District Conference. 

In her Ohio community, Nyce has supported local church efforts to aid immigrant families, served on the Village of Bluffton Council and is a long-time member of First Mennonite Church Bluffton’s Mission, Peace and Service Committee. 

Since 2013, she has worked at Ohio Northern University as an administrator and currently serves as associate provost and director of student success. 

Nyce lives in Bluffton with her spouse, John-David Yoder, and their son, John-Paul Yoder, who lives nearby.