Westmont Magazine Heroes of Homecoming 2010

Alumni gathered for two days of celebration with their classmates Oct. 1-2, connecting with old friends and exploring beautiful new buildings and vistas on campus. Two events honored notable alumni. At the Alumni Reunion Brunch, Don Goehner ’60, founder and president of The Goehner Group, accepted the Alumnus of the Year award (top right photo, center). David Batstone ’80, author, professor, and co-founder and president of the Not For Sale Campaign, received the Global Service Award (top right photo, left). The Young Alumnus of the Year is Justin Zoradi ’06, founder and director of These Numbers Have Faces.

When he accepted his award, Don Goehner noted that attending Westmont changed his life. “I came here as a 19-year-old hick from the state of Washington. I came here as a zealous new Christian, and I left as someone who had a solid theology, who had a real understanding of the needs of the world and who was bound and determined to try to make a difference.”

In his remarks, David Batstone said, “One thing I learned at Westmont is that it’s not only learning about problems, it’s finding solutions. It’s not only about analyzing what’s wrong, but providing alternatives and finding options so we can live in a better world. Westmont taught me that excellence and enthusiasm for following the Gospel doesn’t require you to go down the same track that 99.9 percent of Americans follow. But it’s to a higher calling, to use our skills, our gifts, our resources and our networks to bring about transformation and conversion in a world so deeply needing it.”

Justin Zoradi also paid tribute to his Westmont education. “Westmont taught me that my job in the world when I graduated was to go out, to leave, and then to build, work and create for the Kingdom of God. And despite all our petty narcissism and self-absorption, God has chosen us, His people, to play an active role in renewing and restoring the world to the way He originally intended.”

The Warrior Hall of Fame inducted three athletes at a special event during Homecoming: Riva DaSilva ’97, a tennis player who won the NAIA National Singles title in 1997 (bottom left photo, right); Miriam Niednagel Ryan ’97, a runner, ten-time NAIA All-American and two-time GSAC champion; and Tine Hardeman ’55, a basketball player who still holds the Warrior record for the most points in a game (46).