Editor’s Disclaimer:
In the past 2 months, these are all the names we received. If there is an alumni member who served in
Kenya but is not in the list, that is only because nobody told us that person served in Kenya! If you know of MVCians who served in
Kenya but are not in the list, please let us know and we will be more than happy to add them!
Also, regarding this list. I would like to make it clear that I will not write The Hilltop (MVC) to verify with the registrar’s office if these
people are alumni of MVC. Here are my 3 reasons: a) If they studied, taught, or worked at MVC for at least one summer or one
semester, then they are alumni of MVC. That is per the MVC alumni bylaws in Western USA. This means, they don’t have to have an
MVC diploma to be part of the MVC alumni family because they are rightfully alumni members if they were in MVC for one semester or
one summer! b) If they have not spent a summer or a semester in MVC but are married to an MVC alumni member, their name stays in
the list. Editor’s prerogative. For I am almost sure they, as spouses of alumni, have helped lead and support numerous MVC alumni
events. c) If MVC alumni who personally worked with these individuals in Africa claim that these folks are MVC alumni – that is good
enough for me. Bottom line is, they are recognized by their fellow alumni for their services rendered. Fair enough? Now, if only we
could get a story or two from those in the list about their Kenyan experience, that would be really awesome, wouldn’t it? Lastly, I
realize that some MVC alumni were MKs in Kenya once – Missionaries’ Kids who, like me, were most likely enrolled at Maxwell
Adventist Academy. I only listed the names of those employed to work in Kenya, but not the MKs. Perhaps another day we can do a CF
issue about the MKs and we can get their mission field stories told?TUFANYE!
3. My MVCian Family Tree
By Joy Caballero-Gadia, BSN’91
B
Eing part of the MVC Family tree where almost everyone is Uncle and Auntie is not always
advantageous. I was 14 years old and living in Kenya when I found this out. I will share this
almost-forgotten-story only because I know you will see it from many angles and appreciate
the humor of it all. All parties have since come to terms with this and have had some chuckles over it.
I lived at the girls’ dorm of the old Maxwell Adventist Academy in Nairobi. The boarding academy had
33 students that year, 7 of us Filipinos but I was the only Filipina. Maxwell had some pretty strict rules
in so much that when I transferred to MVC the following year and the Rule Book was read to me by
Auntie Nene Ruelan, I chuckled because the rules in MVC were far more relaxed than those in
Maxwell.
Our girls’ dean that year was a 21 year old student missionary from Andrews University. It was her
first time as dean and she wanted very much to make a lasting impression on the girls, some of whom
were only 3 years younger than her. Unfortunately for me, she had already concluded that I
habitually lied about my family tree. The first time we had our talk, she invited me over for tea. It was
there where she gently informed me that I did not need to be related to everyone in order to become
important.