Cedarville Stories

Against All OddsAt 19 years old, Cari Hyde was a healthy, competitive college athlete with dreams of becoming a teacher, marrying her high school sweetheart and continuing her volleyball career. But in March 2006, her life changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In this powerful two-part Cedarville Stories podcast, Hyde talks about her battle with cancer, the life-threatening complications she endured and the extraordinary ways she witnessed God's faithfulness during her darkest moments. Hyde, a former Cedarville University volleyball player, recalls the excitement of competing under Coach Teresa Clark and the bright future she envisioned. However, after months of unexplained illness and exhaustion, doctors delivered the devastating diagnosis. Her white blood cell count had reached more than 390,000, and she immediately began aggressive chemotherapy. Despite treatment, the cancer spread to her spinal fluid and brain, leaving a bone marrow transplant as her only chance for survival. With no suitable donor in her family or the United States registry, doctors eventually located a near-perfect match in Germany. On September 5, 2006, Hyde received the lifesaving transplant, despite being given just a 13% chance of survival. Throughout her treatment, Hyde experienced unimaginable physical suffering, spending more than 200 days in the hospital during her first year of illness. Yet she remembers experiencing an overwhelming peace from God, even when doctors warned her family that she might not survive. Her family, future husband, Ryan, and the Cedarville community surrounded her with prayer and encouragement. During one particularly critical night, her Cedarville teammates gathered for hours in prayer after learning she might not live through the night. By the following morning, Hyde had recovered enough to leave intensive care. Through every setback, Hyde discovered that her greatest hope was not simply surviving cancer but knowing Jesus Christ. Her diagnosis transformed her perspective, creating an urgency to share the Gospel and deepening her family's faith. Listen to part one of Hyde's remarkable testimony of perseverance, answered prayer and God's sustaining grace through life's most difficult circumstances. https://share.transistor.fm/s/b9949ac6https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US67D1rxKLY

A Nurse's Calling To Serve What happens when God takes a young nurse's heart for helping others and leads her halfway around the world? For Cedarville University nursing alumna Rachel Parks, that calling led to Eswatini, a small country in southern Africa, where she is bringing medical care, compassion, and the hope of Jesus to vulnerable children and families. In this episode of the Cedarville Stories podcast, Parks talks about her journey into nursing, her passion for missions, and how God prepared her to establish a ministry focused on holistic health and community engagement. Parks first recognized her desire to serve underserved populations during a sixth-grade mission trip to Cleveland, Ohio, where she encountered children experiencing food insecurity. Years later, a college mission trip to Eswatini confirmed her calling to serve internationally, despite the unfamiliar culture and challenges she encountered. After earning her bachelor's degree in nursing from Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Parks completed her Master of Science in Nursing at Cedarville University in 2023. Her experience in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Nationwide Children's Hospital, and Cedarville's emphasis on Christ-centered, holistic care, equipped her to address complex health challenges beyond traditional clinical settings. In 2025, Parks helped establish Palm Grove Health and Wellness Initiative, a ministry dedicated to strengthening communities through health education, disability support, and economic development. Today, Palm Grove serves approximately 62 children with physical and intellectual disabilities, providing home visits, family education, counseling, and spiritual encouragement. Parks shares how the ministry challenges cultural stigmas surrounding disabilities while helping families recognize the dignity and value of every child. The organization also supports caregivers through income-generating skills and mentors young adults facing unemployment and limited economic opportunities. Listen as Parks shares how faith, education, and a willingness to follow God's direction are transforming lives in Eswatini, one family and one community at a time. https://share.transistor.fm/s/8663ec37https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOYN5ecxYaM

From Music to Medicine: Caring for the UnderservedWhat happens when a career takes an unexpected turn and becomes a calling to serve others? For Cedarville University pharmacy alumnus Dr. Josh Pearson, a journey that began in the music industry led to a career dedicated to making lifesaving medications accessible to those who need them most. In this episode of the Cedarville Stories podcast, host Mark Weinstein talks with Pearson about his unconventional path to pharmacy, the influence of Cedarville's biblical approach to education and his mission to address medication insecurity through Ohio Charitable Community Pharmacy. Before pursuing pharmacy, Pearson worked as an audio technician in Long Island, New York, taking occasional shifts as a pharmacy technician to supplement his income. What began as a side job sparked an unexpected passion. After prayerful consideration, he enrolled in Cedarville's pharmacy program, drawn to its rigorous academics, supportive faculty, and emphasis on serving underserved populations. Pearson credits Cedarville with preparing him for complex clinical situations while instilling a commitment to compassionate care. That preparation became deeply personal when his 2-year-old son, Josiah, experienced a life-threatening medical emergency. A fellow Cedarville pharmacy student and neighbor, Josh Arnold, used his CPR training to save Josiah's life. Now, Pearson is addressing another critical health care challenge: access to affordable prescription medications. Through Ohio Charitable Community Pharmacy in northwest Ohio, he is developing a sustainable model that combines charitable assistance with traditional community pharmacy services. Unlike conventional free clinics, the pharmacy provides free or deeply discounted medications while welcoming paying customers whose purchases help support patients facing financial hardship. Pearson shares how this approach can help individuals navigate unexpected circumstances, including job loss, insurance changes, and rising medication costs. Throughout the conversation, Pearson reflects on the biblical calling to serve others, inspired by Matthew 25, and how Cedarville helped him recognize God's direction for his career. Listen as Pearson shares how faith, education and compassionate innovation are helping bridge the gap between medical need and medication access, one patient at a time. https://share.transistor.fm/s/711284aehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt5dT2yP9Yg

Jesse and Carissa Bowser: Cultivating Creativity, Faith and CommunityWhat happens when creativity, faith, and a shared vision for serving others come together? For Cedarville University alumni Jesse and Carissa Bowser, the answer is Victory Garden Studio, a creative business rooted in their belief that meaningful work can cultivate beauty, connection and growth. In this episode of the Cedarville Stories podcast, Jesse and Carissa reflect on their journey from Cedarville art students to married entrepreneurs building a creative business in Greenville, South Carolina. Both 2016 graduates, the couple first connected through their shared passion for art. Their friendship blossomed during informal gatherings called “Drawler Night,” where students gathered in Lawler Hall to draw, create and enjoy one another’s company. Those creative connections eventually developed into a relationship that would shape their marriage and future business. Carissa shares how trusting God's direction led her to leave the University of Akron, where she had free tuition, and transfer to Cedarville to pursue studio art. Jesse recalls discovering his passion for graphic design in high school and how Cedarville helped him develop his creative abilities. After graduation, Jesse spent seven years working at a marketing agency while the couple continued developing their artistic styles. Their complementary approaches — Jesse's playful creativity and Carissa's intentional, thoughtful artistry — became foundational to their partnership. Today, their business, Victory Garden Studio, creates artwork, hand-painted murals, and other artistic products. The name reflects their commitment to cultivating beauty and serving others, inspired by Isaiah 58 and its imagery of a well-watered garden. Carissa also shares how a renewed understanding of Scripture transformed her perspective on faith, work, and rest. Rather than pursuing every opportunity out of fear or scarcity, the couple strives to trust God's provision while creating meaningful work. Throughout their conversation, Jesse and Carissa emphasize the importance of patience, community, creativity and allowing God to shape life's direction. Listen as they share how their Cedarville experiences planted the seeds for a marriage, business and mission centered on faith, creativity and helping others flourish. https://share.transistor.fm/s/44e4a0db https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMFEaYHi4A4

From a Deserted Island to Cedarville UniversityWhat do a deserted island, a rogue ocean wave, a Purdue gym bag, and Cedarville University have in common? For Chris Sohn, they are all part of an extraordinary life story shaped by God’s providence. In this episode of the Cedarville Stories podcast, Chris Sohn, Chief Financial Officer at Cedarville University, reflects on the experiences that shaped his faith, family, career, and leadership. Chris begins by sharing the joy of becoming a first-time grandfather to Genevieve Grace before taking listeners back to his childhood and his journey to Christ. Raised in a family without an active Christian faith, Chris first heard the Gospel as a teenager while living in Puerto Rico. Although he recognized his need for a Savior and trusted Christ, he spent years trying to live the Christian life largely on his own. It wasn’t until his early 20s, after moving to California and becoming involved at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, that church, biblical teaching, worship, and fellowship began transforming his understanding of what it meant to follow Christ. Chris also recounts one of the most dramatic experiences of his life: a fishing trip that turned into a fight for survival after a series of massive waves overturned the boat miles off the coast of Puerto Rico. After swimming to a small sandbar with his father and the body of a fellow passenger who had died, Chris discovered his floating Purdue gym bag containing his keys and wallet — an unexpected provision that helped them return home. Years later, another unexpected turn led Chris from a successful 16-year career with GE to Cedarville. What began as a job posting and a reluctant application eventually became what Chris describes as a clear work of God. Fourteen years later, he continues to serve Cedarville with a commitment to stewardship, people, and the University’s mission. Chris discusses Cedarville’s financial strength, conservative approach to budgeting, low debt, and — most importantly — the people whose commitment to Christ drives the University forward. Recently named a Dayton Business Journal CFO of the Year, Chris emphasizes that leadership is about far more than managing finances. For him, it means hiring great people, equipping them to succeed, and helping them flourish in their careers, families, churches, and lives. Listen to this inspiring conversation about faith, adventure, stewardship, leadership, and recognizing God’s hand in the unexpected turns of life. https://share.transistor.fm/s/1a2a8a25https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ2oTbc1Vfw