From left to right: Samuel Rim, John McKenna, Juan Carlos Ortiz, Shalom Kim, Edmond Razafimanantsoa, Janice Choe.
“… to educate men and women to be the leaders to serve the church and to improve the world through the excellent programs of Christian higher education.”
Such is the mission statement of Shepherd University. During a time in which standards in secular higher education are starting to move farther away from Biblical standards, Shepherd University strives to not only uphold and teach Biblical standards, but to raise up professional leaders to be a godly influence on the world. The staff at Shepherd desire to “make their students more like Jesus,” said Shalom Kim, the dean of the school of theology.
“We want to emphasize the relationship with the living God, and teach them how to commune with God – that’s my job and my joy,” said Juan Carlos Ortiz, the president of the school of theology at Shepherd.
Indeed, one of the characteristics of the university that distinguishes it from others is the relationships between faculty and students. Faculty not only want to impart knowledge unto the students, but desire to mentor them spiritually.
“What sets Shepherd apart from other universities is that the faculty members really have the Father’s heart towards the students, and they embrace and pray for each one,” said Janice Choe, the president of the student body and a current student in the Master of Divinity program. “You might think that this is a given in a Christian university, but it’s actually not the case in most schools. Our faculty prioritize those aspects of loving and embracing the students, which most may consider to be basic.”
The university, which currently has 700 enrolled students, was started in 1999 as an exclusively theological school, but the school has always wanted to expand into one that offers courses on various subjects other than theology. Its recent renovations have focused on providing high quality facilities for students in the institution of technology (digital arts), school of music, and nursing school, and professors come from backgrounds of expertise in their various fields, including animators from companies such as Pixar and Dreamworks, musicians from Hollywood, and professional nurse practitioners.
While expanding its programs, Shepherd also received ATS accreditation as an active member in June, candidacy membership with WASC, and associate membership with ACICS.
Interested students and/or parents are able to find out more information and receive a tour of the newly renovated facilities located in Los Angeles on December 4, from 5 PM to 7 PM.
For more information, visit www.shepherduniversity.edu.
