CBE International is proud to support the education and ministry of Emma Riley and Charity Sandstrom, the winners of the 2018 Alvera Mickelsen Memorial Scholarship!
Emma Riley
“Receiving the Alvera Mickelsen Memorial Scholarship is a tremendous help in finishing my studies faithfully and well. Both financially and personally, it is a reminder that someone else is cheering me on as I pursue God’s call. This award is an answer to prayer and I cannot begin to express how thankful I am.”
Since I was about 14, I felt the Lord’s call on my life to pursue ministry. My family was always supportive of this call, but often times, culturally, I felt the pressure that a call to ministry had to be a life oversees or the life of a pastor’s wife. When neither of those things seemed to take shape I simply kept pursuing God’s call. After completing a BA in Christian studies at Ouachita Baptist University, the Lord brought me to Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) to pursue a Master’s of Divinity. Through my studies, friends, professors, and many opportunities to serve, I have grown and developed as a minister and as a follower of Jesus. The Lord has planted in my soul a desire to serve and equip people to participate in and build the Kingdom of God according to their own gifts and abilities. As a recipient of the Alvera Mickelsen Memorial Scholarship, I am excited to finish my studies at PBA and continue following God’s call to equip his people. I hope to uphold and honor her legacy by creating space for people to get to know the faithfulness of God as they wrestle with His call on their own lives.
In addition to school, I currently work with the Family Ministries department Community of Hope in Loxahatchee, FL.
Hometown: Fort Smith, AR
Loves: Teaching, Hiking, Henri Nouwen, Folk Music
Pastor Charity Sandstrom
“Receiving this scholarship means that I will graduate with less debt and more freedom as I continue to pursue God’s call on my life. Thank you to those who have contributed to funding this scholarship. I know it will bring dividends for generations to come!”
Charity Kemper Sandstrom is a Friends minister, serving in her twelfth year as Pastor at First Friends Church, Emporia, KS (EFC-MAYM). The traditions and practices of Friends throughout their nearly 400 years seeking to worship in Spirit and Truth are treasures Charity holds close to her heart. She studied pastoral ministry, church music, and Bible, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Barclay College. Her time is generously spent with husband, Richard, and their three children, as well as offering ministry in both church and community. Charity is in her first year of studies at Portland Seminary, OR. She hopes to pursue doctoral studies following her completion of a Masters of Divinity.
