👩‍🎓 Cary Ramsay walked across the stage wearing Robertson McQuilkin’s robe. During CIU’s May 2025 commencement, Cary received her Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling — wearing the same robe once worn by her stepfather, who also happened to be CIU’s third president. “I thought I would just really love to honor him,” she said. “He played a really big role in my life. It meant a lot to me.” Cary was an adult when her mother, Dr. Deb McQuilkin (’82), married Robertson in 2005. His care for his first wife, Muriel, lovingly chronicled in his book “A Promise Kept,” and later, his gentle leadership in marriage to Deb, deeply shaped Cary’s view of love and marriage. “He even helped me pick my husband,” Cary laughed. “My husband had to get grilled by Robertson McQuilkin on his theology before he could ask to marry me.” Reflecting on CIU’s counseling program, she knows Roberston would be pleased. “The program is Scripture-based — and that would make Robertson very happy.” Cary served as a missionary in Ethiopia and now plans to use her degree to care for missionaries in need of emotional support. Congratulations, Cary! We can’t wait to see how the Lord continues to use you to make Him known! 💙 (fb)

They didn’t just earn their degrees—they helped launch a whole new way to learn ministry. Just one week ago, Will Stroud (pictured left) and Lucky Lee Detty (right) were all smiles as they posed for a photo on the Quad with Dr. David Croteau (center), dean of the CIU Seminary and School of Counseling. Stroud and Detty had just crossed the stage of Shortess Chapel in the commencement ceremony for graduate students. They were celebrating, not just their master’s degree, but as the first graduates of the Seminary’s new Engage program. The program is unique as participants work with one or more field mentors in their ministry context to develop the knowledge and skills needed to demonstrate competency in a given ministry area. Detty, who was employed in CIU’s Physical Plant for four years, is the founder of Reconciliation Ministries in Columbia that works to feed, house and clothe men who are struggling with drug addiction. He says the Engage program took away his excuses for not pursuing a master’s degree. “It was affordable, I was going to have one-on-one help, and the thing that I loved about it was that I could focus on the things that mattered to me, which was becoming better at communicating the Word of God,” said Detty. Stroud is a pastoral resident at Awaken Church in Columbia who says he feels like “God created the program for me.” “I never saw myself as going to graduate school,” said Stroud, noting he especially enjoyed the mentoring aspect of the program. “They just walk alongside the student in a really cool discipleship relationship as the student walks through their program.” 👏 Let’s hear it for CIU’s first Engage graduates—and the ministries they’re leading with faith and excellence! (fb)