Give the Gift of a Scholarship

For two of his 23 years at ATS, he served as Dean of the Faculty. With The Christian and Missionary Alliance, he served two three-year terms on the Board of Directors. His irrefutable call to theological training of seminarians was also carried out in his role as an adjunct professor at Canadian Theological Seminary in Regina; West Africa Alliance Seminary in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire; and in the graduate program of Simpson University in Redding, CA. He also taught at an extension site of ATS in Kiev, Ukraine.

While his scholarship and leadership at Alliance Theological Seminary are legendary, equally significant is the indelible mark that Dr. Denyer left on the hearts and minds of his students. To honor this extraordinary role model, the David A. Denyer Scholarship Fund was established in 2001. During his tenure, he passed on to students his passion for the lost, his love for scripture, his heart for God and his commitment to excellence. He modeled the authentic Christian life and an infectious concern for others.

Today, still living in Tempe, Arizona, Dr. Denyer remains in retirement and has served as an Elder and a substitute teacher for adults in a number of faith communities. His reputation remains a gold standard among seminary students. Consequently, each year a graduate of ATS is awarded the David Denyer Award, which recognizes an outstanding student who exemplifies the qualities and character of Dr. Denyer.

Dr. Denyer and his wife, Dorothy, left their fingerprints on the future. This precious couple’s investments of praying, giving, and mentoring ATS students will reap benefits for decades to come for the worldwide Church. Their sacrificial service has catapulted an army of dedicated men and women into Christian service fueled by a zeal to know the God of history and the God who knows the future.

Gifts to the David Denyer Scholarship Fund will support students pursuing seminary degrees at ATS where scholarship and spiritual formation are preparing leaders for life-changing impact.

Mrs. Downs completed her nurse’s training in 1929 at Kingston Public Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. She spent an additional nine months in training as a midwife before returning home, where she became the first registered nurse on the east coast of Nicaragua. She served her island community tirelessly by treating the most severe illnesses as well as the minor things that ailed her patients. There are thousands of fortunate men, women, children and babies, who benefitted from her selfless and loving ministry of healing. Nursing was not what Cassilda did; a nurse was who she was.

The Downs Memorial Nursing Scholarship is awarded to a student enrolled in the nursing program from either Central or South America who is in financial need.

Comments from Downs Memorial Nursing Scholarship recipients:

“I chose Nyack College because of the mission focus of the school. This scholarship will help me accomplish my goal of becoming a missionary nurse. I hope that, in the future, I can go to South or Central America to spread God’s word while giving people the medical attention that they really need.”

“My goal is to start an orphanage for street children so that they cannot only have a bed and food every day, but also be loved. I want to help orphans get adopted into loving families, while first meeting their physical needs. This scholarship was an answer to my prayer as God provided a way for me to finish paying for my last year of school.”

Dr. Ellison was named Distinguished Professor of Urban Studies and Counseling. He was the first professor in the history of Nyack College/ATS to receive this recognition. Awarding him the title of Distinguished Professor was the unanimous decision of the Nyack/ATS president and Board of Trustees because of Dr. Ellison’s consistent excellence in teaching and scholarly work, as well as his service to the institution, to society and to the Church.

Dr. Ellison went to be with the Lord on March 13, 2012. He is remembered with much affection and gratitude for the legacy he established at Nyack College. The work of Dr. Ellison will continue to be honored as generations of students benefit from the Craig Ellison Scholarship Fund.  Fundraising is underway to endow this scholarship for awards to eligible AGSC students.

Members of this legacy family were graduates of the institution first known as the Missionary Training Institute; the third of four generations of Nyack alumni; his grandfather, Isaac Patterson; his parents, Clair and Ruth, and his daughter, Jennifer. In 1955, Ralph earned a diploma with highest honor in Theology at Nyack. His bachelor’s degree with high honors in Anthropology, Sociology and Social Sciences was earned in 1957 at Wheaton College. A master’s degree and post-graduate studies in Social Sciences was acquired at the University of Chicago.

Fully engaged in campus life beyond the classroom, Ralph was president of his freshman class, sang in a men’s quartet and the College Chorale. He and his brother, John, supported themselves during their time at Nyack as barbers serving students and faculty.

Professor Ellenberger joined the Nyack faculty in 1964 and eventually became chair of the Anthropology and Sociology Department. An ardent commitment to his alma mater was evident in his service as faculty advisor to the yearbook staff, faculty advisor to the African American Cultural Exchange Club and as a member of the Campus Life and Academic Affairs Committees. For his Multicultural America course, he took students into New York City and explored various ethnic neighborhoods, restaurants and churches. He organized and led two Winterim trips to London and West Africa. Another highlight for many Nyack students was being welcomed into the Ellenberger home. It was not unusual for him to hear from former students who updated him on their careers and shared their gratitude for the classes they took with him. It was no surprise when Ralph Ellenberger was named “1996 Alumnus of the Year” for service to Nyack College.

In 1999, Ralph and Dotty Ellenberger retired in Nebraska, where they were involved in church activities. Still a music lover, he sang in the choir and was the choir’s unofficial chaplain.

Married for more than 56 years, Ralph and “Dotty” Ellenberger were only separated when he lost his battle with cancer and went home to be with the Lord in May 2014.

The Ellenberger family is grateful for the loyal contributors to the Ralph G. Ellenberger Scholarship.

Though the Helkers were unable to complete their degrees at Nyack, their appreciation for the time they did spend as Nyack students prompted Mrs. Helker to help future students fulfill their dream of earning a Nyack degree. Her heartfelt words describe their love for Nyack best:

“In 1953, my husband and I loaded our old car with most of our earthly possessions and drove to Nyack, NY. We had a six-week-old baby, and we were barely 21 years old, but we had both felt the urge to study at Nyack in preparation for going to the mission field if that was God’s will for us.

We left for Nyack with high expectations and very small resources. We arrived to present ourselves for registration needing a place to live and a job to pay our expenses. Bob worked and attended classes. I found a job at Lederle Laboratories, and God provided a student friend to care for our son while I worked. During our second year there, I also enrolled in classes and worked part-time. Bob and I learned so much and loved the classes and instructors. We also became close friends with other couples who later were called to the mission field.

During our third year, it became obvious that we could not continue trying to raise our son, going to school and working. The stress was becoming very difficult. We decided after much prayer that God had other plans for us. In 1956, we returned to Missouri where Bob finished his degree in architecture, and I received my degree in education.

Our years at Nyack were some of the most joyful times, and we learned so much. We continued the friendships we formed there and found many ways to serve our Lord and Savior. He blessed us with a fine family and many opportunities to use our talents.

This gift in my husband’s name is given as a tribute to him and to Nyack for the influence our education there had on our lives. To God be the glory!”

For more than half a century, the Norway, Maine native gave Nyack students the opportunity to experience the cultural arts—painting, sculpture, architecture, ballet—as well as music. Under her leadership, Nyack’s Carol & Candlelight tours ministered to thousands throughout the Northeast. She created the English Handbell Choir, a tradition and highlight of the Christmas season at Nyack College.

Marion Howe, a 1948 Nyack alumna, was presented with an honorary Doctor of Music degree at Nyack’s 2006 commencement ceremony. She was an extraordinary example of how professors impact the lives of students by going beyond the classroom or the textbook. One colleague captured the essence of Dr. Howe by referring to her as “Nyack’s notable aesthete and unshakable stalwart of high standards.” She was also called “beautiful, bright, elegant, with the voice of one of God’s angels and a conducting technique so exact and clear that the Women’s Chorus she conducted was unparalleled for its precision.” One alumnus spoke of Dr. Howe’s “class, style, passion, Christological clarity and desire for and commitment to excellence.” Another alumnus said, “I will be forever in her debt for cultivating my love of singing, but she has been far more than a voice teacher. She has been an inspiration, a wise advisor, a patient instructor, a spiritual mentor, a model of integrity and a friend.”

The undeniable common thread in the sentiments of all who encountered this beloved Nyack College School of Music luminary is that Dr. Marion Howe was a Nyack pillar–a woman of substance and excellence.

While on furlough in 1959, Elizabeth Jackson accepted the position of Nyack College Dean of Women. In 1976, Vice President was added to her title with legendary results. A year later, she became the first woman elected to The Christian and Missionary Alliance Board of Managers.  She served as Nyack’s beloved Dean until 1983, the year she went home to be with the Lord.

Though the Dean of Women, Elizabeth Jackson’s door and her heart were open to both male and female students. Her gift of encouragement was widely known by the thousands of students whose lives she touched. One such benefactor was Dr. Barbara Underwood, an internationally known authority in the field of nutrition and the biochemical aspects of vitamin A, who retired from the National Eye Institute (NEI) at the National Institutes of Health in 1998. Dr. Underwood established the Elizabeth C. Jackson Scholarship Fund in her beloved mentor’s name with a $100,00 gift to Nyack College.

Dr. Underwood shared memories of Elizabeth Jackson in an interview. “The main thing was that Elizabeth listened. She let you talk. She never forced decisions on you. But as she talked, she always took you back to the Bible for guidance. She was a loving, godly woman. Everything she did was rooted in trying to help young people grow in their relationship with the Lord.”

Inspired by her own experience and love for Dean Jackson, Dr. Underwood established the scholarship “so that more Nyack students could be encouraged and taught.”

A noted composer of sacred music, the world premiere of his oratorio O God Our Help was presented at the Norton Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, TX, and the New York premiere was performed at Carnegie Hall in 1993.

The Paul L. Liljestrand School of Music Scholarship exists to award worthy students majoring in music at Nyack College.  An accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music, Middle States Association and the Association of Christian Schools International, the Nyack College School of Music is one of the oldest and most popular divisions.

Comments from Paul L. Liljestrand School of Music Scholarship recipients:

“I am a sophomore and a Music in Worship major here at Nyack. I am a part of the Honors program and regularly participate in Honors trips, retreats, and special projects. After I graduate, I hope to lead worship full-time. My major is unique in that it combines my vocation, career and ministry goals. This scholarship will enable me to take out fewer loans and leave college with less debt.”

“Words cannot express my appreciation for the honor of receiving this scholarship! My hope is to be able to minister to people through music. Receiving this scholarship has been a reminder to put all my cares and worries at the foot of the cross, for God always provides for my needs.”

Long before the nursing program came to Nyack, Mrs. Mascaro earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Taylor University in Upland, IN, and Miami School of Nursing in Dayton, OH. She went on to study Bible and Missions at Nyack College. Prior to living in Nyack, she and her husband, Augustine Mascaro Jr., lived in Brooklyn, NY, where they served with the Brooklyn Gospel Team (1968-1973), once a student ministry at Nyack.

A gentle, humble soul, Kathleen Mascaro is remembered for her compassion, love of people and faithful devotion to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to her beloved family.

Crippled by polio at age 5, he grew to become known as “Uncle” Harold, a man who would not allow a physical malady to deter his pursuit of God’s call on his life. He traveled to some 42 states and Canada to share the Good News with young audiences. Using simple object lessons, he communicated the message of salvation. As a pastor, he worked extensively with The Christian and Missionary Alliance, the Evangelical United Brethren and the United Methodist Church.

In May 2021, From Paralysis to Pulpit: The Autobiography of “Uncle” Harold M. Rhoads was released. Edited by his grandson, Kenneth Carl, the inspirational testimony is sold on Amazon. All proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the Harold M. Rhoads Scholarship Fund at Nyack College to provide financial support to qualified students earning a degree in Christian ministry.

An extraordinary model of scholarship for his students, Dr. Siu was published in more than 20 academic journals in both English and Chinese, including Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Asian Journal of Theology, Evangelical, Missiological Society and the Alliance Academic Review. He translated Francis A. Schaeffer: Portraits of the Man and His Work into Chinese, wrote a chapter on local theology for the Global Church (a project of the World Evangelical Alliance Theological Commission) and wrote The Horizon of Theology: Constructing a Method for Evangelical Theology.

Dr. Siu and his wife, Flora, who passed away in 2021, were both dedicated to serving the Lord with their lives and committed to the work of equipping workers for the Kingdom of God. This scholarship honors them and exercises the Genesis law to be fruitful and multiply by facilitating the pursuit of a seminary education for disciples of Christ who will emulate the lifestyle of Paul and Flora Siu and their infectious love for the Lord.

His profound impact on Nyack began when he was a student and continued when he became a faculty and staff member. Taylor held different positions on campus that included Dean of Men, Director of Publicity, Vice President of Public Affairs and Executive Director of Nyack’s Alumni Association. Dr. Taylor taught classes such as Fundamentals of Speech, Bible Archaeology, European Civilizations and Pastoral Epistles.

The Dr. John F. Taylor Memorial Scholarship was funded to honor his life. The scholarship is awarded to students preparing for full-time vocational ministry and students with the vision to become a Christian business leader. Through his dedicated commitment to Nyack College, the works and good deeds of Dr. Taylor live on in the many lives that he touched.