Bataan survivor thrived at Northwestern and beyond
World War II veteran Leonard Robinson ’51 had quite a story to tell by the time he arrived at Northwestern in 1948.

Eight hours after Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941, he narrowly escaped death when Japanese bombers all but destroyed the base where he was stationed in the Philippines.

He was one of 75,000 soldiers forced on the "Bataan Death March" to a prison camp 90 miles away. He spent the rest of the war as a POW in the Philippines and Japan, where he served as acting chaplain of the detail.

After completing his undergraduate degree, Robinson came to Northwestern to attend seminary. "I knew about Northwestern through Dr. Riley, who spoke at our church in Englewood, Colorado. As far as I know I’m the last student accepted by Dr. Riley. He died about a week after I was accepted."

Active in sports and student council., Robinson graduated in 1951 then spent his career as a pastor, called multiple times to churches in the throes of division. "My ministry has been serving to help get churches back on their feet and get going."

Now retired, Robinson remains a chaplain of the United Veterans Council. He looks back on his life with gratitude. "I’m probably in the best shape of any POW who went through what I did," he said. "I’m almost 90 years of age; the Lord has been excellent to me."

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NASCAR chaplain ministers at high speed
After a 20-year career as a youth pastor, Tony Larson ’86 moved to Charlotte, N.C., where he "stumbled into an opportunity when I really wasn’t looking for it."

He became a chaplain to NASCAR race teams through the Master’s Men Team, a chaplaincy group serving the racing community.

Larson offers Bible studies, pastoral care and prayer, and facilitates discipleship groups for the Michael Waltrip Racing team and Race World USA. On race days he conducts chapel services to support and encourage teams and drivers. NASCAR chaplains help reduce stress and encourage drivers in a sport where serious injury is "not only possible, it’s probable."

At NWC Larson was president of Student Missions Fellowship (SMF) and hosted an event marking the 30th anniversary of the Auca attack in Ecuador which killed Roger Youderian ’50 and five others. Youderian’s widow, Barbara (Orton ’50) Youderian, came to speak in Maranatha Hall.

Larson’s Northwestern experience helped lay the foundation for his career. "Being president of SMF helped me overcome my fear of public speaking and helped me to see the value of mobilizing a group toward the realization of a vision statement. The Bible courses helped me develop a solid Christian biblical worldview and taught me to effectively articulate those views to a spiritually needy world."

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Answering the call and loving it
It is rare for college freshmen to know exactly what they want to do upon graduation, but from the time she was a young girl Katie Wells ’03 knew she wanted to study art education and teach at a school for missionary kids—exactly what she’s doing now in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Beyond her work as a teacher, Wells works with youth at a Bolivian church and volunteers at a local orphanage. "God has totally opened up my heart to the people of Bolivia," she said, "I knew nothing about the people here before; God has really opened my mind up to this country."
Wells spreads the Gospel through friendship and evangelism to her neighbors. Her Spanish skills were recently put to the test when she had an opportunity to pray with a woman—in Spanish—to receive Christ.

Wells spreads the Gospel through friendship and evangelism to her neighbors. Her Spanish skills were recently put to the test when she had an opportunity to pray with a woman—in Spanish—to receive Christ.

While at Northwestern, Wells kept busy with campus activities: Women’s Chorale, freshman orientation leader, residence life staff (Hartill) and Wednesday night worship (The Edge). She believes her Northwestern education prepared her well for her current work. "The education department at Northwestern demanded excellence and refined me, giving me the best base possible before I started to teach," Wells said. "I was truly molded at Northwestern and challenged to be better."