Alumni Awards

Alumna of the Year Award

2024 Recipient – Beth (McDonald) Kuntzleman ’61, ’63, ’65

Former Co-Founder/Owner of Fitness Finders,Former SAU Board of Trustees Member

Beth is an important part of Spring Arbor University’s story. She is a three-time alumna, having graduated from Spring Arbor High School, Junior College and College. She is also the daughter of legendary Spring Arbor coach and teacher Donald “Mac” McDonald, the namesake of the McDonald Athletic Center (MAC). She faithfully served on the Spring Arbor board of trustees for over thirty years, is active with SAU programming and fundraising, and has been a national leader with regard to personal fitness and health. Without question, she is one of those people that is a true embodiment of the Spring Arbor University Concept. Beth is compassionate, successful, driven, and always has the best interest of SAU and the people she works with at heart, often above herself.

Beth and her husband, Charlie, have been actively involved in local church activities, leadership in both Spring Arbor and Jackson, and throughout the United States. In addition to their involvement at SAU, Beth and Charlie have impacted hundreds of thousands of school-age children through their company, Fitness Finders.  They founded Fitness Finders in Spring Arbor, MI over 40 years ago as part of their lifelong mission to improve the health and fitness of young people. With a relentless passion for wellness and the importance of physical education in schools, Charlie and Beth created a company intent on empowering children to make positive choices. This year, over 1,000,000 children, K-5, are participating in the Fitness Finders Mileage Club. Beth and Charlie retired from Fitness Finders in 2014 but kept ownership in the family. Beth has one daughter, Lisa Fairbanks; two stepdaughters, Becky Bennett and Debbie (Kuntzleman) Sayers ’85; and two stepsons, John and Tom Kuntzleman. 

The Alumnus of the Year is selected on the basis of the broadest aspects of Christian service to humanity and achievement in the recipient’s chosen vocation, community service, or service to Spring Arbor University, and whose life exemplifies Christian principles.

Professional Excellence Award

2024 Recipient – Monica Moser ’09

President and CEO of the Jackson Community Foundation

A recognized community leader known for building collaborative partnerships, facilitating crucial community conversations, and forging new ways of working together as a community to solve system issues. 

As the President and CEO of the Jackson Community Foundation since 2011, Monica Moser has built a responsive philanthropic organization that consistently delivers results by developing new ways to connect with people who care about the community and aligning grant making resources with locally driven plans for improvement. This work includes facilitating multi-system analysis, defining system problems and root causes, developing goals and objectives, committing to shared measurements, and building a spirit of community unity around population improvements centering equity. In this role, she likes to think of herself as a community advocate, a convener of action, and a proactive problem-solver.   

At the Jackson Community Foundation, Monica’s most significant achievements have been to build a cohesive team that has more than tripled the size of the endowment and to grow the impact of the organization from just a grantmaking organization to one that works with community stakeholders to facilitate crucial conversations and systemic change built on trust and authentic relationships. She continues to embed and expand the Foundation’s work around advancing equity, building systems that are more equitable for our community members, and increasing the opportunity for all our residents to reach our full potential.

Monica holds a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Arts in Therapy from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY and an MBA from Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, MI. She thinks of herself as a life-long learner and enjoys spending down time paddle-boarding, biking, knitting, reading, learning to play the cello, and gardening.  She lives in Jackson with her husband Steven Trosin, the Executive Director of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, and their two dogs, Romeo and Tip. Together they have five adult children living across the world and five grandchildren. 

The purpose of the Professional Excellence Award is to recognize alumni who have made outstanding contributions to their profession and community, and achieved honor and distinction for Spring Arbor University. The recipient must have been established professionally for at least five years and must hold membership in at least one professional organization. The recipient’s accomplishments, achievements, or contributions must have been previously recognized by their profession.

Faithful Servant Award

2024 Recipient – Al Butkovich ’78

Missionaries for Ambassadors for Christ International

Al graduated from Spring Arbor College in 1978 with a B.A. in Secondary Education. A four-year starter at second base, Al co-captained the baseball team for two years, and was then privileged to serve as an assistant coach under Hank Burbridge in 1979. Through Hank’s faithful encouragement, Al then traveled to South America with Sports Ambassadors, a Christian baseball ministry, in 1980. 

Al came to faith in Christ as a high school senior, just months before his first college class in 1974. By his own admission, Al’s spiritual growth in college was limited, but Coach Burbridge continued pursuing Al as a mentor and friend. “Even after graduating, Coach never gave up on me.  He saw beyond the present to what God could do with my life. As the summer approached, Coach asked if I was finally ready to put on Christ’s yoke and surrender my life.”The Lord remained at work, and Al returned from South America a different person.

Following the trip with Sports Ambassador’s, Al moved to Maryland and attended Capital Bible Seminary, earning an M.A. in Missions. After marrying his wife, ‘Duke’, the two began a music ministry on the east coast, which led to serving a four-year term as missionaries in Portugal.

After returning home in 1986, Al worked with People of the World and conducted campus ministry at George Mason University, taught courses on cross-cultural communication, and directed international outreach at his church. In 1995, Al and Duke joined Ambassadors for Christ International and began teaching home Bible studies with an emphasis on reaching the Hispanic community in Northern Virginia. Many students and parents have come to Christ and were baptized. Al and Duke’s efforts paid special dividends when Eric, a convert from Bolivia, courted and married their daughter, Jessy, in 2012. Al and Duke remain active in ministry and currently reside in Sterling, Virginia.  

The purpose of the Faithful Servant Award is to recognize alumni of SAU for faithful service to church, family, community, or others with the purpose of furthering God’s kingdom.

LeRoy M. Lowell Award

2024 Recipient – Ron Kopicko ’77

Former University Chaplain for SAU (39 years)

Along with being an SAU grad, an MSU grad, an ordained Elder in the Free Methodist church, Ron is most honored to have been the University Chaplain for most of his 39 years of ministry at SAU. In addition to serving as Chaplain, he coordinated the Chapel program, planned the annual Spiritual Life Retreat, taught CORE 100, took Spring Break missions trips to Mexico and south Florida, and did a considerable amount of personal counseling and mentoring. Ron also served alongside the Student Development leadership with Resident Assistants and Peer Advisors. He was the assistant girls tennis coach for several years, led athletic team devotionals, taught and led Bible studies across campus, participated in residence hall events and conversations, and ministered 72 student weddings and sadly for 3 funerals. 

But maybe the best way to describe Ron’s contribution to SAU is by the words of the mother of a new freshman. 

                 “Dear Chaplain Kopicko, the purpose of this letter is to tell you how much we appreciate and love how you interact with the SAU students and in particular our daughter. We first saw you at the Parent Orientation. You told us you wanted a picture of the freshmen to memorize their names and to share any prayer requests we had for the upcoming summer. In July I got a follow-up note from you regarding our prayer request.  For us: Blessing #1

We heard you again at the Parting at the Plaza. What you said was so meaningful and the memory of the moment can still bring tears to my eyes. Your prayer that day made me even more tender but allowed us to leave with peace and the confidence that she was in the right place. Blessing #2

As her freshmen year continued, she would share things that you said and how you interacted with the students. She was growing in her faith in Jesus due to your encouragement along with the spiritual climate of campus. Blessing #3

She went to track camp and was surprised that you drove all that way to be with the team and share devotions. She showed me the 30-page handout you gave the team. It was DYNAMITE! She even talked me through parts of it. Your hard work for others is amazing. Blessing #4

You came to the conference meet and the 5K run to support the team. She forwarded the e-mail you sent to the team which kindly and sweetly offered any support or prayers that might be needed. I saw you at the meet and wish I would have said these things to you in person. For the blessing of your presence in the life of our daughter and the SAU students. Blessing #5”

The purpose of the LeRoy M. Lowell Award is to recognize excellence in employee service (past or present) characterized by consistency and outstanding contribution to the educational ministry of Spring Arbor University. The recipient need not be an alumnus of Spring Arbor University.

Young Leader Award

2024 Young Leaders – Justin ’11 DVM and Danae (Hayward) ’09 OD/PhD/FAAO/Maj USAF Johnson

Justin –Veterinarian, Kettering Animal Hospital;Danae – Air Force Research Optometrist, Wright Patterson Air Force Base

Danae grew up in Spring Arbor as both her parents, Craig ’72 and Mary ’72 Hayward, were professors at SAU. It was common to catch her sneaking candy from the science department secretary’s desk (an activity she continued to do as a student) or see her running the halls of Whitman-Gibbs or the SAU Fieldhouse. Attending SAU as a freshman in 2005 was a natural fit for her, as it just felt like home. She desired to become an optometrist and elected to undertake an individualized major, health and human science. Justin was recruited as a track athlete by head coach at the time, Dante Ottolini, and started his SAU journey in 2007. Justin and Danae started dating in 2009, just prior to Danae’s graduation from SAU. Interestingly, her father had recruited Dante as a track athlete in the ’80s when he coached at Roberts Wesleyan College. Little did Craig know at the time that his actions and influence as a coach would pave the way for his daughter to meet her husband years down the road.

Danae continued her academic pursuits upon graduation and attended the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University. While in optometry school she accepted a Health Profession Scholarship through the United States Air Force and commissioned into the reserves as a second lieutenant in 2011.

Justin continued his studies at SAU while serving as track and field captain and graduated in 2011 with a major in graphic design. Soon after graduation Justin realized that art was a hobby for him and desired an alternative career. Being a military child himself, as his father served in the Army, he looked at options with the Air Force with an ultimate goal of earning a GI Bill so he could return to school. He decided to enlist in the Air Force and headed to basic military training in November 2011. He was eventually trained as a remotely piloted aircraft sensor operator on the MQ-1, also known as the Predator.

Danae graduated from the Michigan College of Optometry in 2013, was promoted to captain and started serving in the Air Force as an active-duty clinical optometrist. God opened doors as Danae was assigned to the same base Justin was assigned, Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico. They married in January 2014 and started their lives together as husband and wife. Justin spent most of his Air Force assignment at Cannon deployed in garrison and was actively involved in combat efforts conducted in the Global War on Terrorism. He was a remarkable Airman. He was selected to receive special operations training as he was known in his squadron for being able to perform under pressure and had unmatched duty skills. Further, he was promoted to staff sergeant within four years of service.

In 2016 it became apparent that Justin and Danae would no longer be assigned together on the same base. They decided that Justin would separate from the Air Force so he could pursue his dream of becoming a veterinarian. That same year they moved to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Danae continued her service as a clinical optometrist and Justin returned to school at the local colleges to take the necessary science pre-requisites for veterinary medicine school. While at MacDill Danae became a Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry, a distinction earned by less than ten percent of optometrists nationwide. She was also promoted to Major. They welcomed their first son, Remo, in March 2019.

In November 2019 Danae was competitively selected among her peers by the Air Force to be an Air Force Institute of Technology Civilian Institution Program PhD student with the expectation to earn a PhD on an accelerated timeline. There was only one school in the United States that worked for both Justin and Danae to attend, which was The Ohio State University. OSU is also one of the top-ranked and most difficult veterinary programs for students to be accepted. Once again, God opened doors and they were both accepted in their respective programs at The Ohio State University in early 2020.

They welcomed their second son, Kais, in July 2020, 5-weeks prior to both starting their doctoral programs, but it was a difficult first semester for Justin, Danae, and the whole family. Justin moved to Ohio in August, where he had to attend OSU in person. However, Danae was restricted from moving, as she was less than 3-months postpartum, so the Air Force required her to stay in Tampa with the boys to start her program remotely. Everyone joined Justin in Ohio on Christmas Day 2020.

Danae, being on an accelerated timeline, took her candidacy exam quickly in the Spring of 2022. All members of her committee unanimously agreed that she performed superiorly on both the written and oral components of the exam and awarded her the designation of “High Distinction” on the exam. This distinction is to be used rarely within her program and she is only the second person to have received the distinction. In December 2022 they welcomed their third and fourth sons (fraternal twins), Jiah and Javi.

By the grace of God Justin and Danae successfully completed their programs and graduated in May 2024. Danae earned a PhD in Vision Science. Her dissertation focused on imaging the retinal vessels and neurons in vivo in subjects with diabetes without diabetic retinopathy. She was the first to image the transparent retinal ganglion cells in vivo in individuals with diabetes. Justin graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with a concentration in large and small animals.

Danae and Justin moved to Beavercreek, Ohio in May 2024. Danae continues serving in the Air Force, but now as a research optometrist. She works in the Operational Based Vision Assessment Lab at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio where she is the principal investigator of many projects. Justin is a veterinarian at Kettering Animal Hospital and provides medical care to beloved pets in the Dayton area.

The past four years have been a whirlwind, stressful and chaotic. Danae and Justin thank and credit God for opening doors, guiding them through the stress and His constant grace and mercy. They are excited to have more time to spend with their boys and are eager to get plugged into their local community as they look for a new church family to join and in which to serve the Lord.

The purpose of the Young Leader award is to recognize superior achievement of alumni whose lives exemplify Christian principles and who are outstanding leaders in their profession and community, and who demonstrate promise of further distinction. The recipient must be between 25 and 40 years of age.

Concept in Action Award

2024 Recipient – Jenna Maher ’24

Jenna Maher thrives on the connection between music and individuals, striving to inspire musical talent and foster meaningful relationships. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Psychology, Jenna is working as the Percussion Director for the Fenton Area Public Schools, where she is determined to advance the kingdom of God among students and staff. Jenna is continuing her passion for worship by serving with her local church’s youth and young adults group. 

The purpose of the Concept in Action Award is to recognize a graduating senior who most closely embodies the values and goals of the Spring Arbor University Concept. The recipient must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership qualities, exceptional commitment to service opportunities, and a life dedicated to Christian principles. Faculty, staff and administration of the University will recommend candidates for this award.