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April 2018
Alum serving her community as fire dispatcher
Knowing the ins and outs of the law enforcement world helps, but it's her multitasking ability, sharp short-term memory and quick thinking that serve Tabatha Harmonson Knobbe most every day. As a fire emergency dispatcher for the Phoenix (Ariz.) Fire Department, Tabatha never really knows what she might encounter when she arrives at work for her 10-hour shift. And that's the way she likes it.
"That's the fun part; you never know what's going to be in that next call," says Tabatha, a 2011 graduate who studied criminal justice. "There's an excitement that it's different all the time. I work nights so it can be busy at first, then it slows down overnight. Weekends are very busy, since we have lots of colleges and bars out here."
A native of Abernathy, Texas, Tabatha joined the PFD in 2014 just five months after giving birth to her second child. After an initial skills test and hiring, she went through six months of cross-training to learn her job and that of others in the process. She said the dispatch job always sounded interesting, and with her husband's family being involved in the firefighting world, she had some exposure to that too.
"We actually dispatch for 27 different cities at a regional dispatch center, but we're part of the Phoenix Fire Department," Tabatha explains. "When someone calls 9-1-1, it first goes to a police/law enforcement dispatcher, then they are transferred to us if it's a medical or fire need. We get the address first, then start asking questions about what we need to send out and choose a code for the situation. Another operator actually dispatches the trucks and assigns the right type of unit for the call. That operator communicates with the units along the way, and we stay in communication with the caller as long as needed."
Tabatha works four 10-hour days from 7 p.m.- 5 a.m., a shift that she says works great with her husband's schedule, and she loves the three days off each week that make it easy to spend quality time with her young family.
"It's busier usually when I first show up. You can take 10-15 calls in an hour at first, then it slows down. New folks come in every two hours so there is always someone fresh on the floor," she says. With so many hands on deck, the dispatch room runs like a well-oiled machine. And that's vital since every call is unique.
"There are so many different pieces of information that you have to put together, and sometimes you have to play detective to get the details you need. You really get to work as a team with other dispatchers and with police and the units in the field. If there's a big call, they take command and have to communicate with all the other units and we have to work together," Tabatha says. "The first time I visited the alarm room and saw how they all work together, it was pretty amazing. There are so many layers of people helping, and it is crazy how it flows."
The ability to multitask is the key to success in the job,
according to Tabatha. Since dispatchers are often working 20-30 calls at one time, they really have to see the big picture and understand how all the pieces fit together. She also says the ability to leave the job behind is vital since she is on the frontlines of hard situations on a daily basis.
"It is hard to separate the sadness and tragedy you hear every day from your own life. You just have to remember that you don't have to hold that burden," she says. "Most of the time I don't think of any calls after a shift because they all run together. But there have been some that have really rocked me. Since you are moving on to another call, you just don't retain as much. And that's a good thing."
After the birth of their last child seven months ago, Tabatha said she was excited to return to a place she loves and considers a truly fun job. She plans to make dispatching her life's career, knowing there are opportunities for advancement once her children are older and she's ready to take on more responsibility.
Tabatha moved to Phoenix in 2006 with a WBU cross country teammate after graduation, intrigued by the climate and outdoors opportunities in the Phoenix area. She worked for a domestic violence shelter for a while, preferring the more social work side of her criminal justice degree. She soon reconnected with another WBU friend, Matt Knobbe, who played baseball at Wayland and finished his degree in 2008 at the Phoenix campus after returning to family. The two began dating and later married, and they now have three children. Matt is the bell captain for the downtown Sheraton Hotel, the largest property in Phoenix, which is home to many conventions.
Devotional: Ironies of the Cross Event
When we think about Easter, we probably consider Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday, and Resurrection Sunday. We may reflect on the Lord's Supper, trials, crucifixion, tomb, and victory as part of the Cross Event.
Along with these episodes, however, we can delve into the Gospel stories and learn even more details concerning who Jesus IS-As the I AM, He IS-the One who suffered as a servant. Each of the four days offers scenes that can lead us to recognize the Lord as God and the ironies of how the people missed this reality. May we not overlook the significance of these events.
First, on Thursday night, John 18 tells of the arrest of Jesus. In the Garden of Gethsemane (Jn 18:1-11), Jesus asked the crowd, "Whom do you seek?" The Roman and temple guards answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." He said, "I Am." Most English versions say, "I am He"; the Greek only says, "Ego eimi" or "I Am." At Jesus' words, the people who could have taken Him by force fell backwards (18:5-6). The irony of this scene is that the I AM speaking truth caused these people to fall powerless. The peoples' disbelief did not allow them to fall forward at His feet in worship of Him. May we not lose sight of the One who IS Lord.
Second, on Friday Pilate asked the Jews, "Do you wish that I release for you the King of the Jews?" The people cried for Barabbas, a robber. The man's name "Jesus Barabbas" is Jesus Bar-Abbas. In Hebrew and Aramaic, this name means Jesus son of the father. The irony is that Jesus the Son of Father-God is the true Son who should have been released. However, the Son gave His sinless life for not only for the son who had disgraced his father and his God but also for us who have transgressed against God.
Third, during the silence of Saturday, the soldiers wondered whether the disciples would take the body of Jesus (Matt 27;62-66; John 19:38-20:9). They sought Pilate to seal the tomb. The irony is that the soldiers had more faith in the resurrection than Jesus' disciples. May we never doubt the truth of the resurrection or its power for us.
Fourth, on Sunday (Matt 28:1-7; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-43; John 20:1-29), the disciples still struggled with the death and resurrection of Jesus. One instance occurs with Thomas' desire to touch Jesus' wounds and then believe. Jesus says, "Blessed are they who did not see and yet believed (John 20:29). The irony of this event is that the disciples had Jesus with them teaching them about the resurrection. The phenomenon of the resurrection still baffles people today, but we have the Scriptures that tell about Jesus and His Cross Event. The question arises whether this Easter each of us believes all that the Old Testament and New Testament say about the Christ.
Dr. Sharon L. Gresham is a 1970 Wayland graduate who has ministered with husband Benny (1970 grad) in the U.S., Guam and South Korea. She is founder and director of Ashes to Crowns Ministries, where she speaks on forgiveness and freedom in Christ. She earned a MA in theology from Southwestern Seminary and just completed a Ph.D. in scripture from B.H. Carroll Theological Institute. She has written for Lifeway and published a commentary on Philippians in 2012.
From the History Files
Not many colleges have a women's athletic team with more resources than its male counterparts. But not many schools are home to a historic program like the Wayland Flying Queens basketball squad. Fresh on the heels of a Fab Four finish at this year's NAIA National Tournament, the Queens are continuing to write their history with a season that also included passing the 1,600-win mark.
The team formed in the 1940s but with no funding in the 
budget, the school secured sponsorship from the Harvest Queen Mill, who dubbed the team the Harvest Queens. Then in 1951, local businessman and WBU graduate Claude Hutcherson took on the sponsorship that included flying the team to their games all around the country. Since few schools had women's basketball at the time, the Queens often played corporate teams like Dowel's Dolls and Hanes Hosiery and played in international tournaments. Coach Harley Redin would lead the Queens to be the premier women's basketball program in the nation for several decades, including coaching the squad to a 131-game win streak in the 1950s that still stands as a record.
Wayland remains the winningest women's basketball team, and Redin is hailed as a major player in the early changes in the women's game. Redin and several of the past players have been inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame as well as the win streak team. The historic program still draws recruits from around the South Plains as families have followed the Queens' success over the years.
"I consider the four years at Wayland College to be the best years of my life," says former Queen Patsy Neal, who played 1956-60. "Not only was basketball the centerpiece of my life, but I was surrounded by good Christian people, obtained an excellent education, got to travel to places I had never been and had the opportunity to develop my skills under one of the greatest coaches in the business, Harley Redin."
Though the Queens do not fly to competitions these days, the historic moniker has stood out of tradition. Alesha Robertson Ellis, who played for Texas Tech but was raised in Plainview as the daughter of a Wayland alumnus, is the current head coach.
Meet your Alumni Board
Daleyn Schwartz has two passions: cancer advocacy and Wayland Baptist University. A longtime resident of Plainview and a 1985 graduate of WBU, Daleyn has spent more than 
20 years as a volunteer with the American Cancer Society, representing District 19 in Texas and traveling to the capital in Austin and Washington, D.C. for lobbying for cancer research and education purposes.
Since her graduation, Daleyn has stayed involved in her alma mater, attending homecoming and other events on campus. She's also been a mainstay on the alumni board for at least a decade. But it's a role she relishes.
"Being on the alumni board is rewarding in watching the multi-generational ideas all come together for the same purpose: keeping and making WBU rewarding for all like family," she says. And she encourages other alums to get involved in leadership if they have the opportunity.
Daleyn's fondest memories of Wayland involve pledging Theta Alpha Psi sorority her freshman year, when she began to make lasting friendships with both actives and pledges.
"That was a totally wild six weeks that eventually lasted eight weeks," she recalls. "There were 14 pledges and only six actives, and we rocked! I loved this because it was just like my old school days, where I ran with more than your normal 2-3 friends. Little did I know that pledging would prepare me for later on in life, speaking to government officials on life and health issues."
Mentorship provides two-way benefit
It's a proven fact that mentorship makes an impact. And as universities are learning, students who receive advice on preparing for careers or professional schools experience better placement in jobs or internships and an easier transition to graduate programs. By the same token, alumni who provide advice for these 
students experience feelings of higher self-worth associated with giving and a greater interest in helping the current generation of learners.
With all that in mind, Wayland is launching an online mentorship program called Beeline, designed to connect alumni and students in short-term mentoring relationships that assist students in preparing for future careers. It can also pair alumni with other alums who are seeking a career change or advice for advancement.
"One of the most important things our university does is prepare students to succeed in the careers -- or change in careers -- they have chosen. We have a large population of graduates who work in every sector imaginable across the country," said Teresa Young, alumni director. "We believe by offering an easy avenue to connect them that both groups will benefit. This is a great way for alums to give back and help today's students, and a great way for students to prepare for the workforce. Two recent surveys have indicated that both students and alumni are interested in such a mentorship opportunity, so we believe this will meet a need."
A special email detailing the program and inviting alumni to participate through a simple sign-up process will be sent on April 10, with reminders coming shortly after through email and social media.
Alumni Loyalty Scholarship to benefit legacies
An existing endowed scholarship is now being repurposed to benefit legacy students at any of the Wayland campuses, starting with the 2018-19 school year. The Alumni Loyalty Scholarship will accept applications from students who have had immediate family attend Wayland previously -- defined for this purpose as parents, siblings and grandparents.
"We always love to celebrate legacy students and the family heritage they represent at Wayland, but we wanted to take that to another level," says Teresa Young, alumni director. "We believe this scholarship will encourage alums who send other family to Wayland and help those who need funding to reach their educational goals."
"I hope other alumni will consider making donations to Wayland directly to this scholarship so we can build up the amount of aid that will be gifted from it," adds Young. "It's a great way to give back to your alma mater, pay forward your own scholarship gifts and encourage the second or third generations of Wayland students."
Applications for the scholarship can be found here and are accepted through July 1. The Alumni Executive Board will then consider applications and choose recipients based on need and notify of awarding to begin in the Fall 2018 term. The application packet includes all the necessary guidelines. Contact Teresa Young at 806-291-3600 for more information.
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