proud of my alma mater

I’m Proud of My Alma Mater for Getting Ranked “Lowest Return on Investment”

proud of my alma mater

Saturday, Ozark Christian College was ranked as the number 9 college “not worth the money” by Business Insider. I couldn’t be prouder. No, that’s not sarcasm – I’m beaming as I write and I’m proud of my alma mater.

See this kind of thing puts my little Alma Mater on the map while drafting up a stark contrast against those other 12 colleges Business Insider deemed “worthless.” At Ozark, they teach things like “who we teach you to love is more important than what we teach you to know.” The goal of the college has never been high-profit careers, and in an age plagued by greedy banks and out-of-control stock markets, that’s a beautiful thing.

proud of my alma materAs Seth Godin taught us in Linchpin, it’s the old forms of capitalism and communism that ask, “how much will we make?” The New Creatives, on the other hand, ask “how much do we care?” The latter measures the amount of humanity and excellence brought to the table. That in mind, Ozark has always taught us to do things well and to do them with great love.

When the ’08 crash kick-started the “Great Recession,” Ozark already boasted hundreds of alumni who served in some of the poorest nations on the planet, alumni that stand in solidarity with the poor. Countries like Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe, and Haiti know nothing but constant recession year-in, year-out. While Wall Street whined about profit-loss, Ozark alumni cared for the poor.

Proud of my alma mater for lowest return?

This is the college where, during one chapel, I remember Dr. Mark Moore (University of Wales) requesting poverty relief for D.R. Congo. “I want you to go back to your dorms, back to your apartments and imagine a Congolese orphan or former child soldier standing next to you. And then I want you to grab anything that’s worthless compared to a fresh set of clothes or a meal and bring it back to give away.” The chapel stage that day filled to brimming with televisions, iPhones, computers, rare commentary sets – the list goes on – that were all sold to raise funds. This is the college whose alumni started refuge houses for sex-trafficked girls before that kind of thing came into vogue. This is the college whose grads were first on the ground during the Joplin tornado.

This is a college of world-changers.

proud of my alma materEven the men in my dorm who grew up to become graphic designers, film makers, storytellers, and audio engineers all excel in their fields. Guess what? Ozark doesn’t teach a single class in any of those areas. We Americans live in a culture that offers transitive education – you do this task, you perform this skill. That’s not working out so well for us, is it? In the middle of a transitive culture, Ozark offers an intransitive education – learn to think for yourself, speak for yourself, write for yourself. You don’t perform tasks at Ozark. You bloom. Every class features some piece of logic, rhetoric, or grammar that accelerates the maturity of her students. While other universities raise students up for now non-existent factories, Ozark expands minds and hearts so her students can create and enrich humanity in whatever context they find themselves. It’s a school unconcerned with the bottom line, because it digs toward a deeper bottom line…

“The end then of Learning is to repair the ruines of our first Parents by regaining to know God aright, and out of that knowledge to love him, to imitate him, to be like him, as we may the neerest by possessing our souls of true vertue, which being united to the heavenly grace of faith makes up the highest perfection.

– John Milton, “Of Education”

My friend Stephen responded to the survey with W.E.B. DuBois:

“Whither, then, is the new-world quest of Goodness and Beauty and Truth gone glimmering? Must this, and that fair flower of Freedom which, despite the jeers of latter-day striplings, sprung from our fathers’ blood, must that too degenerate into a dusty quest of gold?
…the true college will ever have one goal — not to earn meat, but to know the end and aim of that life which meat nourishes.”

If learning how to sell everything I have and give to the poor, to walk the second mile, to love my enemies and neighbors, to put a tornado-devastated city back together piece-by-piece is “unprofitable,” then I don’t know if I ever want to make a profit again. That in mind, I suppose Mother Theresa’s work among poor lepers was “unprofitable.” Martin Luther King Jr.’s work among poor African Americans was “unprofitable.” Francis of Assisi’s peacemaking work among poor Europeans during the crusades was “unprofitable.” Ozark’s a school that follows a homeless, crucified savior who gave himself for everyone else. Profitability’s not an A-priotity. Nor a-priori. Ozark’s a school of alumni that keep founding non-profit organizations. They care more about observations and experiences that exegete the human condition and invent workable solutions than about profit.

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In an academic climate where students will most certainly enslave themselves under the tyranny of near-unrepayable debt, Ozark remains the only college I would choose for a master. If they are “unprofitable,” it’s only because they choose to work in the framework of a broken system where American banks get a hall-pass to solicit ignorant freshmen and lobby for jacked-up tuition prices. We need more schools willing to crawl down into the mud and offer sanity, more schools that care about enabling their students to learn and mature rather than to take the next class. Open courseware’s a good start, but we need more ideas, and good ideas come from good-idea cultures. Ozark’s unprofitable by an outer association, but not an inner culture. If our education system’s broken, then Ozark’s one of the few schools mending it: they refuse to worry about profit and maintain the lowest costs compared to her peers, all while driving her students toward sacrificial generosity.

And no, I don’t work for the college. I’m just one more graduate who passionately cares for the work of the school.

As for the survey, basic statistics theory asks this question first: what are the demographics of this study? How big was the sample size? A bit of digging revealed that only 31 people filled out this survey (thanks, Troy).

I don’t know if they will – I’m just some no-name recent grad – but if my fellow alumni choose to pass this post around, I guarantee we can easily get over 31 grads who think the Ozark experience was well worth every penny, interest included.

If you read this and you stand for, in, with, or by Ozark – just comment below with a simple “worth it.” You might also add where you serve, your age, your chosen profession, your degree, or a story about how Ozark influenced your life for the better.


 

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PS> UPDATE (5.10.13) :: For those who choose to tweet this, I believe they’re using #WorthIt


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  1. Kim Fish

    WORTH IT!!

    Serving in Las Vegas as a youth Pastor at Canyon Ridge Christian Church. Didn’t take one youth ministry class but my entire education set me up to tell Middle School and High School students in Vegas about Jesus!

    Enjoyed the article Lance after seeing the report last week, however this thread was even more encouraging than I could have imagined!

    Keep up the good work everyone!

    -Kim Fish

    1. lanceschaubert

      Thanks for stopping by, Kim. Miss you and so happy you’re working in Vegas.

  2. Daryl & Terri Williams

    SO WORTH IT!!! We’ve had jobs in the “real world” with a good salary…but no fulfillment. Now we’re on staff at Cookson Hills Christian Ministries with a “ministry” salary and LOVE IT! Our time at Ozark was worthy every cent and more! Our oldest transferred to Ozark after a year at a state college that cost us nothing. We’re thrilled she’s there no matter what it costs!

  3. Tony Nichols

    Worth it!!! ’06 Alum. The character shaping, knowledge building, and strong faith that I developed at Ozark allowed me to serve as a Youth Minister for 8 years and enabled me to continue on for a MDiv & MA. Now I’m serving at a children’s home as a Residential Counselor. Ozark helped me to turn around my life and give it to God so that I could spend the rest of my life helping other kids do the same. I would spend the money again in a haertbeat! Thanks for your words, Lance!

    I concur with others that Ozark should look into regional accreditation, adding masters programs, and continue to look at everything they can do to keep tuition affordable.

    1. lanceschaubert

      And thanks for yours, Tony. I still think the alumni should band together above and beyond their help in the development office in order to create full ride scholarships for underprivileged students.

  4. Brian

    Worth It i have gone on as a graduate from Ozark to work in several fields. Currently I’m selling Cars! My time at Ozark was some of the best years in my life and though she is not perfect it’s what molded me into the Man i am today. and i know tons of my fellow grads who went on to do something else besides located ministry (and are doing quite well might i add) who are better at their careers and generally just better people because of Ozark’s influential spirit.

    1. lanceschaubert

      Thanks for your first comment and for selling cars with integrity, Brian. I think the world would be a much better place if we simply could trust all of our car salesmen — so you do great work. Keep it up.

  5. Eric Norbury

    Went one year, met my wife and helped get a foundation so that when I transferred to another bible college (CCCB) I was prepared with more than most of the “one trick pony” bible college students.

    BTW I am currently serving as youth minister at RCC in Boonville MO

    1. lanceschaubert

      Awesome. So glad you stopped by, Eric. Keep working hard.

  6. Meghan McCracken

    My time at OCC has always been a cherished part of my life! Totally worth it!

    1. lanceschaubert

      Thanks, Meghan!

  7. Jessica Pommert

    Worth it! I graduated in ’08 with a Bachelors on Christian Ministry with an emphasis in Psychology. I’m 29 and serve alongside my husband in worship ministry. (We’re currently closing a ministry at New Life church of the Nazarene in Miami, OK, and beginning a new one with Cornerstone Christian Church in Joplin.)

    I was able to use my one of a kind education to minister personally to the mentally ill and corporate America in two different jobs. Now, I am able to use all my knowledge from developmental education and psychology classes to care for and understand my 8 month old, as a stay at home mom.

    My education and experience at OCC is invaluable. However, I did have scholarships and assistance from my parents to complete my degree. Without that, I would still be paying on student loans as many of my peers are. I do think that working while one goes to school to pay off debts as one incurs them is a plausible idea to diminish debt. My husband and I did that for his education and are currently doing that for his masters degree in worship studies. As over 31 surveyed above have said, we didn’t go to OCC to make money ROI, but people ROI!

    Great thoughts, Lance! You have always been a thoughtful person and had good things to say. I am excited to hear of your next adventure with your lovely wife in NYC!

    1. lanceschaubert

      Great thoughts, Jess. I’m reminded of a sermon Mark Moore preached on the issue and how he used the example of students that spent ten years getting a five-year degree in order to graduate debt-free. My uncle did that for pharmacy school and it’s still viable as an option today.

    2. lanceschaubert

      (And thanks, by the way. We’re super excited!)

  8. Sonny Essert

    Wow…just wow!

  9. Eric longing

    Worth it by a long shot. 5 years at this college and I don’t regret any of it. BCM with an emphasis on missions, or inother schools intercultural studies. I am a case manager currently working in Joplin, I have achieved alot in the work field and only have taken one psychology class and one counseling class, but I was taught how to love people. I am good at that! Thank you Ozark!

    1. lanceschaubert

      Tanks, E-long. So glad we were there at the same time.

  10. Stacie Donaldson

    Worth it! Graduated with a Bachelor of Christian Education in 1993. Both of my parents, my sister, her husband, his brother (and his wife), THEIR parents, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins on both sides of the family have attended and graduated from OBC/OCC. We would all tell you it’s worth it!

    1. lanceschaubert

      Dang. You guys really bleed the blue, huh?

  11. christy W

    Worth it! I graduated in 1996 with an associates degree. I’m currently a licensed massage therapist, working on a military installation. I have alot of contact with our active duty personnel and their spouses. And, boy, do they ever need massage! 🙂

    1. lanceschaubert

      Soldiers tense? Whatever gave you that idea…

      No seriously, you do great work, christy. Keep it up and thanks for your first comment.

  12. Holly Graves

    Where do I start. I have one son that wanted to attend for a couple of years just to “get ground”. I wanted to say, we can’t afford that, but how to you say getting really ground in God and the Bible is a waste of money – you can’t. He did that for a year and half before beginning his piano degree at Southern. It was well worth the money. My oldest son will be finish his Theology degree there in another year and though he was knowledgeable and on his way to being a good speaker/preacher when he enter there, he is now on his way to being a top notch/outstanding speaker/preacher. He has soaked in everything, and it has become a deep-down part of him. We couldn’t be happier with the education he is getting there. He knows it doesn’t matter the size of the church you preach at, the amount of money you make, or where you live but how you love others, serve others, and your willingness to go where God leads you. Those are things we tried to instill in our children and OCC also strives to instill those same values. So, definitely worth it.

    1. lanceschaubert

      That’s awesome, Holly. I’m sure you’ve sacrificed a lot to make that happen and I’m also sure those sacrifices will not fall by the wayside. Thanks for sending your boys and for sharing with everyone here.

  13. Julie

    Worth it.

    After graduating from Ozark I went on to Lincoln Christian Seminary to get Master’s Degree in Biblical Languages. There I married my husband (also an Ozark grad) who has been in full-time ministry ever since our marriage. I am now tasked with the monumental undertaking of making our home and raising our 2 beautiful children–a “non-job” which yields zero financial profits but which affords possibilities the effects of which will hopefully echo powerfully in the lives of my children and on into eternity. Ozark helped prepare me for this fruitful life. We are not wealthy by many standards, but again and always I will say, worth it.

    1. lanceschaubert

      Man, we pulled a huge contingency of single moms with this one, huh? Thanks so much for pulling 112+ unpaid hours per week raising up the next generation, Julie. It took a good mother to raise up Tolkien — he said so in all of his correspondence.

  14. Dena Kemp

    Considering the fact that aside from your first grade teachers enrolling you into the gifted program in school, your diagnosed genious IQ was undetectable by all but the most astute who knew you while you were growing up through those tough, “awkward” years. I knew God had a plan from the beginning of your life and while I didn’t know exactly what path your OCC education might lead you to, I trusted the One Who who designed your creativity and who made it all come to pass. Through true lovers of people, mentors, community, and the truest disciples of Christ I’ve ever known, God has used OCC to help mold and shape you to be what He desires of you. Was OCC worth it? To this one very proud and humbly thankful mother, the value is priceless! Lance~P.S. (Please excuse any embarrassment I may have caused……it’s payback time!) –Love, MOM

    1. lanceschaubert

      Embarrassed? Of what? Everyone that knows me knows I’m terribly awkward and often annoying. I just hope that stuff never gets in the way.

  15. George M.Willliams, Jr.

    My wife and I graduated from Ozark in 1976. In dollars it cost a lot less, but in its time it was tough. I had a college degree in education when I came to Ozark because I knew I wasn’t where God wanted me and I figured I could find direction at this school. I worked at McDonald’s, nearly full time, ate left over apple pies for breakfast, drove a ’65 Dodge Dart and slept about 3 to 4 hours a night. But it was all worth it. The education I received in addition to facts and words, and books was that satisfaction in life comes from doing what God’s wants, he will supply all your needs, just serve. The past years have been filled with ministry 20+ years in local church and now 18 years in an administrative position in the corrections industry. I meet really bad people who I hope to influence, I have Muslims that come to me to pray for their mother who is dying, I have staff who want to talk to me about life, marriage, etc. All the things I learned counted at Ozark. Thanks Ozark. I love traveling to the Philippines to preach the Word there. I do that through a fellow Ozark Alum organization. My wife was a big part of my local church ministries and then the principles enhanced at Ozark were the driving force in her applying her gift in the retail business world and being a smashing success there. Her business is often referred to as The ___________ __________ and counseling service. She ministers to more women everyday than you can imagine as they enter to buy and leave to live. Thanks to Ozark. Our kids though never attending Ozark reflect those principles we learned there and passed along to them. Solid lovers of God; solid families; solid citizens. Thanks Ozark Christian College for taking my money and making me a man that seeks God.

    1. lanceschaubert

      George? You wouldn’t happen to still have that Dodge Dart around, would you?

      Also, thanks for loving those society rejects.

  16. Angie

    Worth it! I’m a 1999 graduate with a BBL in Bible and Psychology. I now hold a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy, and it was the educational foundation that I received at OCC that made obtaining a graduate degree a piece of cake! I now have the privilege of teaching English to college freshman at a university in South Korea. I’m thankful that I can count myself among OCC’s alumni! What a great group of ambassadors!

    1. lanceschaubert

      Wow, thanks Angie. It’s interesting, isn’t it? How often master’s and PhD candidates from Ozark get named “best prepared” compared to alumni from everywhere else?

  17. don bunker

    I think Ozark is getting it right. Some “journalist” who makes his living taking a small, random survey, and writes an article about ” the lowest return on investment colleges” needs to go out and get a REAL job. He would do better to READ articles instead of WRITE them. I have friends who are OCC alumni…………ALL QUALITY PEOPLE.

    1. lanceschaubert

      Thanks for the enthusiasm for the college, Don. I’m sure the journalist was well-intended, trying to encourage students toward options that wouldn’t enslave them to debt. I just hoped here to reevaluate the scale of what’s “worthwhile” and what’s not.

      If the journalist gets ahold of this, I should probably say that I forgive him for bad mouthing my school. S/he’s not the first and won’t be the last.

      But thanks for your enthusiasm all the same, don. Keep in mind, we try to keep it classy in the comments here. That’s a warning, but a warning from a source of gratitude, not meanness.

  18. Dena Kemp

    George–Love your story! Thanks for sharing!

  19. kampucheakids

    Proud to be an Ozark grad, and humbled to serve the poorest of the poor in Cambodia!
    Randy Odom, ’80

    1. lanceschaubert

      Thanks, randy! You do great work!

  20. Melissa White

    So Worth It! BKC ’89 serving in Indiana…church secretary.
    “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

    1. lanceschaubert

      Good to get some Neoplatonism in there. Thanks for stopping by, Melissa, and for serving as you do.

  21. Chelsea

    Worth it. Without a doubt I am proud to be an OCC grad!

    1. lanceschaubert

      Thanks, Chelsea!

  22. Matt Tibbit

    Totally worth it! I’ve been the youth minister at Prairie Grove Christian Church in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, for almost 7 years now. Cannot imagine doing my passion without the education and training I received at OCC. And you are right, while my degree is in Biblical Literature…my vocation is youth ministry. But it’s not the major, minor, emphasis, or class lineup so much that matter. It’s the character focus and Bible knowledge that prepare you for whatever lies on the other side of the walk across the stage.

    <————<<<
    Matt Tibbit
    OCC Alumni – Class of 2004
    Bachelor of Biblical Literature

    1. lanceschaubert

      Thanks, Matt. You’re right — it’s about reforming the mind.

  23. BeeJay P

    SO worth it! I wasn’t able to graduate from OCC but my time and studies there really opened my heart to the calling from God. I am a teacher. I teach Special Needs students in Rogers Arkansas. My heart was opened to the needs in the community of special needs while I was at OCC. to this day, God has given this teacher many opportunities to serve those who have struggles, physical, mental or academic in more ways than I ever dreamed would take place.

    Speaking of Joplin, with my OCC connections and working with my other OCC friends and family, our church was able to arrange and organize hundreds of groups and individuals to help rebuild Joplin after the tornadoes. It was time to serve the town that brought us all together from ALL OVER THE WORLD!!

    1. Sara

      Well said, BeeJay! Thank you!

    2. lanceschaubert

      True that, double true BeeJay. Thanks for working with those who can’t help themselves and for telling the truth about the tornado.

  24. mattbrands

    Worth it. 2004 grad with a BBL in Bible and Ministry. Serving as a youth minister in SE Kansas. OCC introduced to my wife and taught me how to share Christ with teens. I would say that my “investment” was definitely worth it.

    1. lanceschaubert

      Tanks, Matt.

  25. Brian Jennings (@BrianJennings33)

    Thanks for this post.

    I spent my day talking with a family whose adult son passed away (whom I helped lead to Christ last week), hearing and hugging a man broken by addiction, pitching baseballs to a boy whose family has split, writing a blog for Blackbox International (care for trafficked boys), and feeling fatigued, inadequate, and refreshed.

    It was all worth it for this ’98 grad. I am humbled that God lets a mess like me do my little part in the Kingdom, and I am thankful that OCC helped prepare me.

    In related news, OCC ranks dead last in their number of graduates drafted into the NFL. So there is another reason to avoid it.

    1. lanceschaubert

      Well… Thanks for your first comment, Brian.

      And thanks for pouring your life out into the lives of hurting people. Those who carry crosses are working with the grain of the universe.

      As for the football thing, I heard President Proctor say that he wants us to make t-shirts that read:

      OCC Football
      Undefeated since 1942

  26. Megan Tucker

    Worth it.

    22, Bachelor of Science in Counseling from Florida Christian College. In six days I move to Cambodia to live and work with Rapha House for a year.

    1. lanceschaubert

      Thanks, Megan. Suffer alongside those girls and draw on the resurrection when you grow weary.

  27. Jake Schulte

    100% worth it! I appreciate you taking the time to write this up. It’s great apologetic service to the college and it’s alumni!

    1. lanceschaubert

      Thanks for stopping by again, Jake. Miss you guys and so glad to know you

  28. Sarah

    Worth it! ’05 gad teaching Kindergarten and coaching High School students in Indiana.

  29. Heidi (Allsbury)Corona

    Worth it!! God has always provided for our needs! So choosing a career and college was never about becoming the most successful in some multi million dollar business. It was about following God’s lead. Ministry was in my blood and I knew OCC was the place to prepare for it.
    Ozark Christian was our family’s school. My parents had attended, all 4 of us kids, and its where I met my husband. It was a great place to grow in those first years out of high school. Many fellow students are still close, life-long friends.
    Our life in ministry has benefitted greatly from all we gained while we attended OCC.
    and I agree that this achievement only proves that Ozark is still firmly on the right path–IN the world, making a BIG difference, but not OF it!

  30. Caleb Phillips

    Bth Intercultural Studies. Community developer, anti-human trafficking worker, and missionary in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

  31. Brad McQ

    I may not be in “the ministry” any more, but I find in my current profession of law enforcement that my OCC degree/experience is invaluable. I see the worst of society on a daily basis, but God keeps me strong. I was not the model student while there, but I was shown mercy & grace time and time again. I ended up graduating on time, and with a clear picture of who Jesus really is!

    Thank you, OCC!

  32. Barb Faulkner

    I worked for Ozark for 5 years until we moved out of state. It is the most amazing school full of wonderful faculty, staff, and students! I can’t count the number of times the students touched my heart with their compassion, knowledge, and wisdom. The faculty and staff not only work hard at their jobs but they invest their lives in God’s kingdom and the students. I don’t know another school that compares! Thanks, Lance, for speaking out and giving me the opportunity to comment as well.

    1. lanceschaubert

      Welcome, Barb. And thank YOU both for your story and for your first comment.

  33. Leigh Anne Boles Johnson

    WORTH IT.

  34. Desiree (Keyes) Limkeman

    Proud…Bachelor of Christian Education, Associate Degree in Sacred Literature, Associate Degree in Bible and Elementary Education, and a lifetime of ministry. Make enough money to be debt-free and have what I need and more.

  35. Daniel Shelton

    Worth it. My wife and I graduated in 2005 and moved to minister at a church in Springfield, IL. Attended LCU to get a Masters of Worship Studies, did music ministry for 8 years. Now I oversee daily operations at the same church. Even though I’m not using any of the practical music skills I learned at OCC I’m thankful for the leadership experiences learned in the whole environment. I think”Accelerated Maturity” is how Mark Scott referred to it.

  36. Matt Otey

    There have been many angry nights where I’ve said it wasn’t worth it at all, and not just financially. But that’s natural, I suppose, when troubles are faced.

    Now? I would say it is worth it. We had been studying John 13 when I saw the article. Ozark and her alumni popped into my head as a place with people who generally try to serve others in the ways Jesus did.

    I did not meet a financial guru and will have my student debts for quite some time, but God is providing for us daily to serve in Mansfield, MO as a part time youth minister as I work full time in the public school with a student who needs one on one help. I am in no way qualified to help the student other than trying to emulate the patience and love and grace that was modeled to me at OCC and, more often than that, after my college years through the alumni that I’ve encountered.

    Thanks, Lance, for being one of those people.

    1. lanceschaubert

      Thank you, Matt, for stopping by and encouraging me as always. And thanks for your honesty about nights that it didn’t seem worth it.

  37. Tara Hendren

    “worth it” I appreciate everything that Ozark has taught me. I was a vocal major, and have since done nothing more with my quote, unquote education than sing with my church’s worship team. Not very impressive, understandably. I, however, wouldn’t have traded my time there for anything. It has made me into the person I am. It was truly the best time of my life.

  38. Larry Lewis

    worth every penny – Ozark shaped me and forced me to focus – she taught me to think – and how to study the Bible for what it really says instead of how I feel about what it says. My mind is better – and I am blessed – class of 1990

  39. lanceschaubert

    They shared the same article over at Daily Finance.

    Apparently none of the big wigs have seen these incredible stories yet…

  40. mrstomko

    Worth it.

    I only attended OCC for three semesters, and I would not trade them. The Christ centered relationships I formed in that year and a half are priceless. When my husband was deployed, my OCC family carried me through. I am now a stay at home mom to three sweet babies, and my Ozark education frequently comes to mind as I try teach them to love and serve. My husband, Rob, also only attended for three semesters, but because of our relationships with OCC graduates we were able to take a path that led to him managing the finances of a large church planting organization. He could have made other choices with his accounting degree that would have equalled a bigger paycheck, but the eternal return on our investment is worth far more than any monetary gain. We would be thrilled for our children to spend any amount of time at OCC. It would be worth every penny.

  41. Hobie Brown

    My time at OCC was worth every penny. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home, and I had to endure an abusive relationship with my father and watched my parents get divorced a year before I graduated high school. I came to OCC because I felt God’s calling to work in His kingdom. I spent several years doing vocational ministry and have discovered that maybe it’s not for me. I currently work in a nursing home as a cook, and have found a great group of people to not only serve and worship with, but to pray for and with as well. My time at OCC was spent trying to find not only myself, but what I needed to do. I may not be a rich person today, but the four years I spent learning from people like Proctor, Moore, Scott, Wilkinson, Wohlenhaus, Fields and Bowland have been paying a greater return investment than any paycheck ever could.

  42. Owen R. Englin

    “WORTH IT!” Facing my Sr. of high school 20 years ago, I never would have dreamt the path that God was about to lead me on. To attend a college I had never even heard of, to major in a field of ministry, I never knew existed. To quote Brian Adam’s, my years at Ozark “were the best years of my life!”
    My closest friends, mentors, and encouragers came from Ozark.
    I have served in ministry now for 15 plus years, mostly in music ministry and now the past 3 years as a preaching minister. Even though I have had some extremely challenging times ministry, I love the Bride of Christ more today, than I did when I started this journey, and that is THANKS to Ozark for starting this journey.

  43. Luke Proctor

    I’m just a freshman at Ozark trying to work my way through, but I can’t even describe how much I’ve grown and learned this year. God is doing mighty things from this campus. It’s worth every penny.

  44. Hannah Redd

    Thanks for this. I love OCC and I am so proud to have spent four years there. I am forever grateful for that school.

  45. Austin Scott

    Worth it! In one class the professor informed us that we would not be having class the next day. As each student began that mental dance of freedom the professor commented, “That only with education are people excited to get less than they paid for.” This troubled me (though I had heard the thought articulated before). I saw the professor when class resumed and clarified my perspective: If I thought the difference between getting my money’s worth was missing a few class periods I would go to school somewhere else. My time at Ozark was worth far more than I paid for it. – Austin Scott, pastor at LaCenter Christian Church in LaCenter, KY

  46. Juan Ca Fallas

    Worth it.

  47. Sara

    Thank you so much, Lance, for these positive words! I only got to attend Ozark for one year and my only regret was that I could not go back. However, it was definitely a life changing experience for me. My time spent at Ozark was absolutely the BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE! The life experience spent at Ozark was PRICELESS! The friendships I gained from there were and are golden! I live in Oregon, and even though I lost touch with most of my Ozark friends for well over twenty years, it was no problem to regain those friendships. One may not be able to say that if going to “another kind” of college. What is the price tag of friendships of which I have confidence will last for decades to come?

  48. Kolby Allen

    Absolutely worth it. I’m a senior at OCC with 14 credit hours left on my degree after this semester. My wife is graduating in a week. We don’t know where we are going or what area of ministry we will serve in, but we know who we are and what kind of people we want to be. Ozark has given me the foundation that I need to serve faithfully for a lifetime.

  49. Kinsey McMillan

    Worth it. No regrets.

  50. Chad Smith

    I have always told my high school students that learning to think critically is the number one thing that the college experience has to offer. OCC was awesome at this! I appreciate so much my education from OCC. I’m now a high school teacher (through an alternative certification program which, by the way, was possible because of my OCC degree) and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to my students.

Quick note from Lance about this post: when you choose to comment (or share this post with your friends) you help other readers just like you.

How?

Well, see, your comments & sharing whisper a few things to those who come after you:

The first is that this site is a safe place to speak up & stay curious. That it's civil. That discussion is encouraged. That there's no such thing as a stupid question (being a student of Socrates, I really and truly believe this). That talking to one another and growing together is more important than anything we could possibly publish. That the point is growing in virtue and growing together and growing wise. That discovery is invention, deference is originality, that we all can rise together. The only folks I'm going to take comments down from are obvious jerks who argue in bad faith, don't stay curious, or actively make personal attacks. And, frankly, I'd rather we talk here than on some social media farm — I will never show ads and the only thing I'm selling anywhere on the site or my mailing list is just the stuff I make.

You're also helping folks realize that anything you & they build together is far more important than anything you come to me to read. I take the things I write about seriously, but I don't take myself seriously: I play the fool, I hate cults of personality, and I also don't really like being the center of attention (believe it or not). I would much rather folks connect because of an introduction I've made or because they commented with one another back and forth and then build something beautiful together. My favorite contributions have been lifelong business and love partnerships from two people who have forgotten I introduced them. Some of my closest friends NOW I literally met on another blog's comment section fifteen years ago. I would love for that to happen here — let two of you meet and let me fade into the background.

Last, you help me revise. I'm wrong. Often. I'm not embarrassed to admit it or worried about being cancelled or publicly shamed. I make a fool out of myself (that's sort of the point). So as I get feedback, I can say, "I was wrong about that" and set a model for curious, consistent learning, and growing in wisdom. I'm blind to what I don't know and as grows the island of my knowledge so grows the shoreline of my ignorance. It's the recovery of innocence on the far end of experience: a child is in a permanent state of wonder. So are the wise: they aren't afraid of saying, "I don't know. That's new: please teach me." That's my goal, comments help. And I read all reviews: my skin's tough, but that's not license to be needlessly cruel. We teach one another our habits and there's a way to civilly demolish an idea without demolishing another person: just because I personally can take the world's meanest 1-star review doesn't mean we should teach one another how to be crueler on the internet.

For three magical reasons — your brave curiosity, your community, & my ignorance:

Please comment & share with friends how you prefer to share:

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