Years separate them, but the newest Alumni Board members share a common reflection on their time at Manchester.

 “It shaped my life,” says Bernie Eash ’66 of Sturgis, Mich.

Eash joined the board this year along with Sarah McKinney ’12 of Indianapolis and Josh Brock ’05 of Fort Wayne.

Eash grew up in Howe, Ind., and followed his best friend from church to Manchester, where he majored in business administration and economics. “There was a lot of challenge, but I liked that,” says Eash, “a lot of challenge and growth in my first few years.”

He added that Manchester provided “a tremendous amount of nurturing and encouragement.” Hearkening back to his 44-year career in agriculture sales, Eash says that Manchester is “just a good place to plant some seeds. They will be cultivated.”

Eash and his wife, Barbara, have two sons, and Bernie recommended Manchester to both of them. The older son, Dr. Jonathan Eash ’99, took his dad’s advice and is now an anesthesiologist in South Bend.

McKinney is the business operations manager for the Indianapolis Indians, the Triple A baseball team of the Pittsburgh Pirates. She grew up in a small town and felt comfortable at Manchester from the start. “As soon as my parents and I walked on campus, we knew!”

While it was comfortable, Manchester also nudged McKinney out of her comfort zone. “The diversity, living on my own, making new friends and trying new things. I loved everything about it.”

Professors knew her name and checked on her if she was sick or missed a class. They also prepared the sport management major for professional success.

“Manchester is a place to find yourself, and a great place to start figuring out what kind of adult and what kind of life you want to work toward,” McKinney says.

Like Eash, Brock majored in business administration at Manchester, but he’s now a social studies teacher at Norwell High School near Ossian, Ind. He’s also earned master’s degrees in educational leadership from Ball State University and English literature from Indiana University.

“Being part of the 2004 World Series team was my most memorable experience," says Brock, but Manchester transformed him in a more holistic way – from the baseball field, to the classroom, to the larger MU community.

“The feeling of being a part of the Manchester University community does not go away,” says Brock. “It makes you feel part of something special that you never want to leave and are grateful to have found.”

Serving on the Alumni Board, he says, “is a great way to give back to Manchester.”

Comprised of 15 graduates, MU’s Alumni Board meets twice a year. For more information about how you can get involved, please contact Alumni Director Kylee Rosenbaum ’11 Moss or Assistant Director Mike Leckrone ’92.

By Melinda Lantz ’81