Around the State: Wayland alum wins Olympic gold medal

Three athletes with ties to Wayland Baptist University are in Tokyo competing in the Olympic Games. Tamyra Mariama Mensah-Stock of Katy—a Wayland Baptist University alum—won a gold medal in the women’s wrestling freestyle 68-kilogram weight-class event at the Tokyo Olympics. She became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling. She last competed at Wayland in 2017 after winning a pair of Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association national championships for the Pioneers in 2015 and 2017. Bernard Keter, who attended Wayland in 2015, competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase event at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing 11th in the finals. Che Lara, a senior at Wayland, will represent Trinidad and Tobago in the 4 x 400-meter relay event.

Toby Castleberry, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Vernon, will begin preaching 100 consecutive days on Aug. 7. He will preach verse-by-verse through the Gospel of John in daily worship services centered on the theme “So Loved!” Services are scheduled at 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and at 10 a.m. Sunday in the church’s worship center. “After surveying the condition of our world and watching the events of the past couple of years—seeing the wickedness, division, hatred and hopelessness that fills our days—and after seeing the utter uselessness of man’s attempts to provide a remedy, I decided the world needs Jesus,” Castleberry explained. “Plain and simple, our only answer is to trust and walk with Christ.” He acknowledged the 100-day commitment involves some personal sacrifice in terms of family time with his wife Carrie and their children, but he decided it was worth it. “Radical times must foster radical responses in Christ’s church,” he said. “And let’s face it, this is pretty radical.”

Deans for Impact selected Sarah Hartman, dean of the Don Williams School of Education at Wayland Baptist University as an Impact Academy fellow. Hartman joins a cohort of 24 educational leaders from 17 states who will work together for the next year to create transformative change in educator preparation by asking questions, forming a collaborative network to consider challenges in the field and seeking solutions. Impact Academy offers leaders in educator preparation an opportunity to sharpen their skills through self-reflection, collaborative learning sessions and one-on-one coaching. “I am extremely excited to learn what it means to become a better servant leader, while equitably serving and valuing my faculty, staff and teacher candidates, as we work together to enable positive change in education,” Hartman said.

Elijah Jeong has been appointed assistant director of Baylor University’s Institute for Faith and Learning. Most recently, he served as an adjunct lecturer and graduate apprentice in Baylor’s School of Education and was lead coordinator of the Christian Higher Education Leadership Seminar. Jeong holds an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Washington, a Master of Divinity degree from Reformed Theological Seminary and a Master of Arts degree in Christian formation and ministry from Wheaton College. He is completing his doctoral work in Baylor’s higher education studies and leadership program.