Grace College broke ground for the new Ray “Butch” and Sandra Shook Welcome Center to be located in the lobby of Westminster Hall. On Tuesday, Dec. 3, community members, faculty, staff and students gathered in the historic lobby to celebrate the future of the space. The soil turning was preceded by remarks from Grace College VP of Advancement John Sloat, President Dr. Drew Flamm, VP of Enrollment Management Dr. Mark Pohl, Student Ambassador Rachel Macy and Board Member Cory Colman.
“The Shook Welcome Center project represents more than just a facelift to this beloved building,” said Pohl. “It symbolizes Grace College’s commitment to hospitality, to excellence and to ensuring every campus guest leaves Grace with a sense of God’s work in this place.”
Pohl spoke about the plans for the building, which will feature the current Winona History Museum and the west community banquet room while remodeling the east banquet room to create space for admissions offices and meeting rooms. The lobby space will also include the Grace Gear campus store and lakeside rentals for guests to enjoy on 564-acre Winona Lake, just a few blocks from Westminster. The center will be a hub for all campus guests and the new home for the school’s admissions office.
Macy, a sophomore student ambassador, shared her own admissions experience at Grace, testifying to the impact of its personalized, Christ-centered approach.
“It’s hard to believe I was making my college decision less than two years ago, and now I serve as a student ambassador who helps other students feel welcomed and cared for,” said Macy. “As a student ambassador, my goal is not just to tell people about Grace, but to point every prospective student that visits our campus towards Christ.”
Colman concluded the ceremony by reminding attendees that the space would ultimately catapult students into a transformational experience at Grace, where they would know Christ and make Him known.
“Every time a current or potential student walks into this building, it’s an opportunity for us to put our Christ-centered community of higher education on display,” said Colman. “It’s an opportunity to apply biblical values to strengthen their character, to sharpen their competence and to prepare them for service.”
The Shook Welcome Center is named after Ray “Butch” and Sandra Shook, who met as students at Grace. Butch graduated from Grace in 1972 and became one of the school’s first full-time admissions counselors. Two of Butch and Sandra’s three kids attended Grace, and Butch now serves on the Grace Board of Trustees.
Grace needs to raise $2,000,000 to complete the project. To give to the project or to see project renderings, visit www.grace.edu/welcomecentermatch.
