Meet the 2008 Committee

Ashley Bascherini

Class: 2010
Hometown: Magalia, California
Major/Minor: Psychology
E-mail: ashbascherini@ccu.edu

Hi, my name’s Ashley, but everybody calls me Ash Bash. I'm 20 years old, and in my sophomore year at CCU. I'm a Psychology major with possibly a minor in Global Studies. I grew up in California, and am enjoying my time in Colorado. (There is so much to do!) I've made some amazing friends here. CCU may be a small university but there are tons of big hearts! I enjoy being active in CCU2theWorld, a missions program that offers ministry opportunities both internationally and within the U.S. So far I've had the chance to go to Scotland and work with a local church/school, and this summer I'm going to Romania to help out at an orphanage. I enjoy traveling, reading, playing video games, art, music, missions work, the outdoors, and Asian food. CCU is definitely passionate – that’s one reason I was drawn here. Everyone is so different and has something new to offer. We need to look for those who are going to encourage us in Christ. I'm so excited for the chance to welcome you to our family here at CCU. Feel free to ask questions, ask for prayer, or just pursue friendships with us. We want to get to know you too!

Carrie Talarico

Class: 2010
Hometown: Aurora, Colorado
Major/Minor: Elementary Education
E-mail: cartalarico@ccu.edu

Hey everyone! I’m Carrie. I enjoy hanging out with my friends, singing, working with kids, and camping. I work at Ponderosa Elementary School every day in the Before and After Care Program (with 70-90 kids), and on Thursdays I run the homework club. I absolutely love it! I am also a Sunday school teacher at New Life Evangelical Free Church where I teach toddlers through Kindergarteners. I am so grateful for both of these jobs, which are preparing me for a career in elementary education. Every year my family and I go camping in Granby, Colorado. It’s a great way to relax and absorb the Lord through nature. Being at CCU has been an amazing experience. Perhaps the best for me was joining choir – a wonderful growing experience. I've been singing since elementary school and music has always been a major part of my life. My family has been a large influence in that. My main instrument is my voice, but in high school I played the baritone horn and taught myself how to play the flute, clarinet, Alto Sax, and the piano. CCU is a great way to meet new people – people who actually care about you.

Erin Zimmerman

Class: 2009
Hometown: Richmond, Illinois
Major/Minor: Business Administration, Marketing emphasis
E-mail: ezimmerman@ccu.edu

I'm Erin and I am studying business marketing with a leadership minor at CCU. My mission field is within the business world. I have a heartbeat for Asian cuisine, love anything there is to do in the outdoors, would love to be fluent in French, have been skydiving, and want to see the wonders of the world. I have had a great experience these past three years being part of the CCU community, whether it's playing sand volleyball on nice days or being in the classroom. CCU has helped mold me into a more knowledgeable person of my faith. My involvements since I have been here are Young Life, working with hormonal high school students, and Student Government, implementing new ideas for our campus. You won't regret your decision to be part of CCU – excited that you are coming!

Jenny Bergner

Class: 2009
Hometown: Centennial, Colorado
Major/Minor: Elementary Education
E-mail: jbergner@ccu.edu

I’m Jenny, a junior year at CCU. I chose CCU because it has strong Christian foundations, a great education program, and is close to the mountains. Plus I came for the community. “Community” is used a lot here, but it’s one of the best words to describe CCU. Coming here as a freshman was scary, but the people made me feel incredibly welcomed into the community. This year, I live in a freshman apartment and am trying to build that kind of community in my stairwell. For the last three years I’ve participated in COSA (Committees on Student Activities) which is all about building community. I’m also involved in a ministry called SALT (Snowriders As Living Testimonies) which lets me snowboard on Fridays with my peers AND talk to people about Christ’s love. CCU is huge on ministry and getting the Gospel out there, and it’s so easy to get involved! CCU is definitely where the Lord wants me to be – it has helped mold me into who I am now and who I will be after I graduate. We're excited for you to come to CCU and watch you get involved and make a difference. I hope you're time here is just as rad as mine!

Jillian Walkowski

Class: 2009
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Major/Minor: Elementary Education
E-mail: jwalkowski@ccu.edu

Hi, I’m Jillian. I’m a junior at CCU pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. One of my favorite things here is the community and how easy it is to be involved. I’ve been working with West Side Ministries for two years, tutoring inner-city kids in Denver. This experience has helped me appreciate my own blessings and challenged me to step out and help others. I am also an intern in the LDC (Life Directions Center) and was president of IHS (In His Service) Honor Society, which promotes academic excellence and civic responsibility. I’ve been part of COSA (Committee of Student Activities) which puts on great events like King Cougar and O'Malley's Alley – two favorite CCU traditions. I'm also the assistant director for intramural sports planning schedules and tournaments. Intramurals are a great way to be connected with so many other students. Weekends are free to enjoy the Colorado mountains – especially skiing! Basically, my experience at CCU has been one of involvement. I love meeting new people and interacting with them through a variety of events and activities. At CCU, the opportunities are endless!

Jorden Hall

Class: 2010
Hometown: Florence, Colorado/North Bend, Oregon
Major/Minor: Secondary Education
E-mail: jchall@ccu.edu

Hey! I’m Jorden or J-Money as some people call me. I enjoy hanging out with my friends, skiing and hiking. I work with the inner-city youth through the West Side Tutoring Program. I love working with middle-schoolers and am planning to go into the teaching profession. I transferred to CCU from a larger school in Colorado and Weekend of Welcome made my transition easy. My transfer story is really unique because I was never planning on coming to CCU. But God opened the door and introduced me to CCU, so I ran with it and now here I am. It is really easy to get connected here with all the great people that you are going to meet, and there are so many opportunities to get involved. One thing that I love about CCU is that the people genuinely care about you. My motto in life is that if a door is closed, another will open, so run through it, and never regret the past. I enjoy working out, running, most athletic sports, FOOD, friends, all-you-can-eat buffets, laughing, being with people that I care about, and traveling. If you have questions feel free to ask. I can’t wait to get to know all of you!

Lisa Jaarsma

Class: 2009
Hometown: Pella, Iowa
Major/Minor: Elementary Education
E-mail: ljaarsma@ccu.edu

Hello! My name is Lisa and I am in the Elementary Education Program at CCU. I hope to teach inner-city intermediate elementary students someday soon. I am from Pella, Iowa, a small tourist town in the heartland of our country. I love pickles, clean teeth, and my mom calls me "Monk." Hey – the world is a better place when it is thoroughly organized! While I have been at CCU I have had the opportunity to tutor with an inner-city church, get involved with missions, and grow in leadership. I love a challenge and I love to learn. CCU has provided both.

Scott Bollen

Class: 2011
Hometown: Missoula, Montana
Major/Minor: Undeclared
E-mail: sbollen@ccu.edu

I’m Scott, a freshman at CCU. I was born in Mountain View, California but grew up in Missoula, Montana where my family loved to go backpacking, hiking, water and snow skiing, mountain biking, and play soccer, tennis and folf (aka Frisbee golf). When it came time to apply to colleges I decided that I wanted to experience life in a different state. I applied to CCU, Wheaton, Westmont, and Montana State. I was politely informed that Wheaton and Westmont didn’t accept me which was actually a blessing because I would have gone crazy not to be near the magnificent mountains! I ended up choosing CCU because I wanted to go to a smaller university where I’d be able to learn better in smaller classes and live in a Christian community. My time here has been a blast! I love doing crazy things with my stairwell. The CCU community has provided awesome friends that encourage and challenge me daily. The professors are gifted at passing on their knowledge of academics as well as Christ to us students. My experience at CCU has been challenging but uplifting and educational, and is shaping me into a better person daily.

Seth Rutt

Class: 2009
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Major/Minor: Elementary Education
E-mail: srutt@ccu.edu

Hi, I’m Seth! I love chapstick! I love jumping on trampolines! I cough when I eat Ramen! I sometimes say really dumb things when I get excited! I bite my nails! I love jumping over objects! Sometimes I say stupid things! I love exclamation points! I hate cats! I love Techno (and I’m proud of it)! I have dry elbows and Achilles tendons! I love to laugh! I love playing and teaching kids! I once shaved my tongue! I suck at video games! I love playing with Slinkys! I don’t like coffee! My favorite snack is a warm tortilla or Cheezits! I love American Gladiators! I fight through the burn of Listerine every morning! I love clapping in different ways! I don’t like dressing up! I make delicious eggs! My eyes are naturally blue! I used to work in a Water Store! I am from Phoenix, Arizona! I’m going to Germany this summer to teach basketball! I really want to go to Alaska! Well I guess that is it! Can’t wait to see everyone!

Kim Francis

Director of Student Activities

What a great school you've chosen! I'm proud to be involved with the quality students who are creating your orientation experience. The students on this WOW 2008 Committee are amazing and have great plans for your Weekend of Welcome as well as the New Student Retreat. I love my job because I get to work with students outside of the classroom to help them explore their gifts and watch them passionately serve their fellow students. As a student, I learned about my own gifts from my involvement with Student Activities and now get to enjoy the other side of that in my position at CCU. I love the intentionality and opportunity to be involved in student growth in my job and hope you'll decide to get involved when you arrive on campus. Looking forward to meeting you in August!