Fall 2002 - Northwestern College

S t u d e n p tro f i l e
N o r t h w e s t e r n C l a s s i c
D e s i re to teach and coach leads wrestler to NWC
R e v e r s a l
Senior Bill Detlor with children he met this summer while on a mission trip in the
Czech Republic with the Raider wrestling team.
When Bill Detlor transf
e r red to Northwestern two
years ago, he did not know
what to expect, and he had
traveled a long journey since
high school to get here.
The Redmond, Wa s h . ,
native had attended college
but lacked direction in his
studies, and his grades suff
e red. He re t u rned home
and worked as a tire installer
and cashier for several years.
“Then a friend invited me to
a wrestling practice for the
high school team he was
coaching,” Bill recalls. “After
about 10 minutes in practice
I knew I wanted to go back
to school and get my teaching
certificate so I could
by Nick
De Haan ‘03
teach and coach.”
He looked around for
schools and decided to take
classes at a local college. For
the next two years Bill took
classes part time and worked
part time while coaching
high school wrestling. The
school he was attending did
not offer a physical education
p rogram and he realized he
would have to transfer to
pursue a physical education
d e g ree. “I looked at several
schools and finally decided
on Northwestern,” Bill says.
“I was accepted to
N o r t h w e s t e rn in late July,
and by mid-August I was in
my car driving halfway
a c ross the country to a college
I’d never seen in a state
I’d never visited. The fact
that everything worked out
for me to get to NWC, along
with the amazing acceptance
of the college community, are
constant reminders to me
that this is where God wants
me at this stage in my life,”
reflects the 31-year- o l d .
In Bill’s first class,
P rofessor Ron Juffer made a
positive impression. “My
first class, I walked in and
P rofessor Juffer knew my
name, where I was from and
my major just by looking at
me, and that just blew me
a w a y,” Bill re m e m b e r s .
Now a senior physical
education major with an
English teaching minor, Bill
e x p resses appreciation for the
NWC faculty in general.
“The professors care about
you as a person, not just a
student,” he says.
Bill says Northwestern
has helped him grow in his
faith. “What amazes me
about NWC is the way the
p rofessors incorporate their
faith into what they teach no
matter what the subject is.
The opportunity to build
relationships with my friends
at this college has also helped
my faith gro w. My high
school wrestling coach’s
favorite verse is Pro v e r b s
27:17, ‘As iron sharpens iro n ,
so one man sharpens anothe
r.’ This verse is reflective of
my friendships at NWC. My
friends challenge me to gro w
in my faith and become a
better person.” Bill also cites
Sunday evening Praise and
Worship as another way in
which he has grown in his
faith at NWC.
Being on the wre s t l i n g
team also has been a highlight
for Bill. “Our team is
like a family, and the guys are
like brothers. Being older I
was unsure about how I
might fit in with the team,
but the guys have welcomed
me and made me feel at
home,” he says. “Coach
(Paul) Bartlett’s caring for
each of us as individuals has
helped to foster this family
a t m o s p h e re within our team.
I t ’s great to have a coach that
c a res about us as people and
sees the whole person, not
just the wre s t l e r. ”
This summer Bill had an
opportunity to travel to the
Czech Republic with 10
other Raider wrestlers for
two weeks through Christian
O u t reach International. The
NWC team practiced with a
number of clubs, including
the Czech national team, and
participated in two competitions.
At each competition
and practice, the group was
able to share their Christian
faith. Usually one wre s t l e r
s h a red his testimony and
handed out tracts.
Along with wre s t l i n g ,
the group spent time with
youth of various cities at
t h ree activity centers in larg e-
ly Gypsy neighborhoods and
had an opportunity to teach
PE classes for grades 6-8. “It
was neat to share with the
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