Alumni Awards

Olivet Nazarene University is pleased to honor alumni who exhibit the characteristics and ideals of their alma mater.

Addison Newell, 2015 Alum, speaks at homecoming chapel

“O” Awards

Since 1957, the Olivet Alumni Association has recognized outstanding alumni through the presentation of the “O” Awards at the annual fall Homecoming Celebration.

One ministerial and one lay person have been chosen from nominations submitted to the Alumni Board. Qualified individuals represent the ideals of the University and have distinguished themselves in their professional fields.

Raechel Myers headshot

Raechel (Pennington) Myers ’05

As the founder and COO of She Reads Truth, Raechel Myers loves God’s Word. She and her team work together to build this brand that creates beautiful, accessible Bible reading plans and resources to help women read God’s Word every day. Raechel is also a co-host of the She Reads Truth podcast, and is a general editor of the She Reads Truth Bible and He Reads Truth Bible.

Raechel holds a bachelor’s degree in housing and environmental design from ONU. A lover of travel and good food, she is happiest at home just south of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband Ryan — also a ONU graduate — and their two children.

Angel Colón speaking at podium

Angel Colón ’90

Angel Colón arrived at ONU with one suitcase, one baseball bag and an English-Spanish dictionary in 1986. He graduated in 1990 with a degree in Business Administration and a solid faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He received his MBA from Cardinal Stritch University and holds a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certification from Cornell University. Today, Angel is the head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with Designer Brands in Columbus, Ohio. To honor his commitment to serving others, Angel also helps teach English as a Second Language to immigrants in Cincinnati. He and his wife, Naomi, who holds two nursing degrees from ONU, are the parents of three adult children.

Inspired by his hero, outstanding Major League Baseball player Roberto Clemente, Angel has established a ONU baseball scholarship for Puerto Rican students.

“Students, teammates and ONU leaders loved and cared for me as I learned to adjust to a new culture. Being a student at ONU radically transformed my life. ONU gave me the foundation and tools I needed to succeed personally and professionally.”

Young Alumni Award

In 2011, the Young Alumni Award was established, honoring two alumni — one male and one female — to be presented at the annual fall Homecoming Celebration. Recipients are chosen by vote of the Alumni Board, and must have graduated from Olivet within the last 10 years. This award is made possible through a generous gift from Mel ’73 and Judi (Tucker) ’71 Sayes.

Watch the 2024 Award Presentation

Julie Gulledge headshot

Julie (Pilaczynski) Gulledge ’15, J.D.

 At Olivet Nazarene University, she discovered that living and growing with a community of people who love the Lord set a new trajectory for her life. And she began to learn how to bring glory to God through her work.

Julie earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School. She worked as an attorney from 2019 to 2023 and is now a stay-at-home mom.

Julie and her husband, Caleb — who is a 2016 graduate of ONU — live in Atlanta and are the parents of three children, Jaina, Scarlett and Rory.

“I will be forever grateful for my time at ONU. I discovered that the value of my education went way beyond the classroom. Living and growing with a community of people who love the Lord is one of my greatest blessings.”

Camilo Giraldo headshot

Dr. Camilo Giraldo ’13

Tennis and engineering brought Camilo Giraldo  to Olivet Nazarene University from Medellin, Colombia, South America. The community he discovered here has enriched his life ever since.

Dr. Giraldo earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Kansas. He has been a member of ONU’s engineering faculty and currently serves as an assistant professor of engineering at Messiah University in Pennsylvania.

During his ONU years, Dr. Giraldo met Katelynn Sondlein, and they married while he was in graduate school. They live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and recently welcomed their first child, Joanna.

“Because of coach Andy Gibbs and my teammates, I quickly realized I was in a healthy community where people genuinely cared about me. That was the spark I needed to grow personally, spiritually, academically and as an athlete.”

students in lecture ONU

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