天涯海角社区 business students were finalists in the 2025 America250PA Direct Effect Innovation Challenge (DEIC). The DEIC is a multi-round competition that challenges students from Pennsylvania鈥檚 postsecondary institutions 鈥渢o design and develop integrated marketing campaigns that explore solutions to real-life challenges and questions.鈥�

The 2025 DEIC consisted of three rounds, the final round held in person at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, PA, in October 2025. 天涯海角社区 was one of five colleges invited to the final round. Faculty member Janelle Curtis-Beaman accompanied students Philip Oo, Matthew Mika, Colin O鈥橞rien, and JiEun Oh to Harrisburg to present their campaign.

This year鈥檚 theme was “Miles of Impact: America’s First Superhighway.鈥� Students were challenged to 鈥渄esign and pitch original integrated marketing campaigns that bring the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s story to life.鈥� 天涯海角社区 students presented their campaign, 鈥淲here did you come from, where did you go?鈥� to celebrate 85 years of the Turnpike connecting Pennsylvanians while looking forward to the future of travel. They pitched a user-generated marketing campaign that would employ a statewide scavenger hunt that would encourage users to share experiences that promote connection, heritage, and progress.

天涯海角社区 is proud to offer opportunities for experiential learning like this, giving students the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom in tactile ways that bolster their resume and give them confidence as they enter the job market. 

There is a growing contingent of 天涯海角社区 graduates for whom 鈥淐airn Special” immediately evokes involving all five senses. It鈥檚 requested like a secret menu item with a flash of a Cairn student ID. Buy a large drink and a large fry, and get an original sandwich or eight-count nugget for free. Today鈥檚 students know the schedule: Monday at Oxford Valley. Tuesday at Langhorne. Thursday at Neshaminy.

The Cairn Special remains the cheapest meal a college student can buy off campus. And while that is attractive, it is not what keeps students coming back. The food is good, and it serves as the foundation for something even better. A Chick-fil-A booth has served as a mainstay for many Cairn students鈥� community building and cheap first dates. And for a select few, it introduced them to a future career as a Chick-fil-A owner-operator.

Chick-fil-A鈥檚 franchisee selection process is extremely competitive. It receives an average of 40,000 applications per year and from that accepts little more than 100, substantiating the claim that it is easier to get into Harvard than it is to be selected to be a Chick-fil-A operator. Despite these slim chances, 天涯海角社区 alumni still represent among the operator ranks. 2026 includes the opening of the fifth owned and operated restaurant by a 天涯海角社区 alumnus.

These four men who have been selected to lead come from various backgrounds and took vastly different career paths toward ownership. The common thread? Their 天涯海角社区 experience was a pivotal moment on their trajectory to Chick-fil-A ownership鈥攆rom business degrees and peer relationships to introducing them to their very first chicken sandwich.

Alex Crawford 鈥�17/G鈥�17
Rochester, NY

The Fall of 2013 is when Alex began to study Bible and business at 天涯海角社区. It鈥檚 also when he had his first Chick-fil-A sandwich. Chick-fil-A was a staple of his Cairn experience. While he was inspired by the culture (and the food!), he did not take a direct path to franchising. Alex interned with a local Geico office in his final semester at Cairn. He was then invited to join their Emerging Leaders program after graduation. This began a career that would require his family to move several times. Alex and his wife, Lindsey (McCulloch) 鈥�17, moved five times as Alex moved up the Geico ranks. Their family eventually settled in Buffalo, NY, where Alex sat at the helm of the corporation鈥檚 customer service.

Alex is a lifelong New Yorker hailing from Long Island, but despite being back in his home state, the freezing temperatures of Western New York were a significant adjustment. The Crawfords did, how ever, quickly warm up to and fall in love with the people and culture of the area. Instead of seeing Buffalo as a transplant location for Alex鈥檚 career, they saw it as a place where they wanted to plant deep roots for their family.

While Alex wanted to stay in Western New York long term, that did not mean he wanted to stay with the corporation that originally brought him there. He enjoyed his work at Geico, but he ultimately decided to pursue a dream he had considered for several years: to own and operate a Chick-fil-A. He saw this career path as 鈥渢he clearest alignment of my MBA and Bible degrees.鈥�

Deciding to apply was just the start. Over the course of two and half years, Alex participated in several phone interviews; flew to Chick-fil-A headquarters four times for in-person meetings; and participated in a stress test, where he was thrown into a Chick-fil-A during the lunch rush to see how he would react and adapt. Chick-fil-A has high standards for the character of their operators, so extensive interviews with applicant references are central to the selection process. Among his professional references were Dave Heffernan, the owner of two of Cairn鈥檚 local Chick-fil-As, and Dr. Tony Hurst, part-time faculty member at Cairn.

Many operator-hopefuls work full-time at a Chick-fil-A location for years before submitting a franchisee application. Alex was not in that position, but he understood the advantage of direct team member experience. In the midst of interviewing, he decided to get a part-time job at a local Chick-fil-A. He worked one, eight-hour shift before he got the call to open a store of his own.

Alex is part of the 20% of Chick-fil-A operators who were selected outside of the CFA leadership development program. This minority position has several somewhat obvious challenges: He was selected to be an operator with out an intimate knowledge of every part of the menu, without the experiences of running a shift during a peak mealtime or navigating the challenges of being short-staffed. But at the same time, his experiences at Geico translate directly to some of the most important qualities of any Chick-fil-A operator: excelling in customer service, leading by serving, and using data-driven approaches to innovate and adapt to challenges. And since he
did work one shift, he already had a name tag.

Chick-fil-A Citygate opened in Rochester, NY, on February 5, 2026. The business of selling chicken and waffle fries is still brand new, but his seasoned leadership has him well-positioned to lead his team to serve his community well.

Brad Burkholder WWC鈥�06/鈥�09
Harrisburg, PA

When Brad graduated high school, he decided to leave his home in Lebanon, PA, to commit to a year at Wisconsin Wilderness Campus. This year of studying the Bible in the great outdoors was what Brad describes as 鈥渢he best year of my life,鈥� and it set him on a trajectory that would give him a career and the opportunity to return to his Central PA roots.

Upon finishing his year at WWC, Brad chose to continue his studies on the main campus as a business major. It was here in Langhorne that he first became acquainted with Chick-fil-A. In his undergrad years, he attended three Chick-fil-A grand openings. These events combined two of his favorite things: camping out in a tent, and free food.

The hard-earned free meal coupons on top of the Cairn Special student discount meant that Brad had every reason to spend an above-average amount of time at Chick-fil-A Oxford Valley Road. Through these visits, he built a relationship with the store鈥檚 owner, Dave Heffernan. Seeing that Brad was a business major, Dave suggested the obvious: Brad should pursue a career with Chick-fil-A. Brad was not interested in that: 鈥淚 said, 鈥業鈥檓 not doing fast food.鈥� I just like eating it.鈥�

This opposition did not last more than a few months after graduation. The summer after he graduated, Brad was ready to get married and needed a job. Dave connected him with a new operator at Chick-fil-A Exeter in Reading, PA. It was in this restaurant that he began to truly see Chick-fil-A as more than 鈥渇ast food.鈥� The turning point was a guest interaction with a grandfather and his grandson:

鈥淗e said, 鈥楥an you tell my grandson about the story of Chick-fil-A? Because it鈥檚 such an amazing story.鈥� So, I shared the history and core values of all Chick-fil-A restaurants. . . . That鈥檚 when I realized this is a different company. This isn鈥檛 just some fast food career. There鈥檚 more to it.鈥�

It was after this interaction that Brad 鈥渓ocked in,鈥� studying CFA training videos after late-night closing shifts and personally committing to being the best employee he could be. His operator noticed this shift and鈥攍ike Dave did just a couple of years before him鈥攈e encouraged Brad to pursue a long-term career with the company. This time, Brad was ready to heed that advice. After 1.5 years at Chick-fil-A Exeter, Brad was selected to be the interim manager of the Chick-fil-A in the Berkshire Mall. A year later, he became its operator at just 25 years old.

Brad is quick to share that his time at the mall wasn鈥檛 glamorous. The Berkshire Mall location was one of the lowest volume restaurants in the entire chain. What this location did not offer in profits, it offered in what money can鈥檛 buy: a chance to be humbled at a young age, space to make mistakes, and an acute awareness that he was in the right career. It also offered the opportunity to work near his hometown, a non-negotiable for his growing family. If he were ever to leave the mall, it would be without uprooting his family鈥檚 life in Central PA. Four years passed. Then God opened a new door: Brad was selected to operate a new Chick-fil-A location in Harrisburg, just 20 minutes from his childhood home.

Brad celebrated ten years at Chick-fil-A Lindle Road in March 2026. Looking back over the past decade, one of the highlights has been the freedom he has to dynamically integrate his faith into his work. He has led devotionals in board meetings, prayed with his staff, and hosted Bible studies in his restaurant. 鈥淚f I were to create my own restaurant or business, I would build it on the same values as Chick-fil-A. I am passionate about Chick-fil-A because they align with my values and beliefs. That鈥檚 how I know I鈥檓 in the right place.”

Josh Maxwell 鈥�06/G鈥�12鈥�14 and Luke Trader 鈥�10
Egg Harbor Twp, NJ and Christiana, DE

By the time Josh graduated high school, he had been living out of his car for nearly two years. He left home at 16 because of his father鈥檚 addiction to drugs and alcohol. So, when he arrived at Cairn to begin the youth and family ministries program, he found a home鈥攂oth physically on campus and in the relationships he built with Dr. Matt McAlack and his future wife, Corrie. It was at Cairn that he also built a friendship with classmate Luke Trader 鈥�10, who would later be the one to bring him into a career at Chick-fil-A.

Josh and Luke first met on a plane to Germany. They were seated next to each other on the initial flight to the University-sponsored Martin Luther tour over spring break in 2005. Luke was a full-time youth pastor completing his degree one course at a time, so their paths did not cross much on campus before or after this trip. But the friendship built on this trip would continue to grow through the years that Josh volunteered in Luke鈥檚 youth ministry.

A few years after graduation, Josh and Corrie were married and serving at a church in Nevada. It was there Josh decided that full-time vocational ministry was not where he wanted to be, but he didn鈥檛 know exactly what he should do instead. He moved his family to New Jersey, to be near Corrie鈥檚 family and figure out what to do next. That鈥檚 when Luke offered him the opportunity to work with him again, this time at Chick-fil-A.

Luke had recently left full-time ministry and was working for Chick-fil-A Corporate, serving as an interim manager at the Quaker Bridge Mall location. When Josh told him that he moved into the area and was looking for work, Luke offered him a $10/hour team member position, which Josh quickly accepted. Several months later, Luke transferred to another mall location in Wilmington, DE, and he invited Josh to come with him. That offer was much harder to say yes to, but he still accepted:

鈥淚 was driving an hour and 20 minutes each way to work in my 1992 Ford Explorer,鈥� said Josh. 鈥淚 was working 60, 70, 80鈥揾our weeks, but I didn鈥檛 feel I was competitive enough to become an owner/operator.鈥�

To bolster his resume, he returned to school full-time. He transferred to a restaurant in Delran, NJ, and used the time he saved on his commute to earn an MBA degree from Cairn, graduating in 2014. Degree in hand, he felt prepared to enter the candidate pool. The following year, he accepted the offer to become the owner/operator of a Chick-fil-A in Jackson, TN.

Josh operated Chick-fil-A Old Hickory Mall for three years. In his first year, he earned the regional Rookie of the Year designation, Symbol of Success, and Champions Club鈥攊nternal awards for Chick-fil-A Operators who hit certain sales and profit quotas year over year. In 2018, he returned to New Jersey to take over as Operator of Chick-fil-A Egg Harbor Township. As for Luke, he became the Operator of Chick-fil-A Christiana in 2016 and, as of April 2025, Chick-fil-A University Plaza in Newark, DE.

You can look at Josh and Luke鈥檚 stories and see two youth pastors that left the ministry. In a sense that鈥檚 true. But if you think that means they are no longer doing ministry, you鈥檇 be mistaken. Service is at the center of Chick-fil-A鈥檚 culture; they call it 鈥渟econd-mile service,鈥� echoing Jesus鈥� call from the Sermon on the Mount. This happens every day, all day between Chick-fil-A team members and guests. But it has the potential for even more impact when the operator goes the extra mile for his employees:

鈥淲e want to have a positive influence on all guests who come through the drive-thru鈥攚hich is only two to three minutes a visit,鈥� said Josh. 鈥淏ut as an operator, I have six to eight hours a day, six days a week where I can make an impact on my staff.鈥�

Both Josh and Luke have been very successful over the 10+ years that they have operated their restaurants. It is the result of hard work and a commitment to excellence. While this has sometimes been celebrated with accolades, it isn鈥檛 what is most important:

鈥淚t鈥檚 not about who has the most sales and who can be the best. It鈥檚 better to ask the questions, 鈥楬ow are we serving people, and how are we serving God?鈥� It鈥檚 an awesome opportunity to be a part of a business that asks those questions and to be able answer them faithfully.鈥�

SHARE exists to 鈥渉elp English-speaking families serving in Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East meet their children鈥檚 educational needs.鈥� Through this mission, SHARE seeks to serve global workers to enable them to remain where God has called them. Cairn teams have long partnered with SHARE in this mission.

Many of the children at this conference are considered Third Culture Kids. This year鈥檚 Cairn team included four TCK students, who were able to bring personal understanding and insight into the unique experiences of the children they taught and served. Throughout the week, the team demonstrated consistent Christ-centered service, humility, and energy. Evening debriefs revealed deep spiritual growth, seen by one student鈥檚 reflection on the importance of missions: 鈥淚 just don鈥檛 want to waste my life.鈥�

Ahead of the 2025鈥�2026 academic year, the faculty members of 天涯海角社区 gathered to participate in the annual faculty workshop. This year, the focus of discussion was on assessment in the age of AI.

The decision to address this topic during the annual workshop follows the creation of the University Statement on AI, which was added to the 天涯海角社区 Student Handbook in 2024. With the University鈥檚 theological and pedagogical understanding of generative AI and its limits in view, the faculty directed its focus to how AI technology prompts changes in student assessment inside and outside the classroom.

The two-day workshop began with a devotional by Dr. Bryan Murawski, associate professor in the School of Divinity. This devotional was followed by two sessions, the first of which was theological considerations of new technologies hosted by Dr. Keith Plummer, dean of the School of Divinity. He presented data showing that the current generation is increasingly relying on generative AI for growing number of tasks, even as a form of companionship. 

The second session was led by Professor Charlotte Gleason, who is the chair of the humanities department in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She titled her presentation, 鈥淭hinking Differently: Practical Pedagogy in the Age of AI.鈥� She presented better methods for student assessment, including multi-step project submissions, feedback loops from peers and the professor, and student self-reflection on the learning process鈥攁ll of which deepen student learning in ways that are less tempting and more difficult to use AI for shortcuts. This presentation was followed by a seminar, which gave faculty the opportunity to workshop an assessment to deepen student learning and become more AI-resistant. 

On the second day of the workshop, Provost Adam Porcella discussed the difference between transactional and transformative learning in his presentation, titled 鈥淒iscipleship in the Era of AI.鈥� As a fitting conclusion to the workshop, the faculty joined the staff for the Fall 2025 Prayer Service鈥攁n intentional employee gathering of Scripture reading, prayer, and singing that has been held before the start of each semester since 2005. 

鈥淎s emerging AI technologies continue to reshape the world of education, we are intentional in how we engage them,鈥� said Dr. Adam J. Porcella, senior vice president and provost. 鈥淲e will leverage their benefits where appropriate, but never at the expense of the relational, formational, and distinctly human dimensions of teaching and learning. Our priority is to ensure that technology serves the mission of Christian higher education, not the other way around. 天涯海角社区 is committed to being a place where humans teach humans.鈥�

Affordable Degree Guide provides tuition comparisons, financial aid insights, and curated degree rankings to help students find cost-effective, credible educational pathways. Cairn鈥檚 top ranking in the state of PA is a testament to our commitment to affordability. 

鈥淐airn has a mission to educate students to serve Christ in the church, society, and the world, and making that education affordable is one of our chief commitments as an institution,鈥� said Tom Sherf, vice president of marketing and enrollment. 鈥淭o know that we are a top-ranking school as well as leading the charge of affordable Christian online education in Pennsylvania is very encouraging. We will continue to pursue new ways to make our distinctly biblical education affordable without sacrificing the quality of our academics or compromising on our mission.鈥�

To learn more about Cairn鈥檚 affordable and biblical online education, visit cairn.edu/online. You can also . 

The theme for this year was 鈥淚ncluding All Learners in Christian Schools.鈥� Keynote speaker spoke about inclusive education techniques. Her background as the CEO of All Belong, a center for inclusive education allowed her to address and provide solutions for the issues many attendees could identify.

Christian schools often struggle to have the necessary resources to support learners of all styles. Tubergen addressed these struggles and encouraged educators to start where they are with the students they have. She spoke about tapping into the strengths of struggling students instead of exclusively focusing on their areas of struggle. Tubergen also encouraged educators to think about how they could practically apply her points to their schools through a three step process focused on seeing, thinking, and doing. In both sessions, Tubergen emphasized the necessity to care for students and families through inclusion as a partnership. Her final encouragement to educators was to 鈥渢oil in the gap.鈥�

In addition to the main sessions, seminar attendees had the opportunity to choose from a variety of breakout sessions. Topics for these sessions included, 鈥淓ngaging English Learners in the K鈥�12 Classroom,鈥� 鈥淯niversal Design for Learning,鈥� 鈥淯nderstanding Autism Spectrum Disorders: Characteristics, Strategies, and Support,鈥� and more. Each breakout session offered educators a chance to engage more deeply with a specific topic under the theme.聽聽

天涯海角社区 was pleased to encourage and support educators this year and looks forward to next year’s Empowering Educators Seminar.