The Whitworthian

Issue date: 10/9/07 Last Updated: 10/29/07

Sophomore Jarvis Lunalo  began his college education in Nairobi, Kenya. In order for Lunalo to attend college, his sister had to drop out from her junior year of college. Lunalo made a promise to his mother that the situation would work out.

“Just pay one year, and I believe that after one year, God will do something,” Lunalo said. “I don’t know how she did it, but she did.”

Lunalo attended Daystar University, a Christian college for a year. Theatre department chair Rick Hornor was teaching at Daystar, developing a theater program. Lunalo was one of his students.

“[Lunalo] was clearly interested in theater,” Hornor said, “He was also equally passionate about his faith.”

Lunalo asked Hornor questions about theater as a career, as well as how faith integrated into theater. In Kenya, theater is not a career.

Hornor decided to see what it would take to get Lunalo to Whitworth. He sent an e-mail to the school inquiring information about the international program. An application and financial aid forms were sent in response to this action. Hornor helped Lunalo to fill out the forms and Whitworth accepted Lunalo for the upcoming school year.

After Lunalo received his acceptance letter in the mail, he still had to deal with the issue of tuition. Lunalo’s school in Kenya cost $2,000 a year and with his mother getting $110 a month, as a part-time professor, to cover all living expenses as well as Lunalo’s tuition, Whitworth’s tuition of $32,986 a year was more than a stretch.

Despite this, Lunalo’s attitude remained positive. With God, anything is possible, Lunalo said.

After filling out financial aid forms, Lunalo received the Whitworth International Grant. The majority of Lunalo’s tuition costs were then taken care of, but it still was not enough. Hornor worked on his end to get financial aid for Lunalo and make it work. Hornor agreed to pay $6,000 a year to help make up the difference. Hornor said he hopes Whitworth, financial aid, and other support will allow Lunalo to graduate.

The opportunity to come to Whitworth was an unexpected miracle, Lunalo said.

“Here was a silver platter and it was just waiting for me to accept it,” Lunalo said.

Lunalo has a clear call for ministry, Hornor said. He hopes that Lunalo will be able to return to Kenya and use theater to minister. Lunalo is grateful for how he has been received at Whitworth.

“He’s truly an outstanding young man; it’s easy to love him, but people have gone out of their way to love him,” Hornor said.

Lunalo said that it is important to be open, and by hiding everything from the world, you only hurt yourself.

“He continues to awe me,” Hornor said, “I’m impressed on a regular basis with his heart."

See Luanlo putting his degree to work this weekend in the Whitworth Fall Theatrer Production of "Antigone."

Contact Felicity Brigham at felicity.brigham@whitworthian.com.

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