Stories

My name is Dr. Sandy Palm, and I am the director of general education at NBC. I teach mostly English classes and Lifelong Learning. I’ve been in this position for the last five years. I taught as an adjunct for probably 10 years before that, part-time, so I’ve been around for about 14 years now. The most wonderful thing that I find about NBC is the people. I love to work with the staff and the faculty. They’re such a great group of people. They’re all very talented and educated and practical and down-to-earth, which I really love. At home, I go to the Prescott Church of the Nazarene. I am director of the women’s ministry there, at that church.

I guess if I had a message to prospective students or people that are thinking about NBC, it's that I know firsthand how difficult it is to take on a college education when you’re probably working, you have a family, and you might have a ministry in a church already. I just want to let you know that I’ve done that personally. When I went back to school, I was the mother of five boys. I waited until they were old enough, you know — I wanted to be there when they were little, so they were all in school when I started back to school myself. My husband and I were running a rescue mission in Santa Cruz, CA, to the homeless, and I was traveling by bus about 25 minutes to the college I was going to. Plus I had the boys and the ministry and everything. So I know it's possible. It takes grit, but it’s doable because when you’re passionate about preparing for ministry, God will give you what you need to make it through and get your education to prepare for whatever God has for your life.