40 / 60
36 / ’southern
’68
In February,
Dr. David Wilson
of
Boaz was honored for his service
and commitment as athletic director
for Snead State Community College
from 1987 to 2003. He was presented
a plaque of recognition with his
family alongside him during a break
in a men’s basketball game. Wilson
also served as chair of the science
department and taught classes. He
earned master’s and Ph.D. degrees
from the University of Alabama.
’72
Kathryn Foxhall
of Hyattsville,
Md., was selected as “member of
the month” in February 2017 by the
Society of Professional Journalists.
She has covered health in
Washington for 40 years, including
14 years as editor of the American
Public Health Association’s
newspaper. SPJ cited her work
against efforts by agencies and other
entities to force reporters to get
approval from public information
of ces before talking to staff, among
other issues.
’73
Dr. James Sawyer
of Longview,
Texas, a specialist in internal
medicine, was named laureate
of the Texas Chapter of the
American College of Physicians
for contributions to the medical
community. He earned his medical
degree from UAB.
’75
John Cottle
was appointed
managing shareholder of the Becker
& Poliakoff law rm in its Fort
Walton Beach, Fla., of ce in 2016.
CLASSNOTES
BY PAT KINDALL MPPM ‘11
Medical mission to Africa
Dr. Timothy Berg ‘80
was
in junior high the rst time he
went on a foreign mission trip.
“My mom had an interest in
medical missions and took our
family to Mexico when I was in
seventh or eighth grade,” said
Berg, who is a general surgeon.
“Both mom and dad were
doctors.”
After Berg earned his biology
degree from BSC—following
in his father’s footsteps—and
started medical school at
Wake Forest University, he
took a mission trip to Macau. As a medical resident he took another to the Dominican
Republic, then, after his residency, to Kenya and Yemen.
“I just loved it,” he said. “I thought that if I was having this much fun, it couldn’t be a
calling. It took me a long time to quit second guessing myself and just step out in faith.”
When Berg met his wife, Linda, they both shared a desire to serve through missionary
work. As a surgeon, he used his skills to minister to the sick in India, Haiti, and Rwanda,
covering a critical shortage in surgically trained health care workers in those regions.
After serving three years at a hospital in rural Rwanda through the international relief
organization Samaritan’s Purse, Berg and his family moved to Kijabe, Kenya, in 2015,
where he’s working with the surgical team at Kijabe Hospital as part of the Pan-African
Academy of Christian Surgeons’ program for surgical education. Berg now serves as
program director.
His wife teaches at the nearby Rift Valley Academy, which provides education for
missionary children from all over Africa. They have ve children split between two
continents: Hannah, 21, a senior at Wheaton College in Illinois; Stephen, 19, a junior
at Texas A&M University; Ruthie, 17, a senior at Rift Valley; Samuel, 16, a junior; and
Deste, 8, who is in rst grade. The Bergs adopted Deste three years ago after meeting him
as a patient at Kibogora Hospital in Rwanda, where Berg served prior to Kijabe. Deste’s
birth parents drowned in Lake Kivu in Rwanda.
During his years on the Hilltop, Berg was on the Student Judiciary Board (now the
Honor Council) and served as an of cer for Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He took piano lessons
during his rst January term and continued each subsequent year.
“One thing I really liked a lot about BSC was the small class sizes and the personal
interaction with stellar professors, even in my introductory classes,” he said. “Studying
biology under Dr. Dan Holliman’s gentle spirit and quiet encouragement set such a
good example for me, and I still enjoy playing pieces my piano teacher, Jane Gibbs,
taught me. I received a solid liberal arts education that really shaped me as a person.”
Last year, Berg and his family returned to the United States for a family reunion. It
was the rst time he had seen his ve brothers and sisters in ve years, and the rst time
they got a chance to meet Deste, the newest member of the family.
“Life in Africa has sometimes been very dif cult, with limited medical resources, and
it has been hard to navigate all the crazy transitions and challenges my family has been
through in the last six years,” said Berg. “But overall, following God’s call on our lives to
Africa has turned out to be the best thing I could have done for my family.”