The Beacon Monday, April 18, 2011
Kaitie Chassé
Photo Courtesy of Joe Puccio
Jacki Stuckert
Staff Writer
Thinking back to her freshman year, when she
was the only one of her siblings to be at Palm Beach
Atlantic University, was weird for Kelly Stoltzfus.
That is the only year of her life that she’s been away
from her whole family, but, for Kelly, God really
provided a community during this time of loneli-
ness. Kelly was incredibly blessed by the relation-
ships she made with girls on her hall and students
who were in classes with her throughout her four
years. Although making good friends and feeling
accepted was crucial for her first few weeks at PBA,
Kelly explains that she’s had her fair share of hard-
ships also. “The past four years have probably been
the hardest of my life in so many different ways.
I’ve made friends and I’ve lost them; the people
that made the greatest impact on me my first cou-
ple weeks are the people that I’m not friends with
anymore.”
Kelly has found it amazing over her past few
years here at PBA how God supplies the people you
Francesca
Francesca Forella
to that will help you de-stress… It makes the hard
Staff Writer
“I’m so excited to be done and make some big
boy pay,” says Joe Puccio, who is finishing up his
last semester at PBA. As a member of ROTC here
on campus, Joe will not be lingering around West
Palm much longer.
In his four years, Joe has studied marine biology
but he claims it wasn’t only the science program
that brought him to the sunshine state. “Obviously
the weather was a huge plus,” Joe says, but he does
admit to greatly appreciating the Christian values
that PBA holds its students accountable to.
Joe has always been very involved on campus.
Despite having a full course load, ROTC commit-
ments and a part-time job, Joe has made it a point
to stay connected to campus life. Even though it’s
been stressful, he says if he had the chance to go
back, he wouldn’t change a thing.
Joe has also made sure to make time for his
friends, which he says has been his most rewarding
investment.
“It’s so important to be social and to make friends
because it defines your college experience,” says
Joe. “It’s nice to have close friends that you can talk
need at the right moments and takes those rela-
tionships away when it’s necessary, but she finds
comfort knowing that God has never left her side.
“Only one thing has remained constant and that’s
my relationship with the Lord. One thing that the
Lord continues to teach me is to rest in Him. No
one ever said life is going to be easy, but there is
one thing that I can promise to everyone in this
world: if you want Him, God will always be there
for you.” Through her last four years, she’s had the
privilege of working in student success, being a fish
leader and an ILT assistant and intern.
Even when she faced her most difficult moments,
whether it was with her personal walk with the
Lord or in relationships, the Lord always brought
her back to Himself.
“I’ve learned just how imperfect I am. I’ve
learned through the mistakes that I’ve made and
the challenges that I’ve faced,” she says. “I think it’s
important for us all to remember we are not alone,
and Christ’s power covers our weaknesses.”
Meghan Gilmore
Staff Writer
You’ll have a ring by spring. This is an ongoing joke
at Palm Beach Atlantic University due to the high
number of couples getting engaged in college and
getting married soon after. Seniors Francesca Forel-
la and Luke Barry fall into this statistic, but these se-
niors are not just a number. Managing school, work,
a relationship and big plans in the future, this couple
offers valuable insight for young couples and under-
grads alike.
“After graduation, Luke and I are getting married
in July! We are so excited and cannot wait to start our
life together. We also plan to work. Luke most likely
will be working full time in the ministry not only as
the worship leader but will also head up the youth/
young adult ministry. I am going to be working with
my dad in the selling of his clothing line Sofibella (ac-
tive/yoga/tennis wear). I will basically be traveling
and selling his line with him, which I am super ex-
cited about because I love his clothes! I will also con-
tinue to serve at the church on the worship team and
in the youth/young adult ministry.”
These two were lucky to grow up in Christian fami-
lies and with church being a constant in their up-
bringing. So their testimonies and decision to attend
a Christian university is no surprise.
“I became a Christian at age seven and ever since
then I have grown up in a Christian home and have
gone to Christian schools. I am so blessed to have
been fortunate enough to be raised by such wonder-
features 5
times bearable.”
Now that his four years are over, Joe is getting
ready for the next step, the work world. Unlike most
of us who, after graduation, will apply for a few jobs,
rent an OK apartment, and begin the grueling work
of paying off loans, Joe will be doing something a
little more out of the ordinary.
Fun first and work later is his motto and Joe is
making plans to backpack Europe in early July.
Soon after his return, he will be commissioned in
the U.S. army and will leave for Fort Lee, Va. to
start training. During his training, Joe will become
a quartermaster in charge of aerial delivery for the
army and he is very excited to start. “I get to learn
how to jump out of planes,” Joe says excitedly. “We
have to be air borne qualified; I don’t know if I’ll
ever get to jump out of one after training, but at
least I’ll get certified.”
After training, Joe will pack up once more and
head to Italy where he will be stationed for a year,
perhaps longer.
“I can’t wait to get out of the country,” he says.
Without a hint of concern on his face, or a quiver
in his voice, it is obvious that Joe is ready for the
adventure that is living abroad.
Kelly
Tai Cornell / Staff Photographer
ful and godly parents and to have such an amazing
family,” Francesca says.
“I grew up the son of a pastor and so was constantly
exposed to Christianity,” Luke says. “However, while
my parents are pastors, they are not the stereotypi-
cally stringent parents one might expect. I believe
the combination of Christian influence and balanced
freedom I received set me up to develop into a moral
but freethinking individual, and has ultimately great-
ly enriched my spiritual experience (limited as it has
been). My faith has additionally been profoundly in-
fluenced by contact with the many books, ideas and
people I have encountered at PBA (specifically in the
honors program and philosophy department).”
Some students may fear that dating in college will
take away time from their schoolwork or be a distrac-
tion but Francesca and Luke have found just the op-
posite to be true.
“Since Luke and I have started dating, I have had
the highest GPA ever at PBA (and he can say the
same) and have accomplished way more than ever.
Luke and I are naturally very disciplined and diligent
not only with school, but with life so with both of us
encouraging and motivating one another we make a
great team and we are better than ever before,” Fran-
cesca says.
In a relationship, you can learn a lot from one an-
other. “I couldn’t enumerate the countless lessons
Francesca and I have learned through our relation-
ship, but I can say that Francesca teaches me every
day to be humble, honest, patient and understanding
and I am very grateful for that,” Luke says.