Jan Hillam
SEEK, TRUST & ACT are the three words that express the philosophy of Jan Hillam in her daily Christian journey. They are taken from her three favorite Bible verses:
Matthew 6:33 - But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, And he will make your paths straight.
Micah 6:8 - He has shown you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Jan is a two-time alum of Azusa Pacific University. She accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior before coming to California to pursue higher education, as an international student.
She came to APU with only the guarantee of a year's tuition grant from a charitable foundation. By faith, through God's grace and provision, Jan was able to complete her undergraduate degrees in three years taking the full seventeen units each semester and enrolling in classes in the summer. In one of those three years, she obtained a work-study position in the International Student Office, as an assistant to the Director. Jan remembers the day she fell seriously ill while working with the Director. He drove her to the emergency department of the local hospital, demonstrating APU's care and concern for students.
Jan was able to return to her home country with an undergraduate degree in psychology and Biblical literature, and a graduate degree in counseling. She later returned to Southern California to marry Bruce, a mathematics professor. They shared many wonderful years together, before Bruce passed away in 2010. Together they built a house, enjoyed gardening, raising birds and traveling.
Jan has always been active in volunteer work through local hospitals, religious organizations, her church, as well as Azusa Pacific University. While she was a student at APU, Jan was a recipient of a scholarship from the APU Auxiliary. Many years later, she was invited to be a part of the Auxiliary (now APU Scholarship Association). She did not hesitate to give back. Through the APU Scholarship Association, she has enjoyed the opportunity to work alongside other volunteers, building friendships, using her talents, and helping to raise scholarship funds for APU students.
On behalf of the Hillam family, Jan has set up an endowment with APU and remembered APU in her estate plan. The endowment will provide scholarship funds to assist students with financial needs. The family hopes that scholarship recipients, particularly international students, will use the knowledge, skills and spiritual wisdom they gain from APU faculty and staff to make a difference in their chosen fields and ministries.
