Alumni recognized during Defiance College homecoming
October 20, 2016
DEFIANCE, Ohio - Seven Defiance College alumni were recognized during homecoming festivities on Saturday, Oct. 15, for their accomplishments.
The Alumni Citation for Academic Excellence was presented to Kevin Miller, Ottawa Hills, Ohio. Alumni Achievement Award recipients were Darline Clemens, Defiance, Ohio; and Marlin Younker, Lake Worth, Fla. Christopher George, Peachtree Corners, Ga., received the Young Alumni Service Award. The Schauffler Legacy Award was presented to Elizabeth Apkarian Agbabian, Los Angelas, Calif.; and Mary Wenner Young, Defiance, Ohio. Jeffrey Wilson, Toledo, Ohio, was the recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award.
Kevin Miller began his career in the classroom teaching English in grades 7 through 12, moving into administration in 1996, first as principal at Wayne Trace Junior and Senior High School, then as assistant principal at Hicksville Elementary before being named Hicksville’s superintendent in 2003. In 2010, he became superintendent at Ottawa Hills Local Schools in Toledo.
Under Kevin’s tenure, Ottawa Hills became the first district in the state of Ohio to earn all A’s on both district and building local report cards issued by the Ohio Department of Education, earning the inaugural “All A Award” and the Momentum Award. He was one of nine Ohio administrators chosen to represent Ohio as part of the China Exchange Initiative, and in 2012 he led a professional development trip to China for 33 educators across Ohio. He and his wife, Carla, have four children, and reside in Ottawa Hills, Ohio.
Darline Clemens received her Bachelor’s degree in Administration and Master’s degree in Business and Organizational Leaders from Defiance College. Today, Darline operates three businesses of her own, including Close to Home Childcare Center and Preschool, which she established in 2004 and which won the mid-sized business Better Business Torch Award. Her other businesses are The Conference Children’s Program and a real estate holding company.
Her service to the community includes her membership in the Defiance Rotary Club, where she has held numerous local and District level offices. She serves on the advisory board to two Early Childhood Education programs, as well as other volunteer programs. Darline resides in Defiance, Ohio.
After graduating from DC, Marlin Younker went on to start and grow five successful medical device companies. As an entrepreneur and inventor, he specialized in medical devices and manufacturing processes, creating over 25 inventions. Marlin was recognized as a problem solver and someone who thought outside the box with medical devices and was the winner of the first annual Ohio International Entrepreneurs Award in 2010, which recognizes an American-born entrepreneur who has expanded his or her business internationally. He placed a strong focus on job retention within his companies, and this value held through when he sold his last company in 2012.
Marlin's passions are his wife Lynda, their dog, Abbey, and their children and grandchildren. Boating and fishing are a close second. The Younkers are dedicated philanthropists and have focused their attention on Haiti, helping to build houses, fishing villages, and a health center, which they continue to support. Education, veterans’ services, and medical needs are just a few of their many charitable concerns. Marlin and Lynda reside in Lake Worth, Fla.
After graduating, Christopher George joined the U.S. Navy as a commissioned reserve Ensign with the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He began active duty in 2007, then deployed to Iraq as Officer in Charge, Detainee Legal Operations Center, in 2009. On his return, he advised commanders on military justice, ethics, force protection law, and civil liability. Among his many career accomplishments, Christopher prosecuted criminal cases in federal court as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and advised and trained special agents as Assistant General Counsel for the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. He was appointed Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Nevada for the Postal Service, while continuing to serve as an officer in the Navy Reserve.
To be closer to his family and the justice system, he relocated to Georgia in 2016 to serve as Assistant District Attorney for the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit, where he represents the State in felony cases. Christopher lives with his wife, Kate, and their two children, John Paul and David, in Peachtree Corners, Ga.
After the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, Elizabeth Agbabian worked closely with her husband and his colleagues in the establishment of the American University of Armenia. She accepted the chairmanship of the Orphan Care committee of the Armenian Missionary Association on the west coast in 1989. Through her organization’s efforts, 3000 children were able to find foster homes, orphanages, and sponsorships. Her many honors and awards include the Humanitarian Award of Ararat Home of Los Angeles in 1994, the Medal of Appreciation of the American University of Armenia in 2001, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2006, and the Gold Medal of the Ministry of the Diaspora of the Armenian Government in 2011.
Most recently, Elizabeth has joined the steering committee at the University of Southern California Institute of Armenian Studies and has served as co-chair of the fundraising that established the institute as an endowed center at USC. Elizabeth and her husband, Mihran, reside in Los Angeles, where she still continues as a fundraiser for the Los Angeles Philharmonic through the international committee. They have three sons and four grandchildren.
Mary Young’s career has been in local mental health services, first as a counselor with Catholic Charities from 1991 to 1998, and then in her current position as social worker at the Coping Center and Promedica Defiance Regional Hospital. Her dedication to the Defiance College social work program provided more than 30 field placements to students in the past 15 years. She and her husband, Tony, reside in Defiance.
After graduating, Jeffrey Wilson took the business world by storm. His list of accomplishments incudes leading two entities with five related businesses to record sales and profit as COO/CFO of QRC, Inc. In this capacity, he oversaw 360 staff and production workers, tripled company income, and doubled its profit. In 1993, Jeff joined a Toledo-based company where he completed a business turnaround in three months. After selling the company, Jeff consulted on turnarounds and growing companies, serving as in-house counsel for a venture-capital IT developer in Ann Arbor. He also provided estate and financial planning services.
Among Jeff’s accomplishments are the launch of an online marketing business, the publication of his book: “Life’s Cheat Sheet,” which outlines smart habits to accelerate young adults’ success, and writing several other books on habits of success. Jeff’s service to his community has included volunteering at homeless shelters, judging high school computer contests, and emceeing for fundraising events. He’s a former board member for the Toledo Area Humane Society, and former committee member for Humane Society Special Events, and Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity. Jeff lives in Toledo, Ohio, with his wife, Beth.
Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.
