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EUGENE, Ore. – During a special Champions of Character Celebratory Chapel on Tuesday, Bushnell University was announced as the 2024-2025 NAIA School of Character, announced by representatives of the NAIA.
Bushnell was honoring other 2024-2025 award recipients, and were also honored by Cascade Collegiate Conference Commissioner Rob Cashell as the 2024-2025 CCC School of Character, an award which was originally announced in May.
Bushnell becomes just the second NAIA School of Character, joining CCC associate member Carroll College who was named the 2023-2024 winners of the award.
“Bushnell’s commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes and engaged graduates truly sets them apart,” said Jim Carr, NAIA president & CEO. “The university truly exemplifies the NAIA’s core values, and we are proud to recognize Bushnell as this year’s winner.”
Presenting Bushnell with the award was NAIA Vice President of Membership Value and Governance, Chesney Sallee. Sallee said, “The NAIA established the School of Character Award to recognize institutions that embody the Champions of Character values in every aspect of their athletics programs and across their campuses. Out of nearly 250 NAIA schools nationwide, only one is selected each year for this distinction. This recognition is unlike any other in the NAIA. It is the only award that honors an entire institution. It doesn’t honor a single team’s victories or the achievements of one individual. Instead, it honors a culture, one defined by character, leadership, and service, woven into the fabric of the whole university. By earning this distinction, Bushnell University has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the values that make athletics such a powerful force for personal development and community impact.”
Bushnell was selected for its deep and consistent commitment to shaping student-athletes into well-rounded leaders through its Tri-Athlete Model, which integrates excellence in competition, academics, and character formation. Bushnell’s approach to character is the foundation to how it recruits, educates, and mentors student-athletes. Programs such as the Chaplain Captain initiative empower athletes to lead spiritual development within their teams, while peer-led groups and campus partnerships ensure that character-building is integrated into the day-to-day experience of all student-athletes.
During the 2024-25 academic year, Bushnell student-athletes contributed over 6,600 hours of community service. Through annual campus-wide events and team-led projects, Bushnell has created a culture of servant leadership that extends far beyond the athletic arena. Student-athletes regularly engage in impactful service to the local community and participate in mission trips that foster empathy and global citizenship. These efforts are not sporadic, but a part of a structured and intentional system that reinforces Bushnell’s commitment to service as a way of life.
Bushnell’s academic record further reflects its culture of responsibility. All 16 NAIA programs earned Scholar-Team honors, with more than 60 percent of athletes earning a GPA of 3.2 or higher. The department maintained a 3.30 cumulative GPA and extended its streak to ten consecutive years as the recipient of the CCC President’s Cup for Academic Excellence. The Beacons also continue to prioritize the mental and emotional well-being of its student-athletes. Its wellness program, led by alumna and former Dr. Leroy Walker Award winner Samantha Silver, includes a dedicated mental health coordinator, counseling partnerships, and access to nutrition and health professionals, demonstrating a holistic approach to student development.
Bushnell’s long-standing reputation for sportsmanship and integrity is supported by a consistent record of awards and peer recognition. The Beacons have been named a Five-Star Champions of Character Institution by the NAIA for eleven consecutive years, with seven of those at the gold level. In recent years, Bushnell teams and coaches have regularly earned CCC Character honors. This culture of integrity is also evident in how Bushnell student-athletes conduct themselves in competition, in the classroom, and within the community.
Bushnell President, Dr. Joe Womack said, “This is not only a recognition of the athletic department, it’s not only a recognition of our coaches and our athletic administrators and staff and student athletes. It is a recognition of the entire university. It recognizes something that has been very true at Bushnell University for a long time. All of our activity in and out of the classroom is an excuse to exercise the mission of the university in the lives of students. It is a testimony to the wonderful leadership of the athletic association we are in and we are very proud to be associated with it and honored and humbled to receive this today.”
“To even get selected at the conference level was very humbling and rewarding,” added Bushnell Athletic Director Corey Anderson. “We don’t do things for awards, we do things because we are Beacons, because we are trying to put the right foot forward in representing Jesus and trying to lead the right way. 20 years later to know that we are continuing to take the right steps together and we will continue to do this moving forward, I am thankful and have so much gratitude and hope that we continue to do things the right way but even better, not for recognition but because it’s the right thing to do.”