Josh West Bible and Family Ministry Alex Westjohn Art Addison White Social Work/Leadership and Ministry Jeff White Bible and Ministry Julie White Middle Level-Math/Science Morgan White Accounting Jenna Williams Early Childhood and Special Education Tori Willis Biology Ann Wilmsen Communication Sciences and Disorders Eric Wilson History ANASTASIYA JENKINS H arding was a melting pot of perspectives from across the United States and across the globe. Senior social work major Anastasiya Jenkins, nicknamed "Nastya," added her own unique story of adoption to that mixture that made up the Harding community. Jenkins was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she grew up in an orphanage until she was 15. Prior to her adoption, Jenkins visited the United States with a group of children from the orphanage, gaining exposure to American culture. Jenkins was a "waiting child," meaning an older child who was willing to adapt to another culture and a family. Her parents Marla and David Jenkins had already adopted another Russian girl, sophomore Stacy Jenkins, in 2006 and were eager to provide a "forever home" for another child. Nastya was a natural choice, since she and Stacy had been good friends at the orphanage. After Stacy had lived with the Jenkins family a couple of years, the family returned to Russia to visit the orphanage. According to David, when the friends were reunited, Nastya asked Stacy if a family had been found for her yet. The Jenkinses decided then to take her home. David and Marla worked with the Dallas-based Christian adoption agency Buckner International Adoption, the same organization they used to adopt Stacy. Nastya was adopted a month before her 16th birthday, after which time it was illegal to be adopted, according to Russian law. Nastya arrived at the Dallas/Fort-Worth Airport on Aug. 8, 2008. Nastya found herself transplanted from St. Petersburg, Russia, to Garland, Texas, where she lived until heading to Harding University. After the move to the U.S., Nastya found that her opportunities in life and in faith were much greater than in Russia. "When f was in Russia, I knew of a God, and I believed in him, but when I came here, I started going to a Church of Christ with my new family," Nastya said. "A year later I was baptized, so [it] basically gave me the opportunity to learn about God and build a relationship with him." On her journey to Harding, Nastya found that her passion was social work. Her background and positive experience with adoption fueled her desire to help other children in the same way. "I wanted to experience a lot of things," Nastya said. "I wanted to help families; I wanted to grow in faith; and social work seemed to fit all those things I had a passion to do." The president of Orphan Outreach, Mike Douris, Nastya and Stacy worked together caring for orphans around the world. The sisters volunteered in Latvia and Russia, where they ministered to orphans and witnessed the process which she and her sister Stacy once experienced. Douris said Nastya showed great compassion for the kids because she understood the experience. Douris knew Nastya from the time she was an orphan in Russia. "She was even then a bright beautiful girl who was friendly and full of life," Douris said. "You could see the determination to overcome any obstacles in her way, but in a way that was with compassion and love." According to David, Nastya's experiences gave her an unusual perspective on life and strength of character. "As a very young girl she took charge of her own life as best she could," David said. "She seemed to understand that she did not have to be defined by her circumstances at any given time but could make the best of her situation or eventually change it altogether." Shane Schock
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