Student Profiles

• Rev. Linda Perkins McRae
• Rev. David J. Hankus
• Mr. Jesse J. Arnold
• Rev. Jennifer A. Little
• Rev. Dr. John Edward Mulvihill
• Mrs. Suzanne Freiberg
• Mr. Anthony R. DeMieri
• Ms. Christiana Onu

Rev. Linda Perkins McRae entered into the gospel ministry under the leadership of Pastors John and Pansy Young and served along with her husband, Reverend Ronald Lee McRae, as Assistant Pastors at Christian Faith Center until they were called to Greater Cleveland Avenue Christian Church. She served in leadership for three years under the tutelage of Bishop Sheldon McCarter and Co-Pastor Joyce McCarter. Reverend McRae has served at Little Salem Christian Church in Reidsville, NC for the past twelve years. Rev. Linda has faithfully served with her husband in ministry as co-pastor providing leadership and guidance to the congregation.

Co-Pastor McRae completed a B.A. degree in Business Administration at Winston-Salem State University. She completed a Masters of Divinity from Wake Forest University Divinity School in 2003 and a Masters in Social Work from NC A&T & UNC-Greensboro in 2007. Co-Pastor McRae is a board certified chaplain and a provisionally licensed clinical social worker. She has served as a clinical chaplain with the Salisbury Veteran’s Administration Medical Center and is currently the clinical supervisor for Region 3 Treatment Accountabilities for Safer Communities (TASC), an affiliate of Partnership for a Drug-free North Carolina. Co-Pastor McRae is pursing a clinical practice providing health, healing and mental health and substance abuse treatment to members of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County community.

“The Doctor of Psychology degree will further prepare me to provide professional, licensed, clinical care to my community diagnosing and treating various mental and substance abuse disorders by providing psychological evaluations and psychotherapy.”

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Rev. David J. Hankus has been an ordained Roman Catholic priest for almost twenty-seven years and currently serves as pastor of a large suburban parish in the Chicago area. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Lewis University as well as Bachelor of Sacred Theology, Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from the University of Saint Mary of the Lake. He has also served on various diocesan committees such as the Presbyteral Council (advisory board to the bishop), cluster chairperson, clergy personnel board and is presently a dean of a deanery consisting of twenty parishes. As a pastor, his ministry consists of overseeing a staff that works with various aspects of parish life such as adult faith formation, liturgy, religious education for children and teens, liturgy and music. He also celebrates the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Marriage and Anointing of the Sick.

"I am currently enrolled in the PhD in Theological Studies (course-based) program at Graduate Theological Foundation. In looking for a doctoral program that would allow me to continue serving as pastor, I found that GTF provides a personalized curriculum and quality education giving the student the opportunity to go at one’s own pace. The e-tutorials I have taken thus far have been very good in the content, texts and faculty affiliated with each course. Upon completion of the program, I hope to teach as well as write for various religious publications with the goal of sharing the knowledge I received with others for the betterment of our world."

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Mr. Jesse J. Arnold is Founder and Executive Director of Visionary Ministry Network, based in the United States. VMN is a faith-based, non-profit organization that assists single parent and low income families in identifying various educational and small business opportunities. VMN’s efforts include promoting the president's goal of developing a highly competitive and diverse workforce through education in order to stimulate the economy internationally. Jesse has earned a Bachelor of Arts from Paine College in Augusta, Georgia and a Master of Science from Troy University in Troy, Alabama. He is also an accounting firm entrepreneur through Diversitax Financial Consulting. The Diversitax mission is to facilitate economic recovery and sustainability for all American families through assistance in attaining refundable tax credits, understanding confusing provisions in the tax code, and developing saving systems that work for all people.

“I am currently completing the Doctor of Ministry program. I hope to encourage all young people to maximize their potential by implementing the proven strategies of successful goal attainment through higher education and entrepreneurship. The Summer Programme in Theology (Christ Church, Oxford University) has allowed me the opportunity to develop a multi-national network of ministry professionals that will ensure that the VMN grows to a global organization. By fostering partnerships with students from Australia, Liberia, Nigeria, Poland, England, China, Turkey, Canada and Ireland, my American constituents and I now have the power to exalt the VMN’s humanitarian services in Central and South America.”

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Rev. Jennifer A. Little is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and has served churches in a variety of roles and settings. Currently, she is serving as the Associate Pastor for Lake Fork United Church of Christ in Atwood, Illinois. She has also pastored churches in Tolono (First Presbyterian) and Mazon, Illinois (UCC). In addition to serving rural churches, Rev. Little has been on the pastoral staff of McKinley Presbyterian Church and Community United Church of Christ-- both on the campus of the University of Illinois. Outside the church setting, she has served as a Chaplain intern at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois, and at the Plainfield Juvenile Correction Center in Plainfield, Indiana.

Rev. Little also currently teaches courses in the Humanities Department of Parkland College, in Champaign, Illinois, where she teaches religion, liberal arts, and English.

Rev. Little received her M. Div degree (summa cum laude) and her M.T.S degree (summa cum laude) from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis where she won the William Duffy Prize for Systematic Theology. Rev. Little also holds a M.A. from the University of Kentucky, Lexington.

Rev. Little’s broad experience provides a well-rounded context for her specialization in teaching theology and preaching.

Rev. Little is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Theological Studies at the Graduate Theological Foundation. “This program seemed tailor-made for me as a college instructor and pastor. The online tutorials provide me with the opportunity to pursue a high level of study while teaching and serving my congregation. The Graduate Theological Foundation’s resources, faculty, and the opportunity for study at Oxford University make this an outstanding program for students who seek in-depth theological education.”

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Rev. Dr. John Edward Mulvihill is a Chicago Catholic priest. His doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome prepared him as advisor to two Chicago Cardinals about personnel, property, and finance, with correspondence to several papal offices in Rome. Additionally, he worked with the Office for the Doctrine of Faith for 20 years. After a total of 40 years’ practice in the law of marriage, he is now the Adjutant Judicial Vicar for of the Catholic Court of Appeals of the State of Illinois. His doctorate in ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary prepared him for the pastorate, and he chose to be pastor in a Chicago inner-city parish in the process of ethnic change.

"I am now working on a research Doctorate of Education. The Graduate Theological Foundation allows for completion of courses at the Summer Programme in Theology (Christ Church College, Oxford University), due to its special affiliation with the university, which are credited toward a degree at the Foundation. The Graduate Theological Foundation promotes online research, just what the Vatican Library now promotes. The staff of the Graduate Theological Foundation is unfailingly encouraging, an immense aid to continued research. Without a doubt, the Graduate Theological Foundation was right for me!"

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Mrs. Suzanne Freiberg has 20 years of corporate experience in sales leadership, with 15 years as the Director of Sales in the online education industry. She left this industry in 2005 to launch SmartWork Career Coaching where she works with women in leadership roles; her clients include leaders from the Department of Justice, Intuit, and small business owners.

Upon completion of her B.S. in Theology she recently launched a second faith-based coaching enterprise, The Sacred Piece. The mission of the The Sacred Piece is to provide Catholic-centered career coaching for individuals, and organizational development for parish staff, leadership, and ministries. These programs incorporate faith, reason, and best business practices leading to the professional and spiritual development of individuals and the enhancement of organizational effectiveness.

She is currently working on a book, The Gifted Vocation which combines research from Gallup’s StrengthsFinder program with her research on developing careers based on an individual’s spiritual gifts. In addition to her professional career, Ms. Freiberg is an active member and volunteer at St. Julie Billiart Parish where she is the co-founder of the RECONNECT Ministry for un/underemployed parishioners. She also served on the Parish Pastoral Council for the past four years and was the acting Chairwoman for 2010-11.

“I earned my B.S. in Theology from Cloverdale College in 2011. The undergraduate program at Cloverdale College was the best choice for completing my education for several reasons. First, the tuition was extremely affordable and enabled to me to complete my studies without incurring any great debt or taking on student loans. Second, the convenience of studying at my own pace was invaluable, as I could work on my assignments according to my own schedule – and as an entrepreneurial business woman this was a ‘must have’ in selecting a school. Finally, the ability to receive college credit for prior coursework and work experience related to my field of study allowed for an accelerated degree completion timeline – again meeting my needs as a professional in the work place.”

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Mr. Anthony R. DeMieri is a licensed social worker, educator and advocate for the poor. Mr. DeMieri’s vocation as a social worker is firmly rooted within his Catholic faith tradition. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from Iona College, a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work, and a Post Master’s Certificate in Social Work Administration from Hunter College School of Social Work. He has extensive experience working within the justice system as a social worker. In this capacity, Mr. DeMieri served as a clinician, facilitator, resource coordinator and program coordinator.  He currently provides leadership to a nurturing fatherhood program that aims to help non-custodial dads become more emotionally and financially responsible parents. Mr. DeMieri’s research interests include fatherhood studies, the intersection between social work and law, and the scope of pastoral psychology. 

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Ms. Christiana Onu is a native of Umuokirika Ekwerazu Ahiazu Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria. She is married with six children and is Catholic by both preference and tradition. Prior to coming to the United States, Ms. Onu was educated in Nigeria in the fields of teaching (commerce and economics) and accounting and office administration. She completed nursing school in the States and passed the boards at the first sitting, becoming a registered nurse, BSN. She gained admission to study for her master’s degree in Pastoral Psychology and Counseling two years ago. She has also completed her coursework in the master’s program and registered for the Ph.D. in the same related program. Her field of interest is counseling.

"In a practical manner, the GTF has satisfied my educational yearnings. Before I started at the GTF, I consulted so many universities that offered online lectures, and I weighed their educational results and benefits. So far, I have been proud to study at the GTF because its system of education is so challenging and productive. For instance, who will believe that in my master’s program alone, I have studied and analyzed major contributors in the field of psychological practice, ranging from Sigmund Freud, Adler, Jung, Frankl, Erikson, Maslow, to Rogers and Sullivan, etc.? These experts are the founding fathers of psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, counseling and psychology in general. I was able to read and digest these professionals and their theories within a very short time, thanks to the excellent system and 21st century approach to education by the GTF. I can't be thankful enough to the GTF for the various skills and strategies I have acquired thus far. I look forward to obtaining my Ph.D. in Pastoral Psychology and Counseling from the GTF because of its practical orientation and emphasis on the application of knowledge to life. I want to be a doctor in action and productivity, not in word. Right now, I have become part of what I have been studying, thanks to the same unique and challenging system of education at the GTF, its unbeatable E-tutorial offerings, Distant Learning Modules, On-Site Lectures, independent course options, etc. In short, for those who are actually seeking knowledge in academics, the GTF is your best choice, the 21st century learning center for life."

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