• Black, William Donald '64
• Braaten, Olivia Fessler '05
• Byle, Ann '84
• Carter Robert '06
• Clothier, David '88
• Courtright, Kathy '81
• Davidson, Tracy Stone '96
• Delaney, Jane '84
• Edwards, Michelle '01
• Groen, Aaron '04
• Haynes, Walker '96
• Hicks, Carole '11
• Hoffman, Dawn '89
• Jepson, Maye Hayes '71
• Kitchen, Klon '99
• Odor, Micah '01
• Schoettle, Lewis '58
• Siskey, Ashley '00
• Smith, Jeremy '97
• Torbett, Rick '79
• Traylor, Karin '64
• Vernon, Carol Davis '84
• Wilkins, Beth Eppinger '03
• Welsh, Millie '87

Ann Byle

Major	English
Class	1984
Favorite Course	There are so many!
Favorite Professor Favorite Memory	Miss Betty Brynoff John Carpenter asked my roommate, Dottie Long, and me to the same banquet at the same time on phones at either end of the Arnold hallway. We both said yes, both bought him boutonnieres, and he bought both us of corsages. We had a great time.

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Ann Egner Byle is connected to Bryan College in more ways than one. Not only did she graduate from Bryan in 1984, but her father, also a Bryan grad, met his wife, Ann's future mother, at Bryan—she was the school nurse and I imagine he feigned many stomachaches to visit her. They got married and started a family. When Ann was around age 12, her family went on a vacation and stopped by for a visit at Bryan College. She decided then and there that Bryan was the place for her.

Ann knew she would major in English while still in high school; during her years at Bryan she joined the staff of the Triangle. She found classes to be academically rigorous and credits Dr. Cornelius's teaching style with instilling a good work ethic in her. "If he assigned you ten pages to read and take notes on and you did just that you got a B because that was just average," she explained. "You had to work hard on those daily assignments in order to do well. I learned from those classes that sometimes you just have to put your head down and do it, even if it's not fun; and that has really served me well professionally and as a mom!"
  

After graduating, Ann moved to Chicago and spent two years working at Moody Publishing writing jacket and catalogue copy. Toward the end of her time at Moody, Ann returned to Bryan for homecoming where her friend and fellow Bryan grad Danny Bice informed her that "all newspapers need good copyeditors!" She followed his advice and, after moving back to Grand Rapids, Mich., where she had grown up, got a job on the copy desk of the Grand Rapids Press, a large daily newspaper. For the next eight years Ann did everything from editing to page layouts. She also became the book review editor which allowed her to work with a lot of freelance reviewers as she prepared the page each week. "All the editing taught me the difference between good and bad writing," she said.

The Byle Family at Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  From left, Ray, Ann, Jared, Abby, Amy (the dog), Jay, Bree.

During this time, she married her husband, Ray Byle, and together they started a family. She took a new job in the marketing department at RBC Ministries and continued to do freelance book reviews for The Press. After two years with RBC, her husband got a permanent teaching job.  Ann was able to stay home with her children and became a permanent freelance writer, which she has been for the past 13 years. She continues to write for the Grand Rapids Press as well as write book reviews for Publisher's Weekly and articles for several local magazines. Her children are growing up and keeping her life full and busy: Bree is now 19, Abby is 17, Jay is 12, and Jared is 9.

In addition to raising kids and writing freelance, Ann managed to write three books: Plainfield Township, The Making of a Christian Bestseller, and Devotions for the Soul Surfer (with Bethany Hamilton). "Writing a book is a daunting task, especially when you are used to the immediate publishing of newspapers," Ann explained. "Looking back I realize that I could not have done this on my own. God has led me on an amazing journey."