In a first for Bryan College, the 2026 Alumnus of the Year honor will be shared by two remarkable men. Jon Bennett ’76 will be recognized for his ongoing impact and faithful service, while Mark Jones ’85 will be honored posthumously in recognition of a life and legacy that continue to inspire the Bryan community.
Jon Bennett graduated from Bryan College in May 1976 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He represents the third generation of the Levengood family connected to Bryan College. His grandfather, Rev. Albert J. Levengood, served on the Bryan faculty from 1938–1944, and his mother, Grace (Levengood) Bennett, graduated from Bryan in 1942.
Following graduation, Jon began a 36-year career with a global oil and gas company, serving in a variety of accounting and finance leadership roles in both Cleveland, Ohio, and Houston, Texas.
Jon and his wife, Pam, attend Cypress Bible Church in Texas, where Jon has faithfully served in several lay leadership roles, including as a volunteer staff member overseeing the church’s Global Missions Program from 2015–2018. He has also served as a lay elder and has contributed his leadership experience on the boards of three nonprofit organizations.
In their retirement years, Jon and Pam enjoy traveling and have lovingly “parented” three Pembroke Welsh Corgis. A devoted sports enthusiast, Jon has attended sporting events at more than 200 different venues across the country.
To know Mark was to know joy. He was a man who loved Jesus wholeheartedly, loved people deeply, and lived each day with an unmistakable enthusiasm for life. His smile could light up a room, his infectious laugh could lift anyone’s spirit, and he had a rare gift for making people feel seen, valued, and genuinely loved.
Mark attended Bryan College from 1981 to 1986, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education. From his earliest days on campus, he demonstrated the leadership, faith, and love for people that would define his life. He served as class president during both his freshman and sophomore years and was a member of Bryan’s Chamber Singers, touring throughout the United States while taking on leadership and directing roles.
He could often be found at a piano, joyfully leading groups of fellow students in worship, creating moments that drew others closer to the Lord. He also brought his trademark enthusiasm and humor to campus life, even winning a local “Kissa-Pig” contest to raise money for his sophomore class.
During his time at Bryan, Mark received numerous honors recognizing his exceptional character and influence, including the P.A. Boyd Character & Influence Award, the Judson A. Rudd Testimony & Influence Award three times, and the Faithfulness & Loyalty Award. He was also named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges and became certified to teach church training courses through the Evangelical Teacher Training Association. In his final semester, Mark served Bryan College as an admissions counselor.
After graduating, Mark continued his education at Dallas Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Christian Education in 1992. He devoted his life to ministry and serving others, spending more than 31 years as a worship pastor, most of those years faithfully serving at Trinity Bible Church in Richardson, Texas. In 2010, he also became licensed in biblical counseling, a calling especially close to his heart. He loved walking alongside couples and families in crisis, offering wisdom, encouragement, and the hope of Jesus during some of their most difficult seasons.
In 1991, Mark married Rebecca, the love of his life, and together they built a beautiful life and family with their four children: Lindsay, Nathan, Alex, and Asher. For more than 26 years, Mark was a devoted husband, an extraordinary father, and a faithful friend. He was always present, always serving, always encouraging, and always loving well.
On June 28, 2017, the Lord called Mark home suddenly and unexpectedly. His absence is still felt deeply every day, but so is the extraordinary legacy he left behind. It lives on through his children and now through his four beautiful granddaughters: Ruthie Markae, Shiloh Joy, Selah Grace, and Nora Elizabeth. They are regularly reminded of how deeply their Pop loved Jesus, their Lolli, their moms and dads, and each one of them.
The qualities Bryan College recognized in Mark as a young man—his character, influence, testimony, faithfulness, and loyalty—became the defining marks of a life poured out in love for God and others. HIs story did not end in 2017; it continues in every life he touched, every heart he encouraged and every person he pointed toward Jesus. And because of this, his family rests in the promise that one day they will be reunited-hearing his infectious laugh again, feeling his famous hug again, and worshiping all-together in the presence of the Savior he loved so deeply.
Beth Hixson has spent her entire life in Rhea and Bledsoe counties, where she was raised on a 100-acre family farm by her parents, Alvin and JoAnne Shaver. Growing up in a family of six, she learned the values of hard work, responsibility, and teamwork through daily farm life—feeding livestock, gathering eggs, working in the hayfield and garden, canning, mowing, and caring for the home. Beth credits her parents for instilling the strong work ethic and servant’s heart that have defined her life.
An active 4-H member, Beth earned numerous awards showing chickens and sheep, including District Grand Champion Market Lamb twice, State Reserve Grand Champion Breeding Ewe, and multiple Showmanship honors.
While in high school, Beth met her husband, Lynn, and they have now shared 44 wonderful years of marriage. Together they have two daughters and a son-in-law, all proud graduates of Bryan College.
Beth accepted Christ as her Savior in March 1975 during a revival at Ogden Baptist Church on Dayton Mountain, led by Alan Winkler ’60, and was later baptized in a nearby pond. Since then, she and Lynn have faithfully served their church in many ministries, especially with children.
In July 2001, Beth joined the Bryan College family in the Financial Aid Office. She witnessed the move back into the newly rebuilt Mercer Hall following the 2000 fire and, twenty-five years later, helped lead another transition to the Stophel Center. Though leaving Mercer Hall was bittersweet, Beth embraced the change with the confidence that “God has a plan.”
Beth and Lynn also served for many years as residence hall parents, investing in students whose lives they continue to follow with joy. In 2006, Beth was recognized as Bryan College’s Staff Member of the Fall.
For twenty-five years, Beth has faithfully served Bryan students and their families with compassion, wisdom, and unwavering dedication. Through her quiet leadership, humble spirit, and steadfast faith, she has touched countless lives and exemplified the mission of Bryan College. It is with deep gratitude and admiration that Bryan College recognizes Beth Hixson as the Honorary Alumnus of the Year.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
— Psalm 27:14
Mark Pack ’95 left an extraordinary mark on Bryan College basketball, completing one of the most prolific scoring careers in program history and earning recognition among the nation’s elite collegiate players.
A three-time NAIA All-American and three time NCCAA All-American, Pack’s career culminated in a remarkable 1994–95 senior season. He earned First Team NAIA All-American honors, was named TVAC Conference Player of the Year, led NAIA Division II in scoring at 27.4 points per game, and helped lead the Lions to a 20-win season.
That same year, Pack made 221 three-point field goals, establishing an NAIA Division II single-season record. His shooting ability was on full display against Tusculum on January 10, 1995, when he connected on a school-record 13 three-pointers on 18 attempts.
Pack finished his Bryan career with more than 2,000 points and 494 three-pointers, placing his name prominently in the NAIA record books. During his senior season alone, he scored more than 1,000 points—an extraordinary accomplishment that capped an unforgettable career in a Bryan Lions uniform.
Yet for all the records, honors, and points, Mark says the most important thing that happened during his years at Bryan took place away from the basketball court. In October 1992, Mark met Jesus Christ. He remembers the love he received from the Bryan community as one of the defining gifts of his college experience and remains deeply grateful for the people, friendships, and memories that shaped his life here.
After graduating from Bryan in 1995, Mark moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he met his wife, Kristy. Married for nearly 30 years, Mark and Kristy later settled in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where they raised their three children. Mark has worked in the vacation industry for nearly 20 years.
More than three decades after his final game as a Lion, Mark Pack’s accomplishments remain an important part of Bryan College basketball history. His legacy, however, reaches beyond records and accolades to a life forever changed during his years on the Hill.
Bryan College is honored to welcome Mark Pack ’95 into the Bryan College Sports Hall of Fame.
