MidAmerica Nazarene University will recognize five distinguished alumni during Homecoming 2026, honoring graduates whose lives and careers reflect the university’s mission of service, leadership and purpose.
The 2026 honorees are Les Thomsen (’72), Alumnus of the Year; Rachel Marlow (MEd ’15), Alumna of the Year; Jonathan Babcock (’17), Young Alum of the Year; and Rev. Craig (’85) and Robin (Spindle ’85) Coulter, recipients of the Carry the Torch Award.
Spanning 45 years of MNU graduates, this year’s recipients demonstrate the many ways Pioneers continue to make a difference through their professions, communities, churches and service to others.
Les Thomsen (’72), Alumnus of the Year
A member of one of MNU’s earliest graduating classes, Thomsen has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to serving others, including through his involvement with Noah’s FARM, an international nonprofit supporting projects in southern Africa. The organization works alongside local communities to help provide access to clean water and support the development of schools and churches.
Thomsen’s service reflects a commitment to using his experience and resources to improve lives and strengthen communities far beyond his own.
Rachel Marlow (MEd ’15), Alumna of the Year
Marlow has distinguished herself through her work in elementary music education and was named the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year. Her passion for students and commitment to excellence have extended beyond her own classroom as she has encouraged and influenced educators throughout Kansas.
Marlow earned her Master of Education from MNU in 2015, an experience that contributed to her continued development as an educator and leader.
Jonathan Babcock (’17), Young Alum of the Year
Babcock serves as a vice president with Compass Group Equity Partners in St. Louis, but his impact extends beyond his professional accomplishments.
While attending MNU, Babcock began mentoring an at-risk student. What started as a mentoring assignment developed into an enduring friendship that continued after Babcock graduated and as both men entered adulthood. Their relationship became so meaningful that Babcock invited his former mentee to be part of one of the most important moments of his life—his wedding.
That sustained investment in another person reflects the kind of purposeful leadership the Young Alum of the Year Award celebrates.
Rev. Craig (’85) and Robin (Spindle ’85) Coulter, Carry the Torch Award
For more than four decades, Craig and Robin Coulter have shared a commitment to Christian ministry and service. Today, their ministry at Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene in Arizona continues a journey shaped in part by their years at MNU.
Their lives together reflect the spirit of the Carry the Torch Award—alumni who carry MNU’s mission into their churches, communities and the lives of others through faithful Christian service.
The 2026 alumni award recipients will return to campus during Homecoming, joining alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends in celebrating MNU’s 60th anniversary and 60 years of stories shaped by purposeful lives.
