Audrey (Roth ’14) Weaver, Rev. Shawn Evans (’94), and Abby (Felter ’16) Kovalcik
Each year at Homecoming, worthy alumni are chosen to represent the best and brightest in their vocation, service and/or ministry. This year, MNU honored the following Pioneers.
Alumna of the Year | Audrey (Roth ’14) Weaver
Audrey currently serves as the deputy counsel to Governor Kevin Stitt (R-OK). Following her graduation from MNU, she attended law school at the University of Oklahoma and practiced law at a local firm in Oklahoma City. In 2022, she shifted her focus to public service and worked in the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Oklahoma. Audrey’s mentor recommended her to the Governor, and she joined the general counsel staff in 2024. Audrey credits MNU for helping develop her faith and giving her a firm foundation to weather the political firestorms that often emerge in public service. She and her husband, Tim, reside in Oklahoma City with their two children.
Alumnus of the Year | Rev. Shawn Evans (’94)
Shawn describes himself as a “stayer.” He says he didn’t want to be one of those pastors who moved around and never set down roots in the same community. After graduating from MNU, he returned to his home state of Alabama and served as a youth pastor for two years. He was then invited to join the staff at Valparaiso (IN) Church of the Nazarene, where he has served for the nearly 30 years—first as youth pastor, then as executive pastor and co-pastor, and finally as lead pastor for the past seven years. He has built an innovative network of compassionate ministry centers that have evolved into a multi-site church that today serves more than 1,000 congregants. Shawn and his wife, Ashley (Woodruff ’95) have two adult children.
Young Alum of the Year | Abby (Felter ’16) Kovalcik
Abby has built an impressive career at the intersection of law and higher education. After completing an Oxford University program that prepared her for the rigor of law school, she earned her Juris Doctor from George Washington University in 2020. Today, she serves as an associate at Husch Blackwell, a nationally recognized law firm, where she specializes in higher education law and consumer finance regulatory compliance—a niche field in which she is already regarded as a leading voice. She describes her time at MNU as transformative and advocates for Nazarene higher education whenever she gets the chance. She and her husband, Aaron, make their home in Overland Park with their two dogs.
