Kettering College Professor Retires to Serve in Other Ways

Story by Rebecca Ingle

Professor Daniel Schoun has taught chemistry, physics, and math at Kettering College. He’s been a teacher his entire career, which is a surprise to him, considering he envisioned himself working in research. But he learned early on to trust God and to obediently go where he has felt he was being called.

A unique aspect of Dan’s 42-year career is that he has taken only jobs that have come to him. He says, “I’ve never gotten a job because I applied for it.” His driving force in life is listening for God’s voice. He admits he sometimes might argue with God, but, ultimately, Dan patiently listens to where he feels he is needed and acts on it.

He was asked to teach at the Spring Valley Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist K-12 school, where he thrived for 17 years. Always fascinated with science and medicine, he started to feel the nudge to become a physician assistant. He investigated it as his next career move and even submitted his transcripts to enroll in Kettering College’s program.

God surprised him again, and a faculty member and dean asked him if he would instead be interested in being a professor at the college. Dan remembers saying to himself, “What’s happening, God?”

Always flexible, Dan agreed to think about it with his wife. He was certainly interested in it, and within two weeks he found himself standing in front of a class of Kettering College students, teaching, rather than being a student.

Shortly after Dan started teaching at Kettering College, a founder of the college encouraged him to always fight for God’s purpose to be fulfilled in the lives of students. He says those powerful words are what he has gone back to time and time again. He says it reaffirmed he was where he was meant to be.

Dan was most recently named the director of academic advising, as a result of faculty and staff seeing how easily and profoundly he connected with students. It is yet another job that came to Dan, as he moved forward in faithfulness and willingness.

“Every phase of the way,” Dan says, “I’ve felt God has led me.” The next phase is now retirement, and he admits, “I’ve argued with God, sometimes out loud,” but he and his wife feel it’s time to see what God has planned next.

He feels writing a book geared toward college students might be what God is calling him to accomplish next. He would like to write about his journey of following God and surrendering to answer any call that has come his way.

“I cannot tell you how God speaks to me in my mind,” he says. “But I’ve never once in my life doubted God was leading me. I wouldn’t change anything about my life because I’ve learned from everything I’ve been through. If you listen for a still, small voice, God is there. You just have to be open to it. I don’t know God’s plans, but I know it will be interesting. I don’t let grass grow under my feet.”