Gershwin says goodbye to Eastern

For the past ten years, NCH Resident Director Gershwin Sandberg has called Eastern home. But after this year, he will be leaving the university behind to pursue the next chapter in his life.

Sandberg started as a student at Eastern in 1997 and graduated in 2000 with a double major in youth ministry and theology.

“I’ll never forget the first day I got here when I moved in as part of the leadership program,” Sandberg said.

Since graduating, he has worked at various jobs with the campus.

These jobs have included the RD of Pennswood, the head coach of the women’s and men’s tennis teams and a counselor for the ACT 101 program. This involved working with the EQUIP program over the summer, where he also taught a class.

Sandberg and his family will be moving near Denver, Colo. so that his son James will be able to grow up closer to his family.

“We are starting a family, and we live in the middle of nowhere between my family in South Africa and my wife’s in Colorado,” Sandberg said. “We think it’s really important for our son James to know and be around family, and that’s the driving force in this decision to move.”

Sandberg knows that this decision comes with hardship as he feels sorrow over the friends he will be unable to take with him.

“Inside and outside of Eastern, the relationships and the people will be the hardest thing to leave behind,” he said.

Professionally, Sandberg has many options for his future once he arrives in Colorado but is still deciding on his final plans.

“I have interviewed with other Christian universities and quite a few churches with the possibility of getting involved with ministry again,” Sandberg said. “Also, I am talking to state schools and a private company involved with residence life at colleges.”

Sandberg looks back at his time at Eastern with very fond memories and has plans to come back and visit.

“I feel really fortunate to have been a part of Eastern and the amazing things it’s doing, having seen the changes it’s going through,” he said. “I will definitely be watching from Colorado.”