Students, Alumni, Faculty, and Friends Enjoy Jubilation! — Photogalleries

Trinity welcomed back alumnus and Emmy Award-winner Kurt Schemper ’97 this past weekend as keynote speaker for Jubilation! 2010. The annual fundraiser was held on Trinity’s campus and was offered two nights, Friday, October 1, and Saturday, October 2, to accommodate as many guests as possible.

With sold-out crowds both nights, the College raised $110,000 for the Trinity Fund; in addition, the College is still receiving contributions daily.

“I was elated to see the number of alumni who came back for some or all of the weekend, especially for Kurt’s presentation,” stated Larryl Humme, vice president for development. “To me, there is nothing more fun than a room full of alumni.”

Schemper is currently a Supervising Producer on two A&E television series, Intervention and Relapse. Following graduation from the College, he served as Trinity’s director of alumni relations for two years. After that, Schemper headed west in pursuit of a career in entertainment. He started his television career at sitcom factory Carsey-Werner, both as manager of production and as a producer on pilots and the animated series Game Over. In 2004, he began freelance producing and partnered with Sodium Entertainment and later joined the Coattails Entertainment team.

“As I was thinking about what to share with you tonight, I was asked the question ‘Would you be where you are today if it was not for Trinity Christian College?’” Schemper shared with audience members. “And it took me a minute to really process and think through the other places I thought about attending and what kind of education I might have gotten there – and specifically what parts of my ‘success’ I can attribute to my time at Trinity. I came to the conclusion that without Trinity – I would be where I am today, but I doubt I would be who I am today.”

“That’s what I want people to know and understand,” Humme said in response to Schemper’s speech. “We would never be who we are without this place.”

Today, Schemper lives in the neighborhood of Brentwood, Los Angeles. He is a member of Bel Air Presbyterian Church and finds his balance by volunteering with the church’s junior high group.

Along with his role as keynote speaker, Schemper was honored as this year’s recipient of the College’s Community Service Award. This award was presented to recognize the way in which Schemper’s work in television—particularly on the Emmy Award-winning show Intervention—serves to live out Trinity’s mission to shape lives and bring about restoration in society. Intervention profiles individuals whose dependence on drugs and alcohol or other compulsive behavior has brought them to a point of personal crisis; each episode concludes with a surprise intervention staged by family and friends and supervised by an intervention specialist. The show raises awareness about the alternatives and treatment options available to those who suffer from addiction and gives hope to families who have nowhere left to turn.

The following individuals were also recognized during Jubilation! 2010:

The Global Service Award – Rick and Patti Powell

Alumni of the Year Award – Kathy Nimmer ’91

Honorary Alumni Award-Faculty – Mary Lynn Colosimo

Honorary Alumni Award-Staff – Ginny Carpenter

Honorary Alumni Award-Friends – Henry and Grace Kamp