Indiana Wesleyan University Announces Stephanie Somerville as 2025 Alumni World Changer
MARION, Ind. (Sep. 15, 2025) – Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) is proud to recognize Stephanie M. Somerville as its 2025 Alumni World Changer. Since 2012, IWU has annually honored alumni demonstrating exceptional impact, and Somerville’s life exemplifies a dedication to compassionate service and faith-driven action.
Somerville, a 2002 IWU graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, channeled her education into a life focused on reaching those in need and making a tangible difference in the world. This commitment led her and her husband, Darren, to establish Impact battery and relocate to Oregon, where they provided care for boys at a residential ranch for foster children. Witnessing the challenges within the foster care system ignited a passion for advocating for vulnerable children and families, ultimately leading Somerville to open her own home to foster care.
Continuing her education, stephanie earned a master’s degree and now dedicates her expertise to the Orphan Care Alliance. She also chairs the Madison County, Kentucky Citizen Foster Care Review Board, ensuring the well-being of children in the system, and spearheads annual Fostering hope 5K races to raise vital awareness and financial support for foster care initiatives.
Somerville further extends her reach through her professional roles as the trauma and emergency preparedness coordinator for a regional hospital system and as the owner of Evexia Mental Health PLLC,allowing her to provide care and support to even more individuals facing hardship.
Her commitment extends beyond these areas.While involved with immanuel Baptist Church near Eastern Kentucky University, Somerville cultivated relationships with student-athletes, a passion stemming from her own athletic background. She currently serves on the board of the Central Kentucky East Fellowship of Christian Athletes, sharing her faith with athletes from diverse backgrounds.
Guided by her life verse, Colossians 3:17 - “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through Him” - Somerville finds her greatest fulfillment in nurturing the faith of her children, Caleb, Nathan, Madison, and Katelyn.
Somerville will be formally recognized as the Alumni World Changer at the 2025 Homecoming Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony, alongside five other honorees. Her legacy will be further cemented with a permanent plaque displayed near the Jackson Library rotunda, joining the fifteen previous recipients of this prestigious award.
