When Lori Antkoviak (’00) began her college career at PCC, she knew what she was working toward—her pre-law degree, starting her journey toward becoming a litigation attorney or prosecutor.

Four years later, Lori’s next step took her to the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan to earn a juris doctor. “The English and grammar classes along with the business law practice of writing legal briefs provided the basics of legal writing,” she said. “Because of the practice and variety of classes [at PCC], I felt better prepared than many other law school students that had only majored in political science or history.”

During her second year, Lori was on the school’s mock trial travel team, and in her final year she was a finalist in the Moot Court Competition. Subsequently, she was asked to join the school’s Moot Court team, but she turned it down, knowing she was ready to move on. After graduating Cum Laude in just 2 1/2 years, Lori took the bar exam. She scored over 150 on multi-state bar exams, something only a few are able to accomplish. “Since I had never done well on a standardized test before, I felt that this was the Lord showing me that this was clearly His direction for me.”

After having served as a law clerk on the 48th Circuit court, Lori practiced law in a firm along with her husband for three years, primarily in criminal defense, child abuse and neglect, and family and estate areas, before taking the position of Executive Director of Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center for Allegan and Barry Counties in Michigan. “We work closely with the Prosecuting Attorney, Child Protective Services, and law enforcement,” she explained.

The Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC) help children who have allegations of sexual or severe physical abuse. In Michigan’s April 2018 Child Abuse Prevention Proclamation, it’s estimated that 1,540 children die each year from child abuse and neglect. These centers give abused children a neutral, safe environment to share their story through a forensic interview which uses open-ended questions to help a child share the abuse they may have endured.

“Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center is the only private agency providing a safe environment for children to share their stories and to begin their healing journey,” Lori said.

Since having been Executive Director of Safe Harbor for eleven years, the nonprofit agency has recovered from struggling financially and has operated more smoothly. Lori was instrumental in managing the centers, improving their fiscal health and increasing their financial reserves. The improvements also helped to grow their staff by 25 percent. Safe Harbor has even opened a satellite CAC program to serve the neighboring county.

Lori continues to serve at Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center, “providing a lifeline to victims of child abuse and neglect” in Michigan.

“PCC really helped me to develop my study skills and work ethic. The education I received at PCC is, by far, greater than that of any public college. I also had my greatest spiritual growth at PCC, which helped me be who I am today.”

PCC graduate (’90) Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), in her fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, was recently named the fifth most influential conservative woman in politics by conservative political blogger John Hawkins. She was also voted one of the “Most Loved” colleagues to work with by fellow members of Congress (Newsmax, Dec. ’09).

PCC’s first graduate to be elected to the House of Representatives, McMorris Rodgers represents Washington State’s 5th Congressional District, serves as Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference, and holds a place on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. These positions make her the highest-ranking female Republican in Congress.

Her interest in politics began as a high school senior when she attended a convention and learned about the need for Christians in government. Having dedicated her life to be what she calls a “Christian missionary” in government, she chose to pursue a prelaw degree at PCC for a strong foundation in English, history, speech, and law.

Just three years after graduating from PCC, she was elected as a State Representative at the age of 24, becoming Washington state’s youngest legislator. She served five terms, eventually becoming House Minority Leader, and earned several recognitions and respect from fellow legislators.

In 2004, Cathy was elected to the U.S. Congress, where she is serving her fourth term. “I’m sincerely concerned about the amount of control and desired control the various forms of government have over our families, children, business, church, and communities,” Cathy said. “God has instituted government, yet we as individuals must still be responsible for ourselves and our actions. Our founding fathers regarded religion as being so important that when they passed the Bill of Rights, religious liberty was the very first right they safeguarded.”

Through her years in politics, Cathy has learned to rely on God to lift her above fear and pressure. She said, “When I look back, God has clearly been leading in my life: first, the call, then the foundation at PCC, then the experience and training…, then the responsibility. At PCC, God became real to me personally. Now, God has thrust me into a ministry over my head where I must cry out to Him. I take this position very seriously as I attempt to carry it out until completion because I believe God is calling me to do this.”

PCC’s prelaw and political science programs give graduates a solid foundation and excellent preparation for law school and graduate studies. Many are serving as lawyers, State and U.S. Representatives, executive assistants, government aides, professors, and in other government-related positions.

“I’m leading the Nissan North America Material Challenge/Budomari Activity. This is a cost reduction activity that involves several different functions (Engineering, Manufacturing, Suppliers, etc.) while seeking to identify better ways of utilizing material, reducing scrap, along with other things. It also crosses national boundaries because I get to work with people from Japan and Mexico on these projects.

“My PCC prelaw degree helped me develop the skills necessary to develop contracts. It also helped prepare me to prepare and give presentations in a short period of time.

“My favorite undergraduate class was World History Since 1900 with Dr. Kurt Grussendorf. He was able to bring history alive by making it more than just facts and dates. Instead he showed how different technologies and events helped shape the people that would later follow Adolf Hitler or fight him. It helped show me that even the tiny details can have a huge impact on a generation’s viewpoint.”

“I assist the circuit judges in researching legal issues upon which they must rule, and in writing their final orders on those issues. My favorite part of working in the legal field is my involvement in upholding the law and helping to assure that justice is done for the many people who work with and pass through our American criminal justice system.

“My undergraduate degree was in English Education at PCC. I believed that God would have me to teach English for the rest of my career. God showed me, however, that His will was for me to be in the legal field. I was extremely surprised to find that my English background prepared me uniquely for the legal field. So much of what I had been taught about research and writing was replicated in my legal training. I excelled at legal writing because of the background PCC had given me in research, writing, and analysis.”

“A good portion of my cases require writing skills, interpretation, and, of course, good grammar. Most of those cases require a court appearance or two, and ultimately a trial, so PCC’s speech and oral interpretation classes assisted in preparing me for that.”

“PCC did a great job of preparing me for law school through the class schedule I was required to take. In particular, the speech classes helped me get used to speaking, which I had to do a lot of in law school.”

“There is a great need for more Christian judges who are willing to do the right thing regardless of public opinion or selfish desires,” said Judge April C. Wood. “Perhaps the most important aspect of my decision [to become a judge] was the need for more Christian judges.”

While growing up, April was certain she would become a tough lawyer like the ones she saw on television. To help April reach that goal, her father routinely engaged her in debates that developed April’s ability to defend her position on an issue. As she grew older, April used the Abeka Academy video program for 10th grade, which strengthened her desire to attend Pensacola Christian College and major in Prelaw.

“The history classes at PCC built upon my strong Christian foundation and belief that our nation was founded on Christian principles,” April said. “The professors at PCC were able to show how the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States are rooted in a Christian perspective of the nature of government and the nature of man. This helped me to understand common law and its development as well as its codification.

“What I appreciate most about my education at PCC is that several of my professors had a legal or criminal justice background. I found the experiences that they shared to be informative, interesting, and sometimes entertaining. Their life experiences provided some of the most useful information, and I still think about some of those stories when I am contemplating a decision.

“Without a doubt, the speech requirements at PCC were extremely beneficial to me. I used to be anxious about public speaking, but the speech classes helped me overcome my anxiety. The speech classes taught me how to use vocal inflections, pauses, and facial expressions to persuade and to get my point across to my listeners. The debate class certainly helped to prepare me for debate and trial practice classes at law school.”

Prior to being elected to district court, April earned a Juris Doctor from Regent University School of Law, and began her own private law practice. “Once I started practicing law, it did not take me long to learn that I did not enjoy criminal law. God revealed to me that family law is where I could make the biggest impact on people for His glory. That is the area of law where most of the hurting and lost people are, and that is where I could help people the most by being a shining light for Christ. I knew that I would have much more influence as a judge than I did as a lawyer, since district court has original and exclusive jurisdiction over all family law issues. I love my job, and I am a happy person because I was willing to be flexible. Had I not followed the path God led me down, I doubt that I would be a district court judge.

“Perhaps one day I will seek other positions or paths, but I believe that I am where the Lord wants me at this time. The most important lesson that I have learned as a judge is that I do not always have all the answers to every problem. That is one of the reasons that I ask God daily to give me the wisdom to make the right decisions. I continue to seek His guidance and wisdom each day.”