Rob Roozeboom to speak

Rob Roozeboom, the founder and president of RISE Ministries, will speak in Northwestern College’s Christ Chapel on Monday, Nov. 7, at 10:05 a.m. The public is invited to attend.

Roozeboom was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy as a teenager. He started RISE Ministries in 2001 to share his stories of depression, rebellion and loneliness and to encourage teens and adults in their struggles with adversity.

A resident of Sheldon, Iowa, Roozeboom speaks daily on Rise Above Radio and gives motivational speeches around the country. His ministry also coordinates a Christian music festival and a youth missions program.

Roozeboom is a member of the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s National Task Force on Public Awareness and has been featured on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon with his wife, Sharla. In 2005, he was Iowa’s recipient of the MDA Personal Achievement Award.

A 2001 Northwestern College alumnus, Roozeboom received the college’s Distinguished Service to Humankind Award in 2008.

Roozeboom’s speaking engagement at Northwestern is made possible by the Ronald R. Nelson Scholars and Artists in Residence Program, which seeks to inspire students with scholarship that encourages peace and justice. The program is named in honor of Ron Nelson, a history professor who taught at Northwestern from 1974 until his death in 1985.