All in the Family
When Weston Shepard talks about a family atmosphere at Midland University, he means it – literally.
Weston has been the controller at Midland for the past year, and he doesn’t have to venture very far on campus without finding some familiar faces. Weston’s wife, Michaela, is Midland’s Director of Admissions. His younger brother, Evan, is a freshman on the track and field team, and his three cousins, Sam, Emma, and Sarah, all play on the women’s basketball team.
Weston and Michaela are both alums, and he considers Midland part of his extended family. “I love being able to come to work every day with my Midland family. It’s a blast to work with my wife and have my brother and cousins on campus as student-athletes. Whether it is leadership, faculty, staff, or students, the people at Midland are what make this place so special.”
After graduating in 2019, Weston spent several years with an accounting firm before answering the call to return to Midland. “As a grad, I love staying connected to students and helping them learn and grow. Michaela and I support campus ministry student organizations on campus as well, which is a very rewarding part of Midland.
“Seeing the passion of the students to learn and grow is inspiring to me. I have the privilege of mentoring some of the CRU and FCA student leaders, and we go out for breakfast or coffee monthly and talk about the Bible and our relationships with Christ. It is a great time of mutual encouragement.”
His helping spirit is evident outside of campus as well. He is treasurer at his church, while he and Michaela serve as hosts for Financial Peace University classes. “I love to help and serve others, and financial understanding is a fun way for me to do that. Helping others achieve financial success is extremely rewarding, especially when those individuals do not have a lot of extra resources to pay for top dollar consulting and advising.”
When he can take time for himself and his family, Weston enjoys cooking, baking, and going on walks with Michaela and their Cavapoo pups, Berr and Charlie. “We like to find cool lakes or hiking trails around the area to take the dogs to. The more remote and less busy, the better!”
As his Midland family continues to grow, his actual family will be growing as well. He and Michaela are expecting their first child, a daughter, in April. “Our due date is April 18, but my birthday is April 16, so we might get lucky and have the same birthday.”
Getting to know Weston Shepard:
Something people might not know about you: I enjoy tiling. My dad, brothers, and I have matching shirts for our fake tile business, “Good Enuf Construction.” Our company motto is “If it’s good enuf for us, it’s good enuf for you.”
Snack that you can’t resist: Warm chocolate chip cookies, or brownies, with a big glass of whole milk. I also like Caramel Chex Mix and Jelly Belly jelly beans.
When flipping channels, I’ll always stop to watch this: Fixer Upper. I have done some remodeling in our home, and I enjoy doing tile work for friends and family. Seeing all the cool remodel ideas and designs always helps me be more creative when projects come up.
What artist dominates your playlist? Michael W. Smith.
What is your ideal vacation? Somewhere with no cell service or wifi. I love being outdoors and disconnected from the busy chaos of life. My favorite trip was Door County, Wisconsin, where we stayed in a cabin for a week and spent lots of time fishing and hiking.
What is your most used emoji? The thumbs up 👍, which I am told makes me old.
