Biola’s new faculty member, Doretha O’Quinn was once a Biola Student who worked with diversity on campus. She has taught in various cities and countires around the world and now brings a sense of culture and diversity to Biola. | Job Ang/THE CHIMES

The passion that Christ had for His people to become one seems to drive Biola’s new vice provost of multi-ethnic and cross cultural engagement, Doretha O’Quinn. As she embarks on a mission to enhance the student learning experience she allows their eyes to look beyond Biola’s doors for a global view of the body of Christ. During this endeavor, O’Quinn strives to follow the heart of God, which she sees as the center of diversity.

As a student, O’Quinn had many past experiences dealing with racial adversity. Many are marking points for the work that she does today. As a leader, author, educator, wife and mother of four college graduates, O’Quinn has returned to her alma mater, serving the Biola community and its students as she keeps the mission in her mind and in her heart.

Following Jesus’ example

“Sometimes what I see through my lens comes through my own experiences, and others see through their own experiences.” O’Quinn said. “But if we are open to what the Holy Spirit is saying through the Word, we’ll see the same thing and better understand each other.”

Having traveled around the world as an educator on leadership development, education, urban ministry and diversity training, O’Quinn has seen the effects of the Word of God in all walks of life. Jesus was the role model for diversity and explained how his ministry transcended all age, ethnicity, gender and social status, O’Quinn explained.

“He came down from heaven to be born in a nasty manger,” O’Quinn said. “And all in mind were the people that didn’t really care about him, and were from all walks of life.”

Growing the Biola community

As a Cook School of Intercultural Studies Ph.D. graduate, O’Quinn has immersed herself in a variety of cultural experiences as an educator here in southern California as well as in Africa. Los Angeles was one of the many cities she gave back to by serving as an administrator and educator in 2003. The last position she held was at Point Loma Nazarene University at the Arcadia Campus where she served as the Associate Dean since 2008.

Senior, Daniel Parham, is a current mentor for the Biola Ethnic Advancement Team, more commonly known as BEAT. He recognizes how much Biola’s surrounding cities reflect the various cultures of the world and speaks about one focus O’Quinn can bring into the heart of Biola.

“We can look at how Christ falls into play with diversity, multi-ethnicity and multiculturalism and how we can implement that in a world that is far ahead of us in terms of diversity,” Parham said.

Aware of Biola’s demographics here on campus, O’Quinn recognizes that we have room to grow and that we are progressing every day.

Julie Hernandez, a junior and the multi-ethnic outreach coordinator at Biola, agrees and is excited to have O’Quinn on campus.

“It’s great to have someone so passionate about Kingdom-minded issues,” Hernandez said. “I think she will be able to make people more aware of diversity in Christianity from a biblical context, and that will be beneficial to everybody.”

Educating the youth

“When I think of all my experiences, what continues to hold a high regard at Biola for me is its focus on interracial issues,” O’Quinn said. “And for me to see how the power of the Word changed my life and to be able to do the same in my own teaching and instructing, that’s a deal I have to take.”

O’Quinn began as a missions and education major at Life Bible College before graduating from Biola with her master’s and Ph.D. in intercultural education and Christian school administration. Upon embarking on a mission trip to Panama, she recognized a new passion for educating youth and she went on to follow that passion as she taught people from within her own community to urban cities worldwide.

Returning to Biola for her doctorate as a wife, mother and commuter, O’Quinn found it difficult to become involved in the community.

“Coming back to Biola was difficult for me because I was older,” O’Quinn said. “The education language had changed, I had children in college, and I had multiple demands as a wife and a mother. All while trying to navigate through life.”

Dealing with being the minority at Biola by age, ethnicity, and marital status, she reflected back on her days as an undergraduate student. She realized that the many experiences in her youth with racial adversity were significant marking points for the work that she does today.

“Out of those experiences came genuine long-lasting friendships that I now carry with me throughout my journey,” O’Quinn said. “You can’t make a difference when you walk away from [the hardships]. You have to be in it.”

Promoting global diversity

From board meetings with president Barry Corey and provost David Nystrom to researching facts on educational institutions, O’Quinn has an important role and is an asset to the Biola community.

While serving as the multi-ethnic vice provost, she hopes to give students the opportunity to become thoroughly engaged in what it means to fully develop in today’s society not just nationally but globally. Parham agrees and is excited about the vastness of this goal.

“Diversity can be seen globally on this campus not just within the Christian realm but also in the global realm of education,” Parham said.

In striving to achieve that goal, one role that O’Quinn fulfills everyday is continually building bridges between Biola and the surrounding community.

“I’m out in the fields talking to people who are engaged at the grassroots in community organizations and community development, looking for who will become our potential partners,” O’Quinn said.

O’Quinn’s drive to enhance every student’s learning experience here at Biola attributes to her passion for building the Kingdom of God in its entirety, to embrace the people of God locally and internationally.

“I see my role here as looking at, how do we engage the issues to problem solve together and advance the call of the Kingdom,” O’Quinn said.