Alumna of the Year - Gayle Savage Davidson ‘75
Gayle Savage Davidson, a native of Colorado, Gayle completed her bachelor of science in nursing at Harding University in 1977. In 1979 she received her master's degree from the University of Miami and completed her Ph.D. in Theocentric Counseling in 2005. She is a Florida registered interpreter for the deaf, a member of the National Speakers Bureau, and has received the Presidential Award for Humanitarian Aid from the Honduran government.
Dr. Davidson has spent the last 40 years working in mission efforts - international and domestic. Gayle has participated in or organized medical mission trips to Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, and New Orleans and served as a group leader and coordinator with TORCH Missions.
Gayle currently serves as the medical director and founder of Clinica De Esperanza, a free medical clinic in Santa Ana, Honduras. Since its doors opened in 2007, the clinic has treated over 40,000 patients. In 2016, Gayle moved to Honduras to serve the clinic and its patients in a full-time capacity. Together with her ministry partners at the Inter-American Restoration Corporation, Gayle focuses on the overall health of patients. Regardless of if they’ve received food, water, or medical treatment, every single person who interacts with Gayle and the IRC has heard the Word of God.
Gayle was also instrumental in organizing a reunion for the class of 1975 and the surrounding years. Despite obstacles presented by COVID-19, Gayle worked tirelessly reconnecting with classmates, tracking down others, and organizing a memorial service for those who have passed.
Gayle has 3 children, Amber, Shayn, and Megan who often join her in the mission field have made many personal sacrifices to promote and support the work.
Servant Leader Award - Carladean Thompson ‘75
Carladean is an extraordinary York alumna who has spent over 30 years doing mission work in Kenya. After graduating from York College, she went on to receive her Bachelor’s of Education from Abilene Christian University in 1977.
Since her youth, Carladean’s servant heart has been evident. In junior high school, she spent time helping others and spreading the Gospel. Prior to attending York College, she went on mission trips working in camps that ministered to underserved children. After college, she worked as an intern for two years in Cameroon.
But Carladean found her lifelong calling in Kenya where she served from 1984 to 2006 and then again from 2018 to the present. During her time in the country, she was part of a church plant and was also deeply involved in forming and working with a youth group at another young church. In a full-circle moment, the youth she worked with, now serve as leaders in that same congregation.
Carladean also raised and taught street boys. Four of the eleven young men she raised have now graduated from college. Three are married and one lives in the USA where he is a school teacher.
In the words of the classmate who nominated her, “Carladean has a servant's heart. She is so humble. In her own words, she feels like she is "the little toe of the body." The Lord made her a very special person/servant/mentor/teacher/leader.”