By Haley Keding
From rowing on the 5X rowing team to working in the corporate world to serving in international mission work, Kent State alumnus and 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Tim Hunsicker, ’92, ’93, M.Arch ’94, has led a diverse life. But through all his experiences, one thing has remained the same: his love for others.
During his years on campus, Hunsicker was involved in the American Institute of Architecture Students, Tau Sigma Delta, a national honor society for architecture and design majors, Campus Crusade for Christ and the rowing club. He also held leadership positions in these organizations where he served as the vice president of the fraternity and a bible study leader in Campus Crusade for Christ.
“When I was in graduate school, I taught here as a graduate assistant and I always enjoyed the interaction I had with others,” Hunsicker says. “And what I loved most about going into the firm was being with clients. I just love people.”
Hunsicker with 5X President Beverly Warren at the Alumni Awards Ceremony on Oct. 2.
When he graduated in 1994, he initially dreamed of becoming a partner in an architectural firm. “That was the end goal, but I had no clue how that path would take shape,” Hunsicker says.
After graduation, Hunsicker began working at CBLH Design Inc., a premier architectural firm in Cleveland, as an intern and worked his way up to licensed architect and then to a partner.
In 2011, Hunsicker transitioned from working in corporate America for nearly 20 years to becoming a full-time missionary architect with the Association of Baptist for World Evangelism (ABWE) International’s Project Office as he merged his faith in Christ with his talent in architecture. Hunsicker works on building projects for churches, medical centers and schools around the world.
Hunsicker placing the first brick to start the building of Kosovo Leadership Academy.
Hunsicker said working at CBLH Design Inc. prepared him for his life of ministry. The corporate world taught him valuable organizational skills and gave him the architectural experience he needed to build structures in other countries. However, Hunsicker still faces challenges when he designs facilities abroad.
“It has been tricky with learning different cultures and traditions of how they do construction and the types of buildings,” Hunsicker says. “You can’t take a North American building and put it in the middle of Africa; it just doesn’t work.”
Some of the projects he has worked on include the building of the Kosvo Leadership Academy, which provides educational services to the children of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Memorial Christian Hospital in Bangladesh and the Wendell Kempton Medical and Ministry Center in Togo, West Africa.
While working on projects like this, Hunsicker’s main focus is to build communities of faith and provide the physical buildings necessary for that community to thrive. He sees his projects as a tool to accomplish his mission to serve God and reach others through meaningful relationships.