Meet Our Parent Ambassadors
The McGinns
Patrick and Jill (P ’94) McGinn are from Westford, Massachusetts, and are the parents of Colin ’24, married to Gaby '24, and Peter ’26. The McGinn’s have served as Gordon Parent Ambassadors during the 2025-26 academic year and love sharing about how Gordon College has impacted their family.
After graduating from Gordon in 2024 with a biology major and chemistry minor, Colin pursued a career in the biotechnology field. He currently works as a Research Analyst II in the Immunochemistry Department at Charles River Laboratories in Shrewsbury, MA. His work supports various stages in the drug development process and allows life-saving medications to ultimately reach patients.
Gaby graduated from Gordon in 2024 with a social welfare major and a minor in business administration. She is a licensed social worker and currently works for Kids In Need of Defense (KIND) as a psychosocial services coordinator. She works with child clients and their families to identify needs and gaps in services, she assists families in accessing services related to education, health, mental health, housing, mediation and childcare, and she provides leadership in establishing and sustaining relationships with local and state social services partners.
Peter will graduate from Gordon in May of 2026 with a kinesiology major, a human anatomy minor, and a pre-med concentration. He will be applying to medical schools over the summer with the goal to enroll in 2027. He is currently interested in pursuing a career in emergency medicine.
What do you wish someone had told you when your Students were applying to Gordon?
I wish I had known about the friends they would make and the relationships they would build as Gordon students. This alone would have been enough reason to pursue Gordon as their college of choice. The quality of the students at Gordon cannot be surpassed. These young people are kind, genuine, respectful, and a lot of fun! They support each other, laugh with each other, and build each other up. When my oldest son (Gordon class of 2024) got married this past August, all his groomsmen were friends he made at Gordon during his four years on campus. Many of the friendships my boys have made at Gordon are truly lifelong friendships that will play a key role in their lives going forward.
How did you see your students grow, mature, or flourish over the course of their years at Gordon?
Both of my sons decided to study abroad for one of their semesters at Gordon. Colin studied at the University of Otago in New Zealand and Peter studied at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. This experience allowed them to develop a significant level of independence as they had to navigate living in a foreign country for four months. They were challenged daily to solve problems including meeting and living with new people, getting around a new city, taking classes at an international university, and preparing their own meals. When the comforts of home and the support network of people in your life are taken away, growth happens in leaps and bounds. It definitely wasn’t easy, but the sense of accomplishment they each had after their respective experiences abroad was incredible to witness.
I also observed them mature in their ability to make decisions and get things done. Colin applied for a summer REU (Research for Undergraduates) internship in North Carolina his Junior year. It is a competitive and involved process to apply and he was successful in being chosen to participate. Peter is currently in the midst of preparing to apply to medical school, which is a convoluted process to say the least. However, he is working his way through the steps. Both of them have sought guidance from their advisors and they have been so helpful in guiding both Colin and Peter along their respective paths and serving as mentors when so many decisions needed to be made.
How did you see faith integrated into your student’s academic experience?
Faith is woven into every facet of the Gordon experience. My boys have shared how their professors pray before the start of class and before exams. They have talked about the varied speakers they have heard in chapel and the different views they have been exposed to. They have attended Bible studies with the track and cross-country teams. I witnessed a fellow track team member pray over my son on the track minutes before his race at the championship meet last spring. Faith is everywhere at Gordon!
Tell me about a special experience, sports team, club, or community group your student participated in and how it helped them find their place at Gordon.
The cross country and track and field team played a key role in the Gordon experience for both Colin and Peter. They were both a part of these teams during their four years at Gordon. As Freshmen on the team, it provided them with an immediate sense of belonging and home. It was on this team that they both found community through the connections they made with the other athletes on the team. Their closest friends at Gordon were made as a result of joining the team and the relationships they formed were real, deep, and long lasting.
The Wambolds
Jason and Julie (Gibson) Wambold P ’96, from East Sandwich, Massachusetts, are the parents of Harrison ’22 and Ellie ’26. They have served as Gordon Parent Ambassadors during the 2025–26 academic year and love sharing about the impact that Gordon has had on their family. Harrison is currently a medical school student at the University of New England and Ellie anticipates graduating this spring while interning in technology in Boston.
What do you wish someone had told you when your students were applying to Gordon?
We learned from both of our students that it's normal to experience ups and downs throughout college. Certain semesters can go very well, while others might be more of a challenge emotionally, spiritually, academically, and even physically. Understanding that each semester is unique, and that Gordon has an abundance of resources available to help navigate the process, shaped our perspective as parents to better listen and provide support as needed.
How did you see your students grow, mature, or flourish over the course of their years at Gordon?
We saw our students mature and flourish through their relationships with professors and friends, by exploring new and unexpected coursework and clubs, and by stepping into both local and global communities! Our students' years at Gordon were foundational to their growth in character, leadership, professionalism, and in preparing them for independent living.
How did you see faith integrated into your student’s academic experience?
Gordon's professors were uniquely invested in the academic and spiritual lives of our students by praying before and during class, providing a Christ-centered framework that encouraged meaningful, reflective, and independent thinking, and through consistently making themselves available for assistance, feedback, and support.
Tell me about a special experience, sports team, club, or community group your student participated in and how it helped them find their place at Gordon.
For both of our students, taking advantage of opportunities both on and off campus helped them find their place at Gordon.
Our older student participated in club sports, which was a wonderful outlet for him to connect both athletically and socially. He also worked as a history TA and studied in Orvieto, Italy, alongside peers and Gordon professors. Traveling abroad was most certainly the highlight of his time at Gordon!
Our younger student was actively involved as an AJ Scholar, worked as the math lab coordinator, tutored students, and handled the math department's social media presence. For her, supporting the math department was a unique way to develop meaningful relationships with professors and classmates, and strengthen her resume for future work in the world of technology.
Gordon's location was an important factor for both our students in choosing where to study and live during their undergraduate years. They fully integrated themselves into the greater North Shore area with regular trips to local beaches, historical landmarks, seaside towns, and driving or taking the commuter rail into Boston. They had a ball!
What has it meant for your family to experience Gordon through two generations?
Gordon is one of the few places where you feel the light of Christ as soon as you step onto campus, and we've been fortunate enough to experience that now for two generations!
What would you say to other alumni families who are considering the Gordon experience for their students?
As alumni, we have found that the best way to set your student up for a great experience at Gordon is by allowing them to interpret their time as a student in their own way and with their own frame of reference.