Student Life Staff

Contacting Student Life:
P 978 867 4263 | Hours: Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Main Office: Lane Student Center, 3rd Floor

The Office of Student Life coordinates many activities, programs, and services that enhance student life at Gordon. During your time here, we want you to develop into mature Christian men and women, integrating faith, living and learning. Outside of the classroom, that happens through our programs and services such as Residence Life, Multicultural Events, and the Health and Center for Student Counseling and Wellness, just to name a few. But it also happens through people: people who care about these programs and who care about you. Take a few moments to get to know our Deans and Directors through their mini-bios below.

Chris Carlson

Dean of Student Success
Chief Student Affairs Officer
Director of the A. J. Gordon Scholars program

Email Chris Carlson →

Terry Charek

Dean of Student Life

Terry L. Charek, Dean of Student Life, has served the students of Gordon College for over 30 years in various capacities. Campus residence life was his true love and focus for many years, but he also works with students with disabilities, commuter student advising, the health and counseling centers, recreation, intramurals and health education, directs the student disciplinary process, and founded the Early Response Initiative to identify and support struggling students. Terry lives in Wenham with his lovely wife Patricia and daughter Charlotte. He loves to hike, garden and eat raw eggs.

Email Terry Charek →

Jeff Carpenter

Assistant Dean of Student Life

Jeff is a graduate of Geneva College, where he received his B.A. and his Masters degree in Higher Education. He serves as the Assistant Dean of Student Life, overseeing Residence Life. Jeff is committed to mentoring students, helping them grow as leaders and as followers of Christ.

Email Jeff Carpenter →

Deana Trefry

Dean of Student Care

In her role as Dean of Student Care, Deanna oversees the Center for Student Counseling and Wellness. Deana has also been an adjunct professor at Gordon in the Sociology and Social Work Departments. Prior to coming to Gordon, Deana worked in the public schools, as well as for the SEEM Collaborative, as a school adjustment counselor, school psychologist and special education administrator. At SEEM Collaborative, Deana was the founder and Director of the SEEM Assessment and Intervention Center. Prior to her work in public schools, Deana worked as an outpatient therapist at Health & Education Services working with all ages. Deana is married and has three children.

Email Deana Trefry →

Abigail Stroven

Executive Director of La Vida Center for Outdoor Education and Leadership

Abby has been shaped by her experiences in Ecuador, South America where she spent seven years working with an adventure education retreat center called El Refugio located near the capital city of Quito. Her experiences leading wilderness trips, ministering to local Ecuadorians, and living in a different culture have fueled her passion for facilitating similar experiences with La Vida participants and staff. She is excited to be leading the La Vida Center here at Gordon College. Abby has a B.S. from Cedarville University. She is certified as a WMA Wilderness First Responder as well as being trained in Challenge Course management and Advanced Skills and Standards courses at Project Adventure.

Email Abigail Stroven →

Yicaury Melo Jimenez

Director of Multicultural Initiatives and the Clarendon Scholars Program

Yicaury Melo graduated from Gordon with a BA in Communications Arts. As a Clarendon Scholar, she was an active member of the Gordon community by serving in multiple leadership roles in student clubs and ministries, including ALANA and World Focus. Upon graduation, she returned to her home city of Lawrence, MA and worked with various community engagement organizations. Yicaury’s passion is to provide learning and enrichment opportunities to inner-city youth. She worked with the YWCA to cultivate middle school girls into strong confident young ladies through career exploration, nurturing a strong self-esteem and the arts. She returned to Gordon in the fall of 2013 as the Multicultural Admissions Counselor and then joined Student Life as the Multicultural Student Service Coordinator in the fall of 2014. Since then, she has worked to develop and implement the Multicultural Initiatives Office Ambassadors program and foster a welcoming and inviting multicultural community at Gordon.

Email Yicaury Melo Jimenez →

Abram Erickson

Director of Student Activities
Resident Director of Bromley Hall

In his role in Student Activities, Abram advises the Gordon College Student Association (GCSA) and the Campus Events Council (CEC), helping students develop leadership skills and engage their peers in campus-wide events that serve the Gordon community. Abram received his B.A. in Communication with minors in Biblical and Theological Studies and Journalism, and his M.A. in Higher Education and Student Development, from Wheaton College (IL). Abram enjoys playing trivia, talking sports (especially his Chicago teams), reading the classics, watching movies, and connecting with students through participating in Rec-IM. Stop by his office in Lane to say hello!

Email Abram Erickson →

Carmen Ayerve-Queen

Director of Community Engagement

Email Carmen Ayerve-Queen →

Fatu Kanu

Director of International Student Services

Email Fatu Kanu →

Ethan Mignard

Director of Housing

Ethan Mignard serves as Gordon’s director of housing as well as the resident director of Tavilla Hall. Raised in Andover, Minn., he attended Oklahoma Baptist University, where he earned a B.A. in News and Information in 2011. Mignard received his M.A. in Strategic Leadership from Bethel University in May of 2017. In his free time, Mignard enjoys traveling, photography, participating in sports and keeping up with current events.

Email Ethan Mignard →