The annual Fall Convocation at College of the Ozarks is held in The Howell W. Keeter Gymnasium tonight, taking the form of a fireside chat. Bream is joined on stage by Laura Lacey Johnson, First Lady of the College, who serves as interviewer.

College of the Ozarks featured Shannon Bream, anchor of FOX News Sunday and New York Times bestselling author, as this year’s speaker for the Leonard B. and Edith Gittinger Convocation on Thursday, Oct. 9. Through The Keeter Center for Character Education, the annual Fall Convocation provides an opportunity for the College to host nationally recognized leaders to share their life stories with students, emphasizing the importance of faith, perseverance, and good character.

A Fireside Conversation

The convocation was held in The Howell W. Keeter Gymnasium and took the form of a fireside chat. Bream was joined on stage by Laura Lacey Johnson, First Lady of the College, who served as interviewer. Their conversation offered students, alumni, and community members an engaging and personal look into Bream’s career, her faith, and the lessons she has learned along the way.

“There are times in your life when you’re walking through disappointment or waiting on God, but being able to see along the way that God has abundantly prepared things beyond what I could expect has been so much of my life,” Bream said. “There was a time when I thought that as long as I did everything right as a Christian, life would be easy. And somehow, I had missed the part where even the Lord says, in this life you will have trouble, but have no fear for I’ve overcome.”

Bream also reflected on the value of hard work, earning a college degree, and the exceptional character of College of the Ozarks students.

“Students at College of the Ozarks already know what it is to show up, work hard, and be professional,” Bream said. “If I saw this college at the top of someone's resume, that would be who I'd want to hire. So, you're already entering the game far ahead of your peers.”

At the conclusion of the evening, Hannah Kochendorfer, senior business administration major, presents Bream with a custom stained-glass piece, a tradition that reflects the College’s emphasis on student craftsmanship and gratitude.

Special Awards and Honors

In addition to the fireside chat, the College recognized three leaders whose work has significantly impacted Christian media and ministry by honoring them with The Light the Way Culture Shaper Award. Each honoree was presented with a stained-glass piece, each custom-made by students from the College of the Ozarks Stained Glass & Candle Shop.

Bill Abbott, president and CEO of Great American Media, was honored for his groundbreaking leadership in creating family-friendly entertainment platforms, including Great American Family, GFAM+, Great American Faith & Living, and Great American Pure Flix. Abbott was presented with his award by Peyton Gold, senior marketing major at College of the Ozarks. Troy A. Miller, president and CEO of National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), was recognized for his dedication to advancing Christian communications worldwide. Under his leadership, NRB continues to equip and advocate for broadcasters who faithfully share biblical truth through media. Miller was presented with his award by Hope Powers, senior psychology major at College of the Ozarks. Jennifer Rothschild, nationally known Bible teacher, author, and speaker, received recognition for her extraordinary testimony of faith and encouragement. Rothschild’s award was presented by Madyson Reinke, senior accounting major at College of the Ozarks.

Throughout the convocation, students played an active role in welcoming guests, offering prayers, and sharing their talents. At the conclusion of the evening, Hannah Kochendorfer, senior business administration major, presented Bream with a custom stained-glass piece, a tradition that reflects the College’s emphasis on student craftsmanship and gratitude.

College of the Ozarks features Shannon Bream, anchor of FOX News Sunday and New York Times bestselling author, as speaker for the Leonard B. and Edith Gittinger Convocation, Thursday, Oct. 9.

More About Shannon Bream

Shannon Bream currently serves as anchor of “FOX News Sunday with Shannon Bream” on the FOX Broadcast Network. She joined FOX News Channel in 2007 as a Washington D.C.-based correspondent covering the Supreme Court.

In addition to her role as anchor, Bream is chief legal correspondent for FNC and host of “Livin’ the Bream,” a podcast on FOX News Radio where she shares inspirational stories, personal anecdotes, and an insider's perspective on actions and rulings from the high court. She is also a founding author for FOX News Books, the publishing imprint of FOX News Media. Notably, her debut title, The Women of the Bible Speak: The Wisdom of 16 Women and Their Lessons for Today, was the 13^th bestselling book in adult nonfiction in 2021, according to Bookscan, and spent 15 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, five of which at number one. In March 2022, she published the second book in the franchise, Mothers and Daughters of the Bible Speak, which also rose to number one on the New York Times bestseller list, moving 200,000 copies within the first five weeks. The third book of the trilogy, Love Stories of the Bible Speak, was released in March of 2023, and spent multiple weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

Prior to joining FNC, Bream worked as a weekend anchor for WRC-TV (NBC-4) in Washington, D.C., anchored the evening and late-night news for WBTV (CBS-3) in Charlotte, North Carolina, and held writing and reporting positions at WFTS-TV (ABC-28) in Tampa, Florida.

Before entering the world of media, Shannon practiced law, specializing in race discrimination and sexual harassment cases. She is an Honors graduate of the Florida State University College of Law and obtained her Bachelor of Science in Business Management magna cum laude from Liberty University.