S8:E12 | Shawn Hess Pt. 1

Cedarville Stories

From Mascot to Manning Up

When Shawn Hess reflects on his time as a student at Cedarville, he’s met with two very distinct sets of memories: his early years of defiance and his later years of dedication to the Lord.

Back in the late ‘80s, there wasn’t much to do on campus but go to basketball games, which Shawn did frequently — but he wasn’t always dressed like everyone else.

As a senior, Shawn took on the secretive role of embodying the Yellow Jacket mascot — and somehow none of his friends discovered his new identity! He embraced the role whole-heartedly, dancing on the court, shooting lay-ups, and having a good time in the process.

But his time at Cedarville wasn’t always marked with joy and excitement. Shawn was a reluctant Yellow Jacket his freshman and sophomore years. Chapel was a drag, church was a box to be checked, and he was overall disinterested in walking with the Lord.

After a close friend’s death in a car accident, the Lord took hold of Shawn’s heart, and his life radically changed. This lukewarm student became a young man passionate for ministry.

Shawn graduated from Cedarville with a business degree in 1990 and then from seminary in 1997. Shawn has used his passions for ministry to encourage men to follow God’s calling for their lives by starting his own ministry, Man Up Ministries.