Since 1920, Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) has seen generations of Wildcats develop in character, scholarship, and leadership. But the May–Sherman family is rare—three generations pursuing their callings simultaneously.
Displayed through the lives of grandson Elijah, mother Joy, and grandmother Gayle, this family’s story is marked by generational discipleship and catalyzed by a legacy that began decades before.
For Elijah, son of Steve and Joy (May) Sherman and grandson of Mark and Gayle (Hughey) May, becoming a Wildcat was not in his original plan. In high school, he planned to attend his mother’s alma mater. But the moment he visited IWU’s Marion campus, he sensed God calling him to join the Wildcat family.
Elijah began as an engineering major, but as he became increasingly involved in the music department through the Marching Wildcats and the IWU Chorale, he felt God redirecting him toward music education.
“At IWU, I’ve really been able to step into what God has called me to do,” Elijah said. “My parents and grandparents have given me so much support. They’ve been adamant that if this is what God is calling me to do, then do it.”
During Elijah’s sophomore year, Gayle made an announcement rooted in her belief that a world changer is not defined by age or circumstance.
“We were playing a game at Christmas about what we wanted to accomplish in 2025,” she shared. “I told my family I wanted to finish my degree. Later on, I asked Elijah if I was intruding on his college experience, and he said, ‘Grams, of course not!’”
After leaving her original degree unfinished and building a career in workers’ compensation insurance, Gayle sensed God leading her in retirement to study what she is most passionate about: Biblical Studies.
“You’re never too old to learn more about the Lord,” she said. “I want to be a good Bible student so I can share my faith and impact my family and community.”
For Joy, a pastor of 22 years, IWU has also become an unexpected part of her spiritual and professional journey. When she began considering a Doctor of Ministry degree, she didn’t want it just for the credential; she wanted something deeply practical for her calling.
The doctorate degree at IWU’s Wesley Seminary has proved to be exactly what she hoped for: a program designed for full-time pastors and immediately applicable to discipleship, something Joy is deeply passionate about.
“Generationally, bringing people along is the calling of the Church,” Joy said. “When we bring others to Christ, that isn’t our finish line; it’s the starting line. We are called to disciple as we go.”
Though the May–Sherman family now spans three current IWU students, their legacy stretches back another generation to William “Bill” and Martha Hughey, known affectionately as Papaw and Nanny.
Originally from Tennessee, Bill and Martha did not have access to higher education themselves, and yet they dedicated their lives to ensuring their family would have the opportunities they never did.
Bill worked extra shifts to cover Gayle’s original college expenses and asked Mark to promise he would help Gayle finish her degree someday. Meanwhile, Martha wrote letters and sent money to Joy throughout her undergraduate and graduate years, financial support that continues to help her pursue her doctorate degree.
“My grandparents seeded generosity and faithfulness in our family,” Joy said. “They discipled my mother and father, who discipled me, and Steve and I have discipled Elijah. Whether through his own children or in the music classroom, he will disciple his generation and beyond.”
For Elijah, Joy, and Gayle, IWU is a shared place where each one has heard and responded to God’s call. As they look to the future, they are excited to watch God’s story unfold, both in their family and in the generations of world changers they’re helping to inspire.
