08/31/2026
Meet alumna, Deborah "Kay" (Carmichael '83) Carpenter!
Kay grew up in Johnson City, Tennessee, and graduated from Milligan in 1983 with degrees in sociology and elementary education. At Milligan, she played on the tennis team, joined Delta Kappa Sorority, and embraced campus life. She fondly remembers students and professors cheering on the tennis team, education courses with Dr. Bonner and Dr. Clark, and sociology courses with Dr. Higgins and Dr. Hall, all of whom left a lasting impact on her education and faith.
After graduation, Kay remained in the Johnson City area, working at the preschool at First Christian Church in Johnson City while taking counseling courses from East Tennessee State University (ETSU). She later served as a teacher's aide at University School before joining Watauga Mental Health, where she worked with students through the juvenile court system and local schools. After marrying her husband, Steve (MDiv ’93), in the Emmanuel Chapel in 1988, the couple moved to Harlingen, Texas, where Steve accepted a ministry position and Kay began teaching elementary school. Living near the Mexican border introduced them to Hispanic culture and missionaries serving throughout Mexico, experiences that ultimately led them to pursue missions themselves.
In 1995, after returning briefly to Johnson City while Steve completed his studies at Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan, Kay and Steve moved to Mexico City with Christian Missionary Fellowship International (CMFi). Over the next 31 years, they built relationships through English clubs that naturally opened the door to Bible studies and discipleship. Their ministry focused on helping people study Scripture for themselves and discover the hope of the Gospel. The couple retired from CMFi on April, concluding more than three decades of missionary service. In recognition of her faithful ministry, each received Milligan's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2025.
Today, Kay and Steve live in Johnson City after returning from the mission field. Their son, Benjamin ('14, MDiv '18), and daughter, Natasha ('13), are both Milligan graduates. Benjamin and his wife, Corri ('12, MSC ‘15), have two sons, Oliver and Arlo, while Natasha returned to East Tennessee in 2022 after teaching in China for seven years before earning a theater degree from ETSU.
Reflecting on her Milligan experience, Kay believes the university prepared her for a life she never could have imagined. She encourages today's students and young alumni to "take advantage of the professors who pour into you and pray for you. There is a world out there needing people coming from a place like Milligan to give them hope."
