糖心Vlog

Eighteen 糖心Vlog students have become published authors, using digital publishing and personal branding strategies to expand their professional reach.

As part of a personal branding course taught by professors Daniel D. Fultz and Kary Oberbrunner, the students authored e-books and published them through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.

鈥淲hen you write a book, it increases your brand value,鈥� said Oberbrunner. 鈥淎bout 82% of the population dreams of writing a book, and sadly, less than 1% of those who want to ever do. It's difficult to sit down, put your thoughts into words and publish a book.鈥�

Students Use Publishing to Strengthen Professional Brands

Personal branding communicates a person鈥檚 strengths as a means of service, and publishing a book is a key step in building that brand. Students were encouraged to write about topics they were both passionate and knowledgeable about.

Emma Reale, a senior marketing major from Westerville, Ohio, published a book entitled 鈥�.鈥� Drawing from her experience with journaling, Reale hopes to encourage others to embrace reflective writing as a tool for personal and spiritual growth.

鈥淢y goal when writing the book was to help people get over the mental block of journaling and to go from seeing it as a task to seeing it as therapeutic and intentionally investing in their growth one small step at a time,鈥� said Reale. 鈥淕od created us so uniquely that everything we have gone through and everything we do is worth noticing and growing from. I believe every person has a story and a life worth documenting.鈥�

Cedarville Course Teaches Writing, Editing and Book Design

Throughout the course, students experienced the full publishing process, including writing, editing, peer and faculty feedback and book cover design. Fultz and Oberbrunner emphasized that personal branding is not rooted in self-promotion but in service and purpose. Using the example of a medical professional with the skills to help a sick person, they challenged students to view their personal brand as the gift they use to serve others.

鈥淲e serve others best when we let them know how our Lord has equipped us to serve,鈥� said Fultz.

Student Authors Connect Personal Brand With Purpose

Students said the course redefined how they thought about their personal brand and pushed them outside their comfort zones to share their writing publicly.

鈥淭aking the course helped me view my personal brand not only as a reputation but as a consistent character and set of values,鈥� said Reale. 鈥淚've been more intentional with how I perceive myself and my brand so that I can be more genuine and intentional with my brand's perception to others. My confidence in the character traits God has gifted me with has increased since writing my book.鈥�

As these new authors share their ideas with the world, they show how personal branding through publishing can position them in the job market as service-minded professionals.

Cedarville Students Published Books on Faith, Business, Culture and Personal Growth

Students completing books in addition to Reale were:

• Weslin Alejo of West Lafayette, Indiana, wrote 鈥淨uiet Wealth: Why Your Name Is Your Biggest Asset鈥�

• Ema Bakalli of Albania wrote 鈥淏etween Cultures: A Guide for International Students鈥�

• Joel Bakalli of Albania wrote 鈥淎nchored: Understanding and Defending Your Faith鈥�

• Danielle Cherry of Germany wrote 鈥淐hange: Initiative, Impact, and Imprint鈥�

• Carrie Denlinger of Arcanum, Ohio wrote 鈥淔aithful Fashion: Sewing Together the Relationship Between Clothing and Christianity"

• Ingrid Erickson of Milford, Ohio, wrote 鈥淭he Grind: Why Work Is a Blessing From the Lord, Not a Necessary Evil鈥�

• Roberto Esquivel Morales of Mexico wrote 鈥淟eaving Paradise: Leave Comfort, Pursue Calling鈥�

• Lauren Foster of Grove City, Ohio, wrote 鈥淕enerational Divide: Bridging the Communication Gap and Creating Meaningful Connections鈥�

• Karol Lopez-Ramirez of South Bend, Indiana, wrote 鈥淔inding God in Every Corner of the World鈥�

• Jenna McAllister of Medina, Ohio, wrote 鈥淪leep as Stewardship: The 7-Day Devotional on Restoring Your Body, Renewing Your Mind, and Trusting God in a Restless World鈥�

• Isabel Oberbrunner of Lewis Center, Ohio, wrote 鈥淔aith That Speaks: Sharing the Gospel Naturally in Everyday Life鈥�

• Keegan Oberbrunner of Lewis Center, Ohio, wrote 鈥淭he Dummy鈥檚 Guide To Starting Your Landscaping Business: How To Make Real Money Outdoors鈥�

• Claire Robey of Lebanon, Ohio, wrote 鈥淪incerely: Reviving the Lost Art of Letter Writing鈥�

• Elmor Rodriguez of Columbus, Ohio, wrote 鈥淧rotecting Your Heart, Volume 1鈥�

• Caleb Strunk of Norfolk, Virginia, wrote 鈥淭he Call: Making a Gospel Impact in the Waterfowl Community鈥�

• Cassidy Thompson of Ruskin, Florida, wrote 鈥淥verwhelmed to Confident: Stop Stressing, Choose Purposefully, Enjoy Your Photos鈥�

• Ray Tillar of Westerville, Ohio, wrote 鈥淓xposing: Where Feelings Are Remembered in Words and Addressed in the Light鈥�

About 糖心Vlog

糖心Vlog, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation鈥檚 top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal鈥檚 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.