By Hope Edwards
Class of 2026

As an entrepreneur and lifelong adventurist, Crown Alumnus Bernard “Gene” Iserman values relationships, new and old. He received his associate’s degree in music from Crown in 2010 and his bachelor’s degree in business in 2012. Since then, he has worked in various fields and started multiple businesses. He has traveled all over the country, including a notable kayaking trip down the Mississippi River in 2011, and Gene continues to live life as an adventure.

After an excellent high school football season in his junior year, Gene entered his senior year with a lot of potential. The first game back, however, he tore his ACL. Not willing to be sidelined for the season, he avoided going to the doctor and pushed through the injury, playing in a different position six weeks later. After football came basketball season, then baseball season, and he played through each one.

Gene followed in his brother’s footsteps and applied to Crown, and his decision to attend was largely driven by the efforts of his recruiter, Tom Richards (2007). Richards made it easy for Gene to integrate with Crown, helping him with financial grants and keeping in constant communication. When Gene began playing football at Crown, he was on special teams while dealing with a recurring injury. During his freshman year, he reinjured his knee and was out for the season, this time seeking medical help for recovery. Stuck on the sidelines and with a mind full of football knowledge, he was asked to be the game announcer during his sophomore year. He had fun calling the games – possibly too much fun, according to some coaches. Gene said, “They wanted me to be boring, and I couldn’t do it.”

At Crown, Gene first pursued music, for which he had a strong passion, and took guitar lessons from Dr. Bill Kuhn (1992). Kuhn also taught his Spiritual Leadership and Development course. They had weekly meetings that made Gene thankful. “He [Dr. Kuhn] was very wise in his counsel,” Gene said. “He saw things that I didn’t see at the time, so I really appreciated him.” There were many other people at Crown that impacted him as well, such as Dr. George Gianoulis and Dr. Jay Steele. Both professors are now Crown Emeriti. Gene described them as people with big hearts – Dr. Gianoulis had a kindness that not everyone saw, and Dr. Steele connected with him through humorous back-and-forth banter. Gene said that it was always, ‘how far can I go?’ with Dr. Steele, and all in good fun.

Another aspect of pleasure at Crown was spending time with friends and roommates. One Christmas, his roommates had a decorating competition versus a group of female residents, who considered themselves the “most Christmas-y.” The women cut out stars, streamers, even a “Merry Christmas” banner, going for a sentimental sway over the professors who had come out to judge. Meanwhile, the men went for a shock factor to wow the judges, stringing up thousands of lights and a dozen Christmas trees. The heat from the lights could be felt radiating off the walls – and they won. These sorts of shenanigans were some of the most relationship-building experiences Gene had at Crown and remain among his most meaningful memories.

Gene easily made friends at Crown with all sorts of people, making it difficult to name everyone who impacted him. Socializing made him want to do less homework, but he knew he needed to maintain his education, and he had good friends to keep him accountable. He enjoyed spending time with people in student development, the coffee shop, and the dining hall. The overall impact of staff and students gave Gene a holistic perspective.

“We often judge books by their covers, but when you start to uncover people of all ages, with all interests, it reveals the depth of their character and knowledge, and they’re interesting,” Gene said. “They show a genuine level of kindness, humility, and Christ-likeness, and I realized there is value in everyone in every place. Crown was a great place to grow in appreciation for the body of Christ.”

In his time at Crown, Gene said his relationship with God was solidified, grounding him like an anchor as he dove deep into exploring who God was. Today, in moments when he feels distant or distracted, Gene goes back to his experiences, where he has tangible proof that God is there. Between his junior and senior year, he took a kayaking trip down the Mississippi River, during which his relationship with God was deepened as he learned to depend on Him more. Gene often looks back on that experience and remembers that God is there. This truth remained his anchor through various chapters of his life.

Gene engaged in many new ventures after college. He started a small landscaping business, then worked in insurance sales, which took him through 12 different states and allowed him to experience much of the country. Next, he became a realtor and began flipping houses, then he bought equipment to start snow removal and excavating. He started a company building software for small businesses, and it was at this point that he realized he was spreading himself too thin. Though he wanted to do it all, he passed off some responsibilities and focused on growing his current business. Today, Gene runs an excavating business called Iserman Contracting and Excavating. They do all sorts of projects, from installing footings and foundations to concrete work and more. His goal is to grow a successful business that lasts long into the future.

Gene promotes dreaming bigger, a life lesson he learned through the stages of growth. “At the end of the day, whether you’re working for your paycheck or doing big things, you are putting in the same amount of effort. You’ll end up in a wildly different place if you don’t hold yourself back,” he said. “Be willing to go after that thing that is bigger, whether in business, missions, or another area. Solve bigger problems. Make bigger impacts. We need to solve bigger problems than the everyday problems, and that comes down to thinking differently.”