[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/alumni\/alumna-spotlight-moriah-hagel-living-out-faith-through-career-ministry-and-writing\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/alumni\/alumna-spotlight-moriah-hagel-living-out-faith-through-career-ministry-and-writing\/","headline":"Alumna Spotlight: Moriah Hagel Living Out Faith Through Career, Ministry and Writing","name":"Alumna Spotlight: Moriah Hagel Living Out Faith Through Career, Ministry and Writing","description":"Moriah Hagel accepts the Distinguished Alumna Award. Moriah Hagel, a 2016 graduate of Faulkner University, continues to live out her faith through her career, ministry and writing. She was recently honored at the 2026 Marketplace Faith Friday Forums as the…","datePublished":"2026-04-07","dateModified":"2026-04-08","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/author\/rburylo\/#Person","name":"Rebecca Burylo","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/author\/rburylo\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37a0c97fbd1eda89e38697defcaf0573?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37a0c97fbd1eda89e38697defcaf0573?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Faulkner University","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","width":480,"height":128}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/MPFF_Awards_2026_15-scaled.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/MPFF_Awards_2026_15-scaled.jpg","height":1982,"width":2560},"url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/alumni\/alumna-spotlight-moriah-hagel-living-out-faith-through-career-ministry-and-writing\/","about":["Alumni","Highlights","News"],"wordCount":470,"articleBody":"Moriah Hagel accepts the Distinguished Alumna Award. Moriah Hagel, a 2016 graduate of Faulkner University, continues to live out her faith through her career, ministry and writing. She was recently honored at the 2026 Marketplace Faith Friday Forums as the Distinguished Alumna for the College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Social and Behavioral Science department.Hagel earned a degree in social science with an emphasis in political science. She completed her coursework in December 2016 and participated in commencement ceremonies in May 2017, when the university held a single annual graduation.Today, she serves as a paralegal at River Region Law Firm in Wetumpka, Alabama, where she assists clients with estate planning. Hagel said one of the most meaningful aspects of her work is the environment.\u201cMy favorite part is the people I work with and being in a Christian environment where I can pray with others,\u201d she said.In addition to her professional role, Hagel is actively involved in ministry and outreach. She co-founded the Seasons Young Adult Conference, an annual event designed to encourage individuals in their 20s and 30s. This year\u2019s conference is scheduled for Sept. 25-26.Hagel is also an accomplished author. She published her first Bible study, \u201cFirst and Forever: Singleness in Ephesians,\u201d in 2017. Her second book, \u201cAlignment: God\u2019s Will or Mine,\u201d was released in 2024. Her third book, \u201cTo Live: Finding the Mind of Christ,\u201d is set to be released later this year.Reflecting on her time at Faulkner, Hagel described her experience as transformative both academically and spiritually.\u201cI had a very good experience while I was at Faulkner University,\u201d she said. \u201cThere were Bible studies that broke out my last full year there and we got to watch exciting things happen.\u201dShe also credited the university\u2019s emphasis on internships with helping prepare her for her career. Hagel completed an internship with the Foundation for Moral Law, where she gained firsthand experience in a legal setting.Hagel pointed to several professors who played a key role in shaping her faith and work ethic.\u201cGrover Plunkett, Brenda Turner, and Jon Podine were probably the most influential professors I took at Faulkner when it came to my faith because of what they said and how they lived,\u201d Hagel said. \u201cDr. Ed Hicks and Grover Plunkett both expected the best out of me, which I wanted to give them.\u00a0 That encouraged a good work ethic and to strive for excellence, which has helped me as a professional in the workplace.\u00a0 Dr. Hicks, would not let me settle for anything less than an \u2018A\u2019 because he knew I could do better on my forty-page paper.\u00a0 I rewrote it three times and afterwards he nominated me for the Social Science award.\u201dHagel said those experiences instilled in her a commitment to hard work and excellence that continues to guide her today."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Alumni","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/\/alumni\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Alumna Spotlight: Moriah Hagel Living Out Faith Through Career, Ministry and Writing","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/alumni\/alumna-spotlight-moriah-hagel-living-out-faith-through-career-ministry-and-writing\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]