[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/don-gilliam-a-life-of-faith-service-and-mentorship\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/don-gilliam-a-life-of-faith-service-and-mentorship\/","headline":"Don Gilliam: A Life of Faith, Service, and Mentorship","name":"Don Gilliam: A Life of Faith, Service, and Mentorship","description":"As a young boy, Don Gilliam would often see his father in the family living room sitting with a Bible open on his lap. The well-worn leather of the book bore witness to the life that his father would live.…","datePublished":"2025-02-25","dateModified":"2025-03-03","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\/Don-Gilliam-AOY2025-scaled.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Don-Gilliam-AOY2025-scaled.jpg","height":1634,"width":2560},"url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/don-gilliam-a-life-of-faith-service-and-mentorship\/","about":["Alumni","Community","Highlights","News"],"wordCount":625,"articleBody":"As a young boy, Don Gilliam would often see his father in the family living room sitting with a Bible open on his lap. The well-worn leather of the book bore witness to the life that his father would live. As Don watched his father\u2019s steady hand move across the pages, he saw not just a man reading words, but a man living them \u2014 in how he treated his family, how he spoke, how he loved, and how he served.Now, years later, Gilliam continues to strive to embody that same strength, seeking to be a man after God\u2019s own heart, just as his father was. For more than 33 years, he has shared the lessons he learned from his father and other Christian mentors, passing them on to students at Alabama Christian Academy(ACA), where he has serves as a teacher and coach.\u201cMy dad was a major influence on my life,\u201d Gilliam said. \u201cHe taught me about Christ, how to love Christ, and modeled what a Christian husband, father, employee, and family should look like. I love teaching because now I have the opportunity to pour into my kids at school and teach them about Christ and how to be productive Christian people.\u201dIt\u2019s this passion for teaching and his strong Christian values that led Gilliam to receive the 2025 Alumnus of the Year Award at Faulkner University\u2019s Marketplace Faith Friday Forums, held on February 21.\u201cI\u2019ve lived a blessed life. I am so humbled by this recognition,\u201d Gilliam said.Gilliam, who grew up in Prattville, was familiar with Faulkner University.  Thanks to a baseball scholarship. He met his wife, Kelli, and the two have been married for 32 years. They have a son Devin who is a Physical Therapist in Birmingham.While at Faulkner, Gilliam met Donnie Hilliard, a long-time minister, teacher, and marriage counselor. Hilliard, who served as the director of the Cloverdale Center for Family Strengths at Faulkner, became a mentor to Gilliam.\u201cDonnie poured into me when I was in school,\u201d Gilliam said. When I needed it most, \u201cDonnie taught me how to lead others.\u201dGilliam also formed lifelong friendships with Marty Walker, Steve Tindoll, Tim Lee, and Billy Camp, and is still friends with today.After his final year of baseball eligibility, Gilliam remained at Faulkner to complete his bachelor\u2019s degree.  He also worked as a graduate assistant for baseball coach Jerry Green.Upon graduation, Gilliam\u2019s friend Chris Goodman suggested he apply for a position at Alabama Christian Academy. In 1991, Gilliam began teaching at ACA and has been there ever since.\u201cEvery day has been a blessing,\u201d Gilliam said. \u201cI don\u2019t consider this a job. I just consider myself a part of ACA. Sometimes I just pinch myself and can\u2019t believe I have the blessing of serving this way every day.\u201dOver the years, Gilliam has coached football, baseball, and basketball while teaching middle school Bible classes, PE classes, and Personal Finance classes. He also founded the WeServe program, which helps students find volunteer opportunities in the River Region.\u201cIt\u2019s great to see students who want to serve others over themselves,\u201d Gilliam said. \u201cI want to teach my students that it\u2019s better to give than to receive. We have volunteered at so many different organizations throughout the six years since I began WeServe.\u201dGilliam is also a faithful member of Landmark Church of Christ, where he serves as a deacon over small groups. His commitment to his faith, his students, and his community continues to inspire those around him.\u201cTeaching is about making a difference in the lives of students,\u201d Gilliam said. \u201cIt\u2019s about showing them how to live for something greater than themselves.\u201dDon and Kelli Gilliam"},{"@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":"Don Gilliam: A Life of Faith, Service, and Mentorship","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/don-gilliam-a-life-of-faith-service-and-mentorship\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]