Sandra Bolerjack Foster (’66) has devoted her life to Christ-centered teaching, servant leadership, and the formation of generations of students at Point Loma. A 1966 Pasadena College graduate with a B.A. in Home Economics, Sandy went on to earn a master’s degree at Texas Tech University and spent two years teaching high school before returning to her alma mater as a faculty member in 1970.
Following Pasadena College’s relocation to San Diego in 1973, Sandy was named chair of the Home Economics Department and helped guide the program through a season of significant growth. Colleagues recall her as a visionary leader who expanded course offerings and strengthened the department’s long-term direction with both excellence and clarity. She also played a key role in developing what is now Family and Consumer Sciences, including the Child Development major and a preschool lab school that continues to serve students today.
Sandy’s influence reached far beyond the classroom. Over decades of service, she was widely respected across campus for her academic integrity, collaborative spirit, and deep commitment to Christian higher education. She served on many major faculty committees and was known for mentoring colleagues and strengthening the campus community, including planning and leading faculty retreats. Her impact is still felt through the faculty members she taught and mentored, many of whom describe themselves as her protégées, and through signature learning experiences that continue to shape PLNU’s Child Development programs.
Former students speak most often about Sandy’s personal investment in their lives. Many recall her warmth, her storytelling approach to teaching, and the way she helped students connect their vocation to a calling to serve children and families with faithfulness and purpose. Sandy and her husband, Ben, who received the Distinguished Achievement Award in 2018, have also been known for hospitality and lifelong relationships with students and alumni, extending care well beyond graduation.
Sandy retired from teaching in 2008 after nearly four decades of extraordinary service and was honored as faculty emeritus. She and Ben reside in San Diego and remain faithful supporters of PLNU’s mission and community.