Distinguished Service Award
Born on April 7, 1948, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Tom Paulsen’s life has been marked by faith, service, education, and unexpected blessings. His birth mother, a single parent, placed him for adoption, and in January 1949 he was adopted by Art and Betty Paulsen. Before the age of two, Tom began what would become a lifetime of travel as his father served as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Prior to enrolling at Wheaton Academy at age 15, he lived in Japan, Taiwan, Germany, and several locations throughout the United States. These experiences fostered an appreciation for different cultures and a lifelong love of geography and history.
Although Tom grew up as an only child, a remarkable chapter unfolded in January 2020 when his birth family located him. He discovered he had eight half-siblings and experienced the joy of both being called “brother” and calling others “brother” and “sister” for the first time.
Tom’s parents ensured that he heard the Gospel from an early age, and at age nine he responded to the Holy Spirit’s call to place his faith in Jesus Christ. His spiritual journey has been one of continual growth in Christ, and he considers his years at Wheaton Academy an important part of that journey.
Tom arrived at Wheaton Academy in August 1963, sight unseen, for football camp. Living in the dormitory for three years, he developed lifelong friendships while growing intellectually and spiritually under the influence of teachers and coaches who were committed to discipling young people for God’s Kingdom.
Following graduation, Tom attended Wheaton College on an ROTC scholarship with plans to follow his father’s path into military service. However, a career-ending injury altered those plans. While at Wheaton, he met Carole, and the two were married in June 1969. With Carole’s encouragement, Tom pursued a career in education. After a week of student teaching at Wheaton North High School in 1974, he knew he had found his calling. Following teaching positions in Maine Township District 207 and East Aurora District 131, he joined Naperville Central High School and spent the next 24 years serving students in Naperville District 203.
Tom and Carole raised three daughters during nearly 50 years of marriage before Carole went home to be with the Lord in August 2018. They attended Wheaton Evangelical Free Church for nearly two decades and later College Church in Wheaton from 1992 until Tom relocated to Greensboro, North Carolina, in 2022.
The past several years have brought new beginnings. In addition to building relationships with six of his newly discovered siblings, Tom met Lonnie Blumenthal, a widow from Greensboro, through an online introduction. Noticing that Tom had attended Wheaton College, Lonnie, a Taylor University graduate, hoped they might share a common faith. They soon discovered they did, and after a brief courtship they were married in May 2022. In a memorable proposal, Tom asked Lonnie to marry him during a sunrise hot-air-balloon ride over Cappadocia, Turkey. Today, Tom considers it a special blessing to be embraced by Lonnie’s three children and to enjoy this new season of family, faith, and fellowship.
Tom and family at the wedding of daughter Katie (Paulsen ‘06) and Nick Baumgartner in September ‘24.