Trevecca awarded Stephen Bargatze an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree during its Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 2. A 1984 Trevecca graduate, Bargatze has made his mark on the entertainment world as a magician, comedian and motivational speaker.
Having been left with a speech impediment from a childhood accident, Bargatze found a home at Trevecca where he was supported and challenged to find his calling.
“God brought me here to find my purpose and that is what Trevecca is all about, helping people find their purpose,” he said. “It was the professors here who gave me a chance. When no one believed in me, this school believed in me.”
In addition to receiving multiple awards for both comedy and magic, he is also well-known as the father of Nate Bargatze, a comedian who has found success through Netflix specials and sold-out tours nationwide. Stephen has opened for Nate frequently to the delight of audiences everywhere.
—Rebekah Warren, Senior Copywriter, Office of Marketing and Communications at Trevecca Nazarene University – www.trevecca.edu
