Standout was started by the enrollment team at Andrews University, specifically Maria Long who was the recruiter for Public High School students, in 2006. Her vision and leadership made the first Standout a success. The second year of Standout, Elia King spearheaded the event with an able assistant, Kevin Bowen (you may know him as TKO’s improv guy).  Kevin and friend, Tim Nelson, have contributed to Standout every year since, for now it is certain that Standout wouldn’t be Standout without them.
 
In its third year, Andrea Jakobsons became the Standout director and along with a planning team and the help of the enrollment team, has organized the Standout events for the past 4 years.  Standout’s mission and vision have been shaping through these past years and although we have tackled various themes each year (Be Set In Motion 2010, Make God Famous 2009, Tap into the Power of God 2008), our focus has been on providing a community that allows young people to learn about God in an atmosphere of true fellowship. Standout has been growing as students and youth leaders from different states have arrived every April for the past 6 years.  

In 2010, Standout made an important move to partner with CYE (Center for Youth Evangelism) for all future events. Moreover, several organizations and departments have agreed to add their sponsorship to the cause: The Lake Union Youth and Young Adult Chapter, Andrews University Campus Ministries, Lake Union ASI, and Country Life. These partnerships and sponsors largely contribute to the success of the event.