Activities: Treasurer of the Centurions (SPU's Christian Men's Service and Discipleship Club)
Hometown: Enumclaw, Washington
What is something you wish everyone knew about your major? Psychology is more than sitting on a leather couch and talking about your feelings. Psychology helps us learn how and why ɬÀï·¬ behave the way they do and provides us with skills that can improve the lives of anyone we meet. You don't need to be a psychology major to learn these valuable skills!.
What was your most impactful class or professor? I would like to thank Dr. Michael Langford for helping me consider the intersections between faith and science and discern what part I play in advancing God's kingdom. In his theology classes, I have wrestled with my own preconceived notions of who God is, what it means to be a Christian, and how I should value and serve other ɬÀï·¬. These experiences have shown me how I can integrate my faith with my knowledge of psychology, drastically increasing the amount of love and compassion that I show towards others and increasing my courage and confidence to point ɬÀï·¬ towards the source of my love and compassion.
What are you excited for in your future career? Too many ɬÀï·¬ suffer because they have grown up in broken, neglectful, or disparaging families. I'm excited to go out into my community and work directly with families, helping them learn to overcome their differences, focus on loving each other more, and work together for the good of the whole family.
What advice do you have for incoming students? Focus on building your own community and social support system. Get to know the students in your Orientation group and dorm floor, join a club, and attend campus events. You need a couple of meaningful social interactions each week to maintain your psychological well-being. Make sure to find a group of friends that you can have fun with and turn to when life gets rough.
How have you grown during your time at SPU? My time at SPU has been a journey of maturation and self-discovery. When I started my journey at SPU, I was a nervous high school graduate with only a vague idea of what I wanted to do with my life. Over the course of my college career, I have learned more about who I am and how I want to interact with the world through various classes, spiritual reflections, and leadership opportunities. I am leaving SPU as a stronger man of God, confident in my calling and eager to spread love and compassion to the communities that need it the most.