Class Year           

2011

Hometown           

Owyhee County, Idaho

Major   

Elementary Education

Minor   

Sociology

Activities             

Orientation Team, ballroom dancing, spending time with my wonderful family and friends, baking/cooking, mentoring and tutoring children, reading, writing, spending time alone on the ranch

Favorite place on campus               

Founders--Caledon and 2^nd Lobby

Honors received at Covenant        

Dean's List

Why did you choose Covenant?    

It was more of God choosing Covenant for me.  When I first visited Covenant I didn't believe it would be right for me.  However, God had a different plan - He began to really open my heart to Covenant and paved the way financially for me to attend.

How is Covenant unique?               

Covenant's community makes it unique from other colleges.  It is not perfect, but then again nothing is.  However, I have always been impressed by how the motto "In all things Christ preeminent," is not merely a slogan that sounds good, but it is truly lived out in the lives of the faculty, staff and students.  Also, having upperclassmen mixed with underclassmen really helps to foster the community found at Covenant.  The older students help to mentor the underclassmen and a great sense of camaraderie is created from this.

What has been your favorite experience at Covenant?          

Living on Caledon, my hall, has been a wonderful experience for me.  The girls have surrounded me and shown me what it means to live dependent upon the love and grace of God.  My freshman year, one of the senior girls used to gather us together for times of prayer and praise.  Those were wonderful times of worship.  I still love attending prayer and praise on the hall and our building's prayer and praise times.  They have really shaped a lot of my time at Covenant.

What is your favorite class?          

There have been too many to choose just one!  I thoroughly enjoyed taking Old Testament with Dr. Jones and New Testament with Dr. MacDougall.  They helped the Bible come alive for me in ways that it never had before.  I was able to better understand the cultural and historical foundations of the Bible and to gain a better picture of the cohesiveness of the Old and New Testaments.  I came away with a fuller picture and deeper appreciation for our God.  Cultural Heritage of the West I & II (fondly known as CHOW) with Dr. Davis were wonderful because they helped me to see beyond the worldview I hold and understand it better.  I have a better understanding of history and how thinking has changed over the years.  Finally, Teaching in a Pluralistic Society (TIPS) with Dr. Haddad.  This was a challenging class as it made me really think about how I thought about diversity in the classroom and the world.  I came away with an appreciation for the variety God has created in the world.

What's your favorite part of the day at Covenant?   

I love reading my Bible in the mornings with a cup of coffee, sitting at my desk watching the students as they travel to their 8:00 am classes in Jackson and the Art Barn.  One of my roommates has a black chair that I sit in while reading, praying and watching the passersby.  It is wonderfully quiet and peaceful, perfect to meditate upon the goodness of God!

What are your post-graduation plans?       

Upon graduation, I hope to obtain a teaching position in a rural school in the West.  I was raised in a small, rural ranching community and that is where my heart lies.  I also hope to obtain my master's degree in special education, concentrating in mental/emotional disorders.

How is Covenant equipping you for the future?       

Covenant has taught me how to embrace the universal church.  Sometimes I think we tend to get stuck in thinking that there is only one way to live the Christian life, but there isn't.  The Lord has called us each to something different, with different problems, weaknesses, strengths and blessings.  I am able to see people more as what they are--beautiful creations of the great Creator.  It has strengthened my faith and allowed me to realize that there is nothing wrong with how God created me.  He created me as I am, a woman with flaws and sins, but one who is the fullest when living in His will.

Suggestions when visiting Covenant

Talk to the people on the hall where you're staying.  Visit a class or two. Talk to the faculty and students in the department you're interested in.