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Dave Connis ‘11

Dave Connis ’11Creativity in the Chaos

During his senior year at Covenant, Dave Connis ‘11 was facing a severe bout of “senioritis,” and, instead of studying for exams, picked up the Harry Potter books for the first time. He laughingly notes that he would not recommend this method to current students; however, he credits the “book hangover” after finishing the books as instrumental to his decision to pursue writing. The best way to cure the book hangover, he determined, would be to write his own book. From 2011 to 2015, Dave began to consider what it would look like to become an author, and, in 2015, he secured an agent to begin sending his manuscript to publishers. His first two novels, The Temptation of Adam (2017) and Suggested Reading (2019), were poignant and successful young adult novels, and his trajectory as an author seemed clear.

In 2017, though, Dave’s writing progress was suspended by the death of his father. He felt like he had lost both his passion for the creative process, as well as his desire to write. By 2021, Dave’s creative process began to return, and, with it, a new model and focus for his writing: he wanted to write “stories of wonder, whimsy, and worth.” 

These three words encapsulated Dave’s stories once he began writing again. He would write stories of wonder that inspired readers with their intricate worlds and characters; stories of whimsy, which offered a funny, lighthearted, and unexpected take on the world; and stories of worth, which highlighted the value of every person as an individual made in the image of God. Here his faith intersected joyfully with his authorship. 

Dave’s passion for stories that reflect his faith is evidenced by his foray into picture books. In 2021, after reading a host of picture books with his three children, Dave started hunting for books that were fun and silly, but also talked about Jesus. He discovered that these books were difficult to find—so he started writing his own. With input from his friends Matt Brown ‘05, Professor Scott Jones, John-Michael Forman ‘10, and Andrew Alms ‘10, Dave wrote a fun, sweet, and theologically accurate picture book. The Inventions of God (and Eva) and The Stories of God (and Kiki) were published in 2021 and 2022, respectively, after Dave found a publisher who was excited about his mission.

Today, Dave splits his time between his work as a remote UX Designer at Out Systems, a web application company, and his current book, a historical fantasy set in 18th-century Italy. Despite the chaos of work, family, and writing, he focuses on writing for an hour daily, and he notes how thankful he is for the flexibility in his job, which allows him time to write and time to balance family life. “The most important thing,” he notes, “is that you continue to show up–persistence is the most important.” Dave’s stories offer a valuable reminder that our creativity and stories matter, and that wonder, whimsy, and worth can describe both the things that we read and the way that we perceive the world.

Graduate School of Education

Undergraduate Departments, Majors, Minors, Certificates, Concentrations, and Programs

Academic Certificates

  • Arts Administration
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability
  • Journalism and Society
  • Medical Ethics Consultation
  • Neuroscience
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Art

  • Art, 2-D Concentration 
  • Art, 3-D Concentration 
  • Art, Art History Concentration 
  • Art, Graphic Design Concentration 
  • Art, Photography Concentration 
  • Art minor
  • Art History minor

Biblical & Theological Studies

  • Biblical & Theological Studies 
  • Biblical & Theological Studies, Missions Concentration 
  • Biblical & Theological Studies minor
  • Biblical Languages minor
  • History of Christianity minor
  • Missions minor
  • Youth Ministry minor

Biology

  • Biology, Biomedical Concentration 
  • Biology, Environmental Concentration 
  • Biology, General 
  • Biology, Health Professions Concentration 
  • Biology minor

Business

  • Business 
  • Business, Accounting Concentration 
  • Business, Finance Concentration 
  • Business, Marketing Concentration 
  • Sport Management 
  • Business minor
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Chemistry

  • Chemistry, Biochemistry Concentration 
  • Chemistry, General 
  • Biochemistry minor
  • Chemistry minor

Community Development

  • Community Development 
  • Community Development minor

Computer Science

  • Computer Science 
  • Computer Science minor

Economics

  • Economics 
  • Economics minor

Education

  • Education Studies 
  • Elementary Education (P-5) 
  • Secondary Education Certifications through MAT program 
  • Education minor

Engineering 3:2 Program

  • Natural Science, Pre-Engineering Studies Concentration

English

  • English 
  • English, Writing Concentration 
  • English minor
  • Writing minor

Health, Wellness and Coaching

  • Coaching minor

History, Politics, and International Studies

  • History 
  • History, Art History Concentration 
  • Political Science 
  • International Studies 
  • History minor
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Interdisciplinary Studies

  • Interdisciplinary Studies with Concentrations 

Mathematics

  • Mathematics 
  • Mathematics minor

Music

  • Music, Church Music Concentration 
  • Music, Creative Studies Concentration 
  • Music, General Music Concentration 
  • Music, Instrumental Performance Concentration 
  • Music, Music Education (Pre-MAT) Concentration 
  • Music, Organ Performance Concentration 
  • Music, Piano Pedagogy Concentration 
  • Music, Piano Performance Concentration 
  • Music, Vocal Performance Concentration 
  • Music minor

Philosophy

  • Philosophy 
  • Philosophy minor

Physics

  • Physics 
  • Physics minor

Pre-Professional Programs

  • Pre-Law Studies 
  • Pre-Medical Studies 
  • Pre-Nursing Studies 
  • Pre-Physical Therapy Studies 

Psychology

  • Psychology 
  • Psychology minor

Sociology

  • Sociology 
  • Sociology, Family Studies & Social Work Concentration 
  • Sociology minor

Theatre

  • Theatre minor

World Languages

  • French 
  • Spanish 
  • French minor
  • Spanish minor