I had to write a senior reflection as part of my final for my capstone class. if you're not familiar with SPU, some of the terms (UCOR, UFDN, FCS, etc) may be unfamiliar, they're just classes I've taken. FCS stands for Family and Consumer Science which is the department my major is in.
So, here it is. The last four years of my life. Summed up in two, single-spaced pages.
Senior Reflection Paper
Throughout
the last four years I’ve grown in more ways than I thought possible:
academically, spiritually, and emotionally, just to name a few. It’s difficult
to put my experiences, lessons and dreams into words and to quantify it all in
a matter of two pages. While at college, I’ve learned so much and have
accomplished more than I ever thought I could. But let’s back up, shall we? My
name is Chandler Birky. I am a senior at Seattle Pacific University, and will
graduate in June with a degree in Fashion Merchandising. I was born and raised
in Salem, OR, but have lived in Olympia, WA since I was 13. I’ve been at SPU
since I was a freshman, and have never looked back. Let me explain that. I
applied to three different universities, two of which were in California. When
I was a senior in high school, I was convinced I was going to go to an
out-of-state school. After I had been accepted into all three schools, I
started to panic; worried I’d end up making the wrong decision. I remember
someone along the way telling me, “you’re going to like wherever you end up
going. College is what you make of it.” That advice has stuck with me even four
years later, and guess what? They were right. After doing overnight visits,
comparing scholarship offers and major programs, and some soul-searching, I
ended up choosing SPU. I never considered transferring anywhere else and am
truly satisfied with my undergraduate education and everything I’ve been able
to experience.
Attending
college is beneficial for many reasons. Perhaps one of the most obvious is to
receive an education. Throughout my education, I’ve identified what my passions
and strengths are, as well as what I don’t enjoy. As a result, I will hopefully
find a job or vocation that matches my personality. Traditionally, vocation has
been synonymous with a career. But perhaps vocation is more closely related to
a calling. For example, in the article “Toward the Fullness of Life”, Marie
Dennis describes vocation (particularly Christian vocation) as “not so much
about a career as about a call to the fullness of life – an invitation not to
leave the world, but to embrace it” (Dennis, 2011). This is very similar to
SPU’s motto: Engaging the culture, changing the world. As Christians, we are
called to love others and spread the Gospel. This can be done in many different
ways. Whether it’s on the mission field or in an office cubicle, we are to
engage the culture in how we treat other people, striving to show others the
grace and love Christ has shown us. The article also discusses how vocations
relate to an individual’s values and authenticity. A vocation should be a
reflection of what one is passionate about. Thus, my future vocation will
involve helping people and improving lives in some shape or form. In practical
terms, I am not 100% sure how my vision will materialize itself. Since my major
is fashion merchandising, and I am passionate about clothing, I would love to
do something that involves both clothing and some type of non-profit
organization. Since I’ve only recently
had this idea, I haven’t done a ton of research into it, but an organization
like Dress For Success, which helps low-income women with dressing
professionally for interviews, would be a good place to start. Or perhaps my
vocation will primarily focus on helping people and improving lives, and
fashion will be secondary. What is
important is that I have a direction, however, I am unsure of where I will end
up. But who really has it figured out at age 21 anyway?
When
I entered SPU as a freshman, I identified myself as Christian. I didn’t really
need to think twice about it; I was raised in a Christian home and went to all
the camps and retreats possible growing up. I knew I wanted to go to a
university that emphasized Christianity so I could grow even more in my faith.
So much so, that I didn’t even apply to a “secular” school. That being said, my
faith has been stretched in ways I couldn’t have imagined in college. My faith
journey has had its less fruitful, even doubtful, periods. But that is natural,
in fact: it’s healthy. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in
college is to question. For the most part, before I came to college, I just
accepted what my teachers, pastors, and mentors have said. Only when I was in a
new environment filled with new surroundings, people, and ideas did I begin to
examine what I had once been taught. I believe not taking things at face value
and instead looking deeper into an issue/topic is a sign of maturity. Peter
Abelard, 12th Century French philosopher and theologian, once said:
“the key to wisdom is this – constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting
we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.” From my
experience, the periods of heaviest doubts have led to the greatest leaps in
faith. The more I experience God’s grace daily, the more I am motivated and
drawn to replicate that grace in my own life. I feel a sense of moral
obligation to help those less fortunate than I am. Whatever my vocation ends up
being, I hope I am able to positively impact the lives of individuals and
families.
Even
though I’ve majored in fashion merchandising, I’ve taken a wide range of
classes ranging from subjects in fashion, literature, religion, science,
philosophy, and psychology. Throughout the common curriculum, I’ve taken
classes unique to SPU including USEM, UCOR, and UFDN. In UFDN classes, I’ve
been exposed to the history of Christianity, as well as Scriptures and
theology. These are somewhat self-explanatory in subject matter, but nevertheless
are important to understand as the origins of Christianity influence our life
and how we live 2,000 years later. One of the most difficult classes in the
common curriculum for me was UCOR 3000: Belief, Morality and the Modern Mind. I
had never taken a philosophy course before, and a majority of the material was
difficult to digest. For example, questions such as the different views of
hell, creation, etc. were questions that I hadn’t even thought of, or at least
in much depth. I’ve realized throughout college, that although I am valuable
and have worth as human, I am an insignificant blip on the time spectrum.
Throughout the exploratory curriculum, I’ve taken classes such as Literature
and Faith, Animal Biology, and Spanish. Literature and Faith was one of the
first classes I took my freshman year, and helped me to see literature in a
different faith-based perspective. Animal Biology was interesting because it
was taught from a creationism standpoint rather than an evolutionary
standpoint. The most impactful class in terms of knowing my place in the world
as well as the implications of my future vocation has been this one, FCS Senior
Capstone. Throughout our discussions of what FCS is, public policy, service,
ethics, and vocation, I’ve understood more of how I can impact the people I
serve and improve their lives in an ethical and faith-based manner.
Although
the future might be unknown, I feel I am prepared for whatever comes my way.
The skills I’ve learned in college are invaluable, and I will continue to build
upon them. I am so excited for the next chapter of my life. Hindsight is 20/20,
and I’m confident that the implications of my education will show throughout
other areas of both my personal and professional life in the future. This quote
from Carol Burnett is all encompassing concerning the notion of learning: “we
don’t stop going to school when we graduate”. Life is full of chances to
explore, to grow, to learn. Just because my formal education may be coming to
an end does not mean my education of people, dreams, and goals are over. I am
ready to graduate, to go out into the world, and continue this crazy adventure
called life.
