Category: Profile

Diversity and Dialogue in Biblical and Theological Studies: Hannah Hawkinson C’17

Hannah Hawkinson C’17, a biblical and theological studies major, shares about her experience at North Park.

Hannah Hawkinson C’17, a biblical and theological studies major, shares about her experience at North Park.

Meeting so many people who challenge the way I think, and who are open and anxious to dialogue with each other; there are people who think so differently, but are willing to talk with each other in and outside the classroom.

I feel at home here, at North Park, seeing so many different people, and hearing so many different languages; I wanted to learn in an environment like that. Being around students who want to learn, are invested, and care about classes as much as I do is something that has been a positive surprise.

As I have refined my interest within theology, I’ve noticed I’m passionate about narrative, about who is speaking this narrative, and searching for the biases that contribute to this narrative. Being able to read literature provides a different way of looking at things, but it has been very helpful.

If you’re considering majoring in BTS, take a class or two on top of the required, and try to take them from as many different professors within the department as you can. Also ask other BTS students about their experiences, I promise we’re a nice bunch. There is no pressure to continue to pastoral duties if you choose it as your major, there are so many other tracks you can take. Hopefully, you’ll see that it’s a rigorous program, but I think that BTS is an important program, especially for this University.

What surprises me most at North Park is meeting so many people who challenge the way I think, and who are open and anxious to dialogue with each other; there are people who think so differently but are willing to talk with each other in and outside the classroom.

Author Ana SeklerPosted on Categories Profile, StoriesTags , , , ,

I Chose North Park: “Christian university with a personal touch,” Carmen Velazquez-Alvarez C’16

Carmen Velazquez-Alvarez C’16, conflict transformation studies alumna, shares why she chose North Park.

Carmen Velazquez-Alvarez C’16, conflict transformation studies alumna, shares why she chose North Park.

I was looking for a Christian university with a personal touch. I attended a Covenant church in California’s Central Valley, and a member of my church—who was also my chemistry teacher and my mentor—urged me to apply to North Park.

I have a heart for the underserved and now serve California Central Valley’s large immigrant community. I plan to earn a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) and leverage my experience in the Valley to start a nonprofit organization.

It was as a student at North Park that I discovered my passion for service and realized I have the power to make a difference in others’ lives. I served as the president of the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) and cofounded a mentorship group for Latina students. I also served in campus ministry and interned at the YWCA.

At every step along my journey North Park, I was encouraged. I’m incredibly appreciative of the support I received and relationships I developed.

More of Carmen’s story

Author Ana SeklerPosted on Categories Profile, StoriesTags , , ,

I Chose North Park: “I enjoyed the relationships most,” Michelle Dodson C’03

Michelle Dodson C’03, biblical and theological studies alumna, shares why she chose North Park.

Michelle Dodson C’03, biblical and theological studies alumna, shares why she chose North Park.

Michelle’s experience as a biblical and theological studies major helped prepare her professionally for the work she does in ministry today. Serving in campus ministry and engaging with college diversity “helped me develop a theology of racial reconciliation. It also gave me opportunities to learn how to communicate that theology.” Michelle serves as associate pastor of New Community Covenant Church in Bronzeville, a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. She describes New Community as “an intentionally multiracial congregation that actively pursues racial reconciliation and social justice.” She’s currently working toward a PhD in sociology with a focus on multiracial congregations.

As a high school student, Michelle chose to come to North Park University because she was looking for a Christian liberal arts university that was small enough for her to get to know people. “I was attending a Covenant church in California at the time,” she says, “and my pastor suggested I apply to North Park.”

As it turned out, North Park was a great fit for Michelle. “The relationships that I built at North Park are what I enjoyed the most,” she says. “I have had the privilege of doing life and ministry with many of those people to this day.”

What’s more, she says, Michelle’s experience inside and outside of the classroom as a biblical and theological studies major helped prepare her professionally for the work she does in ministry today. “North Park was a great training ground for what I do,” she says. “It was as a student there that I got my first experiences leading in the areas of racial righteousness.” Serving in campus ministry and engaging with college diversity “helped me develop a theology of racial reconciliation. It also gave me opportunities to learn how to communicate that theology.”

Michelle serves as associate pastor of New Community Covenant Church in Bronzeville, a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. She describes New Community as “an intentionally multiracial congregation that actively pursues racial reconciliation and social justice.” She’s currently working toward a PhD in sociology with a focus on multiracial congregations.

Author Ana SeklerPosted on Categories Profile, StoriesTags , , ,

I Chose North Park: “personal and in the big city,” Tim Ahlberg C’13

Tim Ahlberg C’13, a business and economics alumnus, shares why he chose North Park.

Tim Ahlberg C’13, a business and economics alumnus, shares why he chose North Park.

Tim chose to attend North Park because he wanted to be in a big city, but at a college that felt personal. “I wanted to have relationships with my professors and mentors, and to live in a close-knit community where I could get to know other students from all different backgrounds,” he says. “And coming from a Covenant Church family, I knew I wanted to attend a Christian school, to be surrounded by others that shared my faith and would help me build and sustain my own faith throughout my formative college years.”

Maybe most important, Tim wanted a college environment that placed focus not just on finding a career, but living a life of significance and service. When he came to North Park, he got that environment—not only in the classroom, but in experiences around the campus and city. “There’s really nothing else like the community there that I’ve experienced before or after North Park. Students and faculty really all-in for your success, both personal and professional.”

He loved taking part in Chapel and College life services; was voted president of the student body; served with homeless ministries; and was captain of the men’s soccer team his senior year, being named an Academic All-American. “North Park is such a personal university that, no matter your area of study, your background, or your future pursuits, the entire campus feels like one community that exists because of and for each other,” Tim says. “I met amazing people who were so different than I was, and we learned so much from each others’ experiences and life stories.”

A business and economics major with a concentration in accounting and a minor in Spanish, Tim got to know his faculty members in North Park’s small class sizes. They encouraged him to study abroad in Guanajuato, Mexico, where he became fluent in Spanish. In his senior year, Tim received a Fulbright Binational Business Exchange Grant, which allowed him to complete a business internship and take MBA classes in in Mexico City. “None of this would have been possible without the support of the faculty and staff of North Park,” he says.

“By the time I started my full-time job in the United States, I was not only prepared with specific business acumen and skills gained through curriculum, but armed with a global perspective and bilingual capabilities that really set me apart in today’s competitive workforce,” Tim says.

As an assurance associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, he focuses on accounting solutions and business operations improvements. “This includes traveling to business all over the country, and to Mexico, where I have been able to use my fluency in Spanish. I feel like North Park has prepared me beyond my peers for entering the global workforce.”

Author Ana SeklerPosted on Categories Profile, StoriesTags , ,