Author: Dr. Katrina Hay

Katrina Hay is a professor of physics at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), where she teaches physics, engineering, and astronomy. She serves as an advisory member of the Wild Hope Center for Vocation at PLU. Katrina’s scholarship interests are in astronomy and fluid physics, and she mentors undergraduates in observational astronomy research. She wrote and illustrated a children’s book about the scale of the universe, Little Bear’s Big Night Sky. Katrina is a NetVUE Faculty Fellow and was part of NetVUE’s 2024 Teaching Vocational Exploration Seminar.

Exploring Vocation Beyond Career: A Guide for Students in the Sciences

The post reflects on mentoring a student who struggled after not being accepted into graduate school, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing vocation from career in the sciences. A four-part vocational discernment assignment encourages students to explore their callings beyond professional paths, fostering self-awareness and engagement with their values and community roles.

A series exploring the teaching of vocation in physics.

young man sitting on table throwing papers
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A few years ago, I mentored a student in their senior year who, despite their best efforts, did not get accepted into graduate school. The student was crushed. They had identified the path of graduate studies as their calling. Now, with the gate to that path closed for at least a year, what was their calling? For students in the sciences, their vocation and even their value are often tied up in their career. As a practice, science is all-consuming. It has a way of eating up your time, energy, goals, and personal life. You feel that if you are not “all in,” then you are doing it wrong.

Reflecting on this student’s experience, I realized that I could have done more to help them see how their calling or vocation could play out in multiple aspects of their life, which is why I now have students think and write more fully about this part of their vocation exploration. In this post, I highlight the impact of my four-part vocational discernment assignment for science students, which I described in my previous post. I also discuss a follow-up assignment, which instructors can use to help students think about vocation as something that intersects with multiple aspects of their lives, not just their future career.

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Applying the Scientific Method to Vocational Discernment

The article outlines a four-part vocational exploration assignment designed for science students to help them engage with and refine their career aspirations. It emphasizes self-reflection, hypothesis formation, real-world testing, and final conclusions. The objective is to align students’ career choices with their strengths and values to foster their vocational growth.

A series exploring the teaching of vocation in physics.

the large hadron collider at geneva switzerland
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Over the course of my career, I have found that my students often do not realize that the type of science they might wish to pursue can constrain their future paths. Students who might want to work at a particle accelerator might not realize they cannot do so here in Washington State where I teach. This limitation often surprises them, especially those local students who want to remain close to home after they graduate. A highly scaffolded vocational exploration assignment can address this confusion.

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Navigating Your Cultural Commute: A Scientist’s Approach to Vocation

The article discusses the integration of vocational discernment into a physics course at Pacific Lutheran University, inspired by a faculty workshop. Students engage in activities to explore their values and career paths alongside academic learning. The author emphasizes the importance of considering your cultural commute and the broader implications of vocational choices on your community of origin.

A series exploring the teaching of vocation in physics.

“The new vocation section was by far my favorite portion of the course and greatly impacted my post-university goals.”

“I wish I had done this assignment my first year of college.”

Students in my physics capstone course at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) shared these comments in their course evaluations about the new vocational curriculum that I introduced the last time I taught it. After reviewing these course materials, a colleague also wrote, “I am SERIOUSLY impressed by all that you have done with this course! It is amazing and I wish I’d had training like this when I was in college.” As a professor, there are moments when you know you’ve created something impactful. This was one of those moments for me.

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