The first post in a series featuring undergraduate student voices reflecting on their experiences of vocation and calling.
As an undergraduate student, one of the most rewarding experiences I had was helping a peer navigate an uncertain future they weren’t yet able to envision fully. As they discerned their potential career, they struggled to start this process and to consider everything needed as they tried to make an informed choice. They were aware of the impact their decision would have on where they might work, what kind of life they would live, the possibility of having a family, and future educational pursuits. I sympathized with their challenge and was pleased to offer as much support and guidance as I could; I had been in a similar situation just a few years prior, but this time I had a better sense of where to start.
I was able to support my friend because of my role as a NetVUE student ambassador on my campus during my junior and senior years. In this role, I provided information and resources to my peers, scheduled events and speakers, and worked with faculty to share the importance of thinking about vocation with their students and walking with them on their vocational journey. A focus on vocation and calling can provide a critical foundation that helps us as students find purpose and meaning in our lives. Being an ambassador allowed me to help other students navigate the questions that accompany the discernment of our vocations, and I was drawn to this role because my sense of vocation includes helping others achieve what I learned Aristotle called eudaimonia, or the good life.
Continue reading “Vocation and Values: An Undergraduate Perspective”