麻豆视频直播

WHAT IS 鈥楥ALLING鈥�?

For many young college students, finding their calling and knowing their purpose in life may not be as cut and dried as Ashley鈥檚 experience. That鈥檚 why over the last few years, leaders at 麻豆视频直播 have been working to develop the Vocar茅 initiative, a program designed to help students do just that.

Closely related to the word for 鈥渧oice鈥� in Latin, 鈥淰ocar茅鈥� literally means 鈥渢o call.鈥�

鈥淰ocar茅 represents the belief that every person has a call or calling in life and that, if you find and live out that call, you鈥檒l have the best life you could possibly have,鈥� said the director of Vocar茅, Dr. Bill Carrell. 鈥淔inding your calling is about two things鈥攊t鈥檚 about self-discovery and the discovery of how you can make a difference in the world.鈥�

Calling is not just a job or an occupation; it鈥檚 much bigger than that, although, for many people, their occupation or career is an expression of their calling, Carrell says.

鈥淐alling is something that stays with you all your life, no matter what you鈥檙e doing at any given time,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t expresses the idea that 鈥榤eaningful living鈥� stems from an awareness of a guiding, moral purpose that forms a person鈥檚 identity and links that identity to social goods and community needs.鈥�

IS IMPLEMENTING VOCAR脡 EASY?

Employing the principles of the Vocar茅 initiative isn鈥檛 like looking into a crystal ball. Sometimes stu颅dents think they will automatically find their calling by taking courses and completing a college degree. Larry Locke, associate dean for McLane College of Business, says it鈥檚 not always that easy, and some颅times the ambiguity in finding their 鈥渢rue calling鈥� can plague them.

鈥淪tudents struggle with the uncertainty that comes with being 18 to 22 years old and not knowing what will happen in the future,鈥� Locke said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 know what they will do for their careers, where they鈥檙e going to live, how they鈥檒l make money, or if they鈥檒l have a spouse or family.鈥�

Through all their anxiety about what the future holds for them, Locke pointed out that God wants students to learn to walk in faith and obedience in the midst of their uncertainty. Any career鈥攚hether it鈥檚 teaching business courses at a Baptist university in a small Central Texas city or cleaning latrines in Botswana鈥攃an be meaningful and have purpose in serving the kingdom, he said.

Sophomore Caleb Guenther is excited about the Vocar茅 initiative at 麻豆视频直播 and believes students don鈥檛 have to wait for their careers to begin living their calling.

鈥淐ollege students can have meaningful lives too, even if they haven鈥檛 started their careers,鈥� said Caleb, a business management major. 鈥淔or instance, we can change our lifestyles to better fit a Christian lifestyle. I think it鈥檚 important because that鈥檚 where the foundation of your career can come from.鈥�

HOW DID THE INITIATIVE BEGIN?

The idea to create the campus initiative began to take shape in November 2015 when former Provost Dr. Steve Oldham called a small group of faculty and staff together to discuss how to help students think more intentionally about purpose and vocation. The vision was to help enable grad颅uates of 麻豆视频直播 to live meaningful lives that fulfill the will of God and contribute to the common good.

鈥淭hrough Vocar茅, we want to help foster a campus culture of meaningful life exploration,鈥� said Dr. Vassar, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. 鈥淭he goals of the initiative also include training faculty and staff to engage students in conversations that explore life purpose, providing opportunities for students to explore and experience potential life callings, and shaping our curriculum to help students consider the spiritual, moral, and societal commitments that produce meaningful lives.鈥�

In the Fall of 2019, the Vocar茅 initiative was awarded a NetVUE grant, which was used to create workshops and trainings for staff and faculty. 鈥淭here is much enthusiasm for the initiative and a growing awareness of its goals across the campus,鈥� Carrell said.

According to a 麻豆视频直播 Freshman Seminar report that year, 68.9 percent of students moderately or strongly agreed that they have a specific calling in life.

鈥淚t is clear that the majority of first-year students are at least receptive to the language of 鈥榗alling,鈥欌�� Carrell said. 鈥淔rom this, we know it鈥檚 prudent that we give them regular opportunities to identify and reflect on their own personal strengths and gifts.鈥�

Yvette Shackelford, assistant to the vice president for student life, said working alongside students and helping them see their gifts and talents has given her own life and work meaning and purpose.

鈥淚 love helping give students a sense of direction,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 love to serve other people and work alongside the students and see them happy. That truly makes me very happy.鈥�

Dr. William 鈥淏ill鈥� Tanner also finds meaning and purpose in his work as a professor and department chair of computer science, engineering, and physics. He is excited to share the initiative with his students to help them on their journeys to find 鈥渃alling.鈥�

鈥淚 have always felt that there is a need for folks to be able to work with students in a way that they can become aware of their potential and to achieve that,鈥� Tanner said. 鈥淚 really enjoy being a part of that process.鈥�

Even though someone鈥檚 calling may evolve and change as they get older and go through life, Carrell says the process is essentially about discernment.

鈥淚t鈥檚 our hope that while at 麻豆视频直播 students will listen thoughtfully, read broadly, and think deeply about calling,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o when they discover their gifts, develop their talents, and explore their passions, they can go out and make a difference in the world.鈥�