For the four years preceding my arrival at Westmont, I worked with international students through the EF Foundation in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In this capacity, I conducted orientation sessions in Europe, taught a summer session at Yale, mentored students during their study in America, and led trips throughout the United States and Canada. As resident director of Van Kampen Hall, I realize that much of a student's college experience occurs outside the classroom. This is accomplished both through formal programming and informal mentoring. Living together in such close quarters offers great opportunity to learn to live in community with ever-increasing respect for one another's needs and differences.
Inevitable conflict becomes the key to intimacy and personal growth.
Both formal section Bible studies as well as informal conversations about that which truly matters are wonderful benefits of our community life. We find great unity in Christ in the midst of our diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. It is my sincere hope that all these aspects of our residence life program will aid in building men and women of great integrity and wisdom. May your hearts be hemmed in by excellence, passion, and compassion, making this present world a better place and our future world a richer one.