Stories from the 2008-2009 academic year
Stories from the 2007-2008 academic year
Stories from the 2006-2007 academic year
Stories from the 2005-2006 academic year
Stories from the 2004-2005 academic year and "What I'm Doing This Summer"

Past STEP stories

HELM Leadership Fellows
Caroline Hamilton: Life, breath, and inspiration Caroline Hamilton spent the summer as a summer ministry volunteer through A Christian Ministry in the National Parks. She has expected to go to a postcard place and was stunned when she learned her destination was South Dakota. But once she got to the Black Hills, she grew enraptured by the beauty around her. Hiking through groves of ponderosa pine and aspen, she found inspiration for her writing and a renewed awe of creation and our Creator.
Kristen Walling: Reflections on Ghana Kristen Walling spent the winter semester in Ghana, so the first question nearly everybody asks is, "How was it?" And for a long time, she's struggled for an answer that accurately reflects the experience. She has lots of anecdotes, but she's not sure how different her life will be for the experience. A book about the author's similar experience helped Kristen find that even a small change in perspective might make the difference "between holding your life in grace and simply holding on."
Jesse Stephenson: General Assembly and the life of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) General Assemblies are expensive, exhausting, and sometimes frustrating. There's unofficial talk of changing the schedule, putting more than two years between each gathering. Jesse Stephenson believes that would be a mistake. General Assemblies give the whole church its only opportunity to come together as a single congregation and talk about the issues that face us and the world. He also sees it as "church camp for adults," mini-sabbaticals providing us opportunities to learn, worship, and refocus on what God calls us to do.
Krista Johnson: New leadership Like seeds sown in the spring, the results of the HELM Leadership Fellows Program are sprouting all over the church. Alumni of the program are involved in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) from local congregations up to the General Board. Now serving on the Week of Compassion advisory board, Krista Johnson sees a link between opportunities to lead in the church and the the connections, tools, and experiences provided by the Leadership Fellows Program.
Alexis Westerhausen: Where He leads me, I will follow As she looks ahead to medical school, Alexis Westerhausen jumped at the opportunity to help organize a campus fund-raiser benefitting St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. The fact that the Culver-Stockton College community raised more than $41,000 was amazing and thrilling, but hearing about the hospital's mission — caring for any child who can't afford the care they need to survive — has helped her clarify her vocational calling, too. Alexis believes the connection isn't just a coincidence, either.
Allison Enari: Camp conflict Allison Enari couldn't wait to go back as a counselor to Bedford Camp, the site of summer camp that had formed the faith she now has. When that opportunity arrived this summer, though, it was a very different experience: Her liberal beliefs and college experiences were quite different from the younger, rural, conservative counselors she worked with. Camp brought tension, but it also reminded her of the common ties of Christianity and being a Disciple: a genuine love and passion for Jesus Christ and God.
Alan Moore: A moment of peace on God's green earth A summer job at a YMCA camp in central California took Alan Moore far from home and opened his eyes to new cultures and ecologies. A pair of similar experiences at very different locales — the first in the heart of a San Francisco museum, the second by a waterfall in the Sierra Nevadas — gave Alan moments of revelation, connection, humanity, worship, and oneness with the world around us all.
Charisse Knorr: A year of learning With the first year of studies at Chapman University in the books, Charisse Knorr realizes how much she's learned outside the classroom. She's officially moved out of her parents' home, become a Californian, and learned from the new experiences of setting up a new home. Her HELM Leadership Fellows covenant taught her about the leadership traits she needs to develop. Through it all, she understands God's patience as we grow into the life God has given us.
Courtney Waters: Broken community A mission trip to Plaquemines Parish, still struggling four years after Hurrican Katrina's crippling damage, gave Courtney Waters more than just the opportunity to help those in need. The community's hospitality, pride, and resourcefulness and, above all, faith, helped her remember that God stands with us at every step in life.
Arrington Foster: Improvement Having his freshman year wrapped up, Arrington Foster now understands the demands of college. He also understands what he needs to work on in the next few years to make the most of his education and his life. He has a good foundation academically, socially, and spiritually, but he knows there is room for improvement. Managing his time and finances is part of it, but as Arrington looks ahead at his second year, he wants to make sure a local congregation is part of his life, too.
Katie Johnson: Planning ahead Moving to an off-campus house and watching friends graduate without a clue as to what's next has Katie Johnson rattled. With one year left until her own graduation, she realizes a lot of change is coming her way. While not knowing what will happen next is stressful, Katie takes comfort in her faith that God has a plan for her and that we have to keep our eyes open to see the spectacular opportunties God sends out way.
Merillat Pittman: Fruits of the spirit Merillat Pittman expected to learn a lot during her semester in Spain. What she didn't expect was the spiritual journey she has taken. As the semester winds down, Merillat has seens Galatians 5's "fruits of the spirit" — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control — in her hosts, roommates, teachers, and the community that has been her temporary home.
Melissa Hall: Stronger from the struggles A trio of unexpected deaths rattled Melissa Hall this spring. The first was a fellow student she didn't know, the second a long-time friend, the third an uncle. At first Melissa found things to keep her busy so she wouldn't have to grieving, but she changed her mind when a friend reminded her God is always with us. Now Melissa is looking at the life's tough moments as opportunities to grow stronger in her faith.
Jesse Stephenson: Searching for the Christian America Presented with statistics showing a decline in the percentage of Americans labeling themselves Christian, Jesse Stephenson how a Christian is defined. Talking to classmates, he found many who are taking a "hiatus" from church during their college studies, but that doesn't mean they're taking a hiatus from Christian morals. He believes that despite those statistics, Americans, like his classmates, still have Christianity in the foundations of their faith.
Allie Lundblad: Being sure of God After a Lenten sacrifice of sweets, Allie Lundblad's Holy Week had its share of faith-enriching moments, from Palm Sunday arts and crafts to a Lenten Bible and film study to a Tenebrae service and finally the Stations of the Cross with a theme of social justice. But the moment that touched her soul most was a casual conversation about a summer job, a chat that reminded her of God's love and support through life's challenges.
Caroline Hamilton: Welcome, chaos The concept of chaos has swirled around Caroline Hamilton a lot recently, and it surfaced again in the Palm Sunday story. On one side is the crazy, chaotic crowd cheering and singing and praising their coming king. On the other side, we see the Pharisees, imploring Jesus to control the chaos, hoping to retain control and order. Too often, Caroline believes, we are Pharisees, seeing control and order. Instead, as we reflect on the ministry of the chaos-bringing Jesus, we should seek God's potent, creative, powerful, blessed chaos.
Sarah Cheon: About more than the show Instead of catching up on rest or heading to a vacation spot, Sarah Cheon spent her spring break rehearsing a play about the Gospels. The long days and stress left her wondering if the effort was worth it, until the pastor overseeing the project reminded the crew that the skit was about more than evangelism: It was about new relationships, memories, and bonds. As showtime approaches, all the work has a greater payoff than applause from the audience.
Kiersten Hawes: The gift of mentoring Kiersten Hawes has found a calling as a mentor at ForeverFamily, a non-profit helping children with incarcerated parents, where she helps students with their studies but also with the tough challenges of having an absent parent. She's seen a student struggling to learn a speech only to be disappointed with the final grade, and she's seen the joy in discovering a new way to learn. She's also learned determination and faith can help you do amazing things.
Kathryn Welch: A black-and-white belief For her Community Engagement Through the Arts class, each week Kathryn Welch has to write an essay beginning "I believe..." She's covered a variety of topics, and while it's tough for her to find clear-cut stances on many issues, a common theme is emerging: Social justice. Between the essays and visits to a nearby neighborhood working to overcome a troublesome reputation, Kathryn is seeing how each of us can help others find opportunities to improve their lives.
Tom Calvert-Rosenberger: Far from home (Part II) Indiana native Tom Calvert-Rosenberger had a tough time getting used to Texas during his first semester, but he's finally settling in and beginning to think of TCU as his eight-months-a-year home. The beginning of the Lenten season, with its wilderness story, and a walk through a labyrinth have helped him appreciate the sense of being lost in the wilderness and to embrace the differences between his two homes.
Courtney Waters: Where are the answers? At a time in her life when she feels she ought to be collecting answers, not searching for them, Courtney Waters is frustrated. Every time she thinks she's close to an answer, another question gets in the way, particularly regarding her faith. The good news, though, is that Courtney is committed to continuing her search for answers and knowledge — and she's convinced her questions will be answered eventually.
Georgia Kuss: Soap and save A semester studying in Paris is a once-of-a-lifetime experience, and Georgia Kuss is immersing herself in the experience — except when she can't immerse herself in the long showers she craves. Her time abroad is opening her eyes to a new culture, as well as helping her critique the American culture that produced her. The adjustment has its difficult moments as she tries to find familiarity amidst the unfamiliar.
Alexis Westerhausen: Breathe and feel the Breath of God Alexis Westerhausen is overcommitted. The migrane headaches and her grumpy demeanor told her that between studies, extra-curricular activities, serving as a community assistant in a campus dorm, new student orientation... all that took its toll on her. So how can an extra activity wipe away all that stress and restore a student? When the kids in the student choir swarm her each Wednesday night before practice. That's when she remembers to breathe and feel the breath of God.
Allison Enari: Once again, it's ministry At an age when most kids are considering football player or astronaut as a vocation, Allison Enari considered ministry "because there's nothing better to do." Told she needed to find a better reason to be a minister, Allison considered a variety of other callings, settling on psychiatry when she headed to college. Recently, though, she's returning to ministry for the same reason: There's nothing better for people who want to make a difference.
Laura O'Donnell: Follow your calling Laura O'Donnell is wrapping up her education with student teaching. While it's tough work, she knows her calling in life is to teach. Where and when she'll teach, she doesn't know yet. What she does know is that she has appreciated the support she has received from teachers, church, and from God as she follows her vocational calling.
Tiffany Curtis: Craving the kinship of Disciples Tiffany Curtis knew Disciples were rare in New England; it's one of the reasons she chose to study divinity at Harvard. As she settled into Cambridge, though, she found herself missing the Disciples community she holds dear — a community that is difficult to replicate, a sense of family missing. It's truly a case of absence making the heart grow fonder.
Alan Moore: Living in a season of death Three unrelated, unexpected deaths in the span of just a few weeks rattled Alan Moore. Coming in the midst of stressful academic times, he managed to block out the pain and reflection until the tranquility of Christmas settled in. While pushing pain away is human nature, Alan believes ignoring life's pain delays our principal task in fulfilling God's kingdom, because we cannot ease the world's suffering if we cannot approach pain.
Charisse Knorr: The challenge of change It's a long way from Maryville, Mo., to Chapman University, and not only in distance. As Charisse Knorr completes her first semester at her new school, she looks back on the small changes she's already made, from learning to live with a roommate to the simple routines like the Lord's Prayer. She admits change is hard for her, but she also knows she is entering a time in her life when change is a constant companion.
Kristen Walling: Resolutions Kristen Walling hates New Year's resolutions, in part because they point out something we don't like about ourselves, something that needs change. This year, as she prepares for a semester in Ghana, she's taking a different look at those resolutions as prepares for a completely new culture that will scrutinize everything she does — a resolution to use the gifts she has in a positive way.
Esther Lee: Finding meaning in the mundane Working a full-time job while going to school has been a real challenge for Esther Lee. While her job opens doors at school and in her blooming career, her schedule and the stress of managing a retail store add stress on top of academic needs. On a day when she found herself questioning her choices and outlook on life, a chance encounter with a father Christmas shopping with his son helped her find a bit of God's grace.
Arrington Foster: Day by day One semester into his undergraduate career, Arrington Foster is realizing how far he's come — and how far he still has to go. He's already participated in stage productions at TCU, but he knows there is room to grow as an actor. He's coming to grips with challenging classwork. When he finds college a lonely place, Arrington looks to a verse from Matthew to keep him going and to remember God has his back.
Katie Johnson: Going wild Last summer Katie Johnson spent three weeks at a refuge for sick and injured animals in remote Namibia, Africa. Leaving behind the creature comforts of home, Katie quickly reconnected with the world. In a place where the roar of lions signal dawn and cheetahs behave like housecats, she found herself thinking of simpler days and a world without human concepts of predator and prey.
Melissa Hall: God in my past, present, and future As a child, Melissa Hall begged to drive an hour to attend her mother's church in Goldsboro, N.C. As a high schooler, her family moved to Goldsboro, and the congregation welcomed her — but they also challenged Melissa to think about her faith and where God was leading her. God led her to Barton College, where Melissa has found her faith growing even stronger.
Merillat Pittman: Unfracturing Faith As she researched TCU's history, Merillat Pittman came across a fascinating story more than a century old describing a split in the church over the use of organ music during worship. Exploring the differences between faiths spills over into her personal relationships, and Merillat finds herself cherishing deep discussions over faith — discussions that deepen her own faith as well.
Allie Lundblad: Messy faith A discussion on the origin of the trinity got Allie Lundblad thinking about the big questions of faith: An incomprehensibly vast God, God the judge and God the friend, God who asks the seemingly impossible? Our faith is messy, she believes, but messy faith reflects our life-long desire to understand our place in the world.
Caroline Hamilton: Peace Finding time for peace in life is tough, which is way Caroline Hamilton is helping fellow TCU students explore many different spiritual practices that can provide opportunities for those peaceful moments. But a recent camping trip in the Texas Hill Country and a late-night hike up a granite formation provided a unique moment of peace in the darkness and silence of a beautiful autumn evening.
Sarah Cheon: Social injustice, even on campus A conversation with a local labor leader opened Sarah Cheon's eyes to the low wages her university pays to service and patient workers. She also learned one view on her university's budgeting and social justice priorities. With this new insight, Sarah has a new appreciation for those service workers, and a new mindset on social justice issues on campus.
Kiersten Hawes: Looking forward Only a few weeks into her freshman year at Spelman College, Kiersten Hawes is already amazed at the changes she is seeing in herself. She's putting her talents to good use and enjoying her classes, following a call to help the world through psychology. Though college won't be easy, she is firm in her belief that she's doing God's work.
David Weuste: Politics in the church What role should the church play in the political process? The church's role in politics, particularly advocating for specific candidates, continues to be a flash point for discussion and protest during this stormy national election. While David Weuste wants to keep church endorsement-free, he also believes Election Day isn't the end of the church's role — that the church has a role to play once politicians are in office to advocate for the beliefs in Matthew 25.
Kathryn Welch: Seminarian for a semester A junior at Transylvania University, Kathryn Welch is exploring her call to ministry by spending the semester across town at Lexington Theological Seminary. While the class load is heavy, she is finding the experience bringing new perspective on her faith, new experiences with the wide spectrum of those called into ordained ministry, and how important the support provided by family, friends, and community truly is.
Tom Calvert-Rosenberger: Far from home In a car, it's 20 hours from Bloomington, Indiana, to Texas Christian University. But when a class discussion about race relations turned into a shouting match, Tom Calvert-Rosenberger realized the new world of college was a long way from the comfortable world of high school. After trying to understand the roots of the argument and a good conversation with his instructor, Tom realizes that college is meant to give you new views of the world — and that God wants to face our differences, too.
Georgia Kuss: Salamander souls After spending most of her summers at church camps, Georgia Kuss spent this summer at a camp for youth with behavioral learning disabilities. This different atmosphere encouraged her to look constantly for where she saw God. She didn't have to look too far: Common events like sunsets, the death of a pet salamander, or the sparkles in toothpaste brought God front and center.
Student Ecumenical Partnership Leadership Team
Katie Blaisdell: Continuing the conversation When California voters approved Proposition 8 in November, eliminating the right for same-sex couples to marry in the state, Katie Blaisdell turned for inspiration to another civil-rights pioneer and the words he spoke on her own campus. With protests for peace and songs of solidarity, the civil-rights movement brought equality across racial lines. Despite Prop 8, Katie hopes we can continue to her prophetic words of equality and continue the movement for equality.
Brandon Cook: Unity in discord Two recent gatherings of Christians, one for Disciples youth and the other an international ecumenical gathering, gave Brandon Cook two distinct but similar views of how Christianity can be unifying. At times we find ourselves at odds with each other based on opinions or theology, but when we put our focus where it should be, out of our differences a beautiful image can be formed.