What is your calling in life? How is God urging you to engage the world around you? This is one of the most important questions an individual will wrestle with throughout their life, and here at ¹ú²ú̽»¨, we put high priority and importance on walking alongside our students as they engage in this work.
Vocational discernment has always been embedded in the DNA of Texas Lutheran as we prepare and equip students to live into more than a career but a calling. Right now, we are in the process of evaluating our effectiveness at it and exploring innovative ways to engage students around this subject. Thanks to a generous grant from NetVUE, the Network of Vocation in Undergraduate Education, we are spending the 2025–2026 school year listening to students, faculty, staff, and alumni as they share their experience and understanding of vocational discernment in education at ¹ú²ú̽»¨. We want to know what we have done right, where we have missed the mark, and how we can enhance this work both on and off campus.
This grant, funded by the Lily Foundation, has two parts: The first is what we are doing right now as we research, evaluate, and plan. Following this work, we will have the opportunity to apply for the second phase, which is all about implementation. It is here that we will put our theories and ideas to the test as we seek to engage in creative and non-traditional ways to foster vocational discernment amongst the members of our community.
For me, this is the fun part: We don’t yet know what those innovative ways will be! We are still working through our survey and focus group data, speaking to students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and compiling all of the historical work that will show us where we are and where we’ve been. Then we get to brainstorm, pitch, and innovate. This campus-wide work is sure to make an impact on the lives of our students, and I cannot wait to see what happens next!
What about you? How have you understood and articulated your calling? How did ¹ú²ú̽»¨ help you engage well in vocational discernment?