Tammi is passionate about youth ministry. Early on in her college career she identified her calling as “working with youth to get them to become deeply devoted to both Jesus Christ and their Christian community.” She plans on serving in youth ministry as her lifelong career.

One of the things Calvin used its Lilly Vocation Grant for was developing a youth ministry emphasis. The advisor and new courses have been significant for students, like Tammi, who are committed to youth ministry. Tammi was one of the first students to complete the internship component of the emphasis (now offered as a minor). This internship solidified her desire to work with youth and opened the door for employment her first year out of college.

Throughout her college career, Tammi has had many opportunities to explore and develop this dream. She has continued to be active in her home church, studied abroad for a semester, engaged in the new youth ministry program at Calvin and participated in the Jubilee Fellows program. For Tammi, her involvement in Lilly programs at Calvin has been crucial to pursuing her future.

“I have taken or will take every youth ministry class [the Lilly grant funds] at Calvin. …These classes have been integral in shaping my understanding of youth ministry and the needs of teenagers today. I have also taken advantage of the Jubilee Fellows program, which helps those of us who are interested in going into ministry clarify that calling and understand the reality of a life in ministry. This class, and the internship that went along with it, were very important to helping me prepare for ministry and also to helping me decide where to go after Calvin.

Throughout these experiences, Tammi has done her share of wrestling with the concept of vocation. The Jubilee Fellows class presented some concrete opportunities for discussion on the topic. She learned the most by watching classmates with a less clear sense of call try to figure it out. It was an opportunity for her to “see vocation learning in action.” At the end of four years at Calvin, Tammi articulates vocation “as not just the profession I choose to work in, but how I use my gifts and passions in my day to day life. Vocation is what God has called me to do, although the passions that come with it can be used in a variety of different professions.”

What does the future hold for Tammi? Here are some of her reflections about where this will take her:

“What I learned in [Calvin’s] Lilly programs has trained me for the future. Because of my two youth ministry classes, the Jubilee Fellows program, and the [youth ministry] internship…I feel better equipped for my future. The biggest way that the Lilly programs have affected my future is in my plans for after college. Before the Jubilee program I was not planning on going to seminary. Because of the experiences I had through that program, I am excited to go to seminary and see what else God has to teach me there. I owe much of my wonderful educational experience to the classes Lilly has funded and I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this whole program.”