Northeastern Transformations

A time for reflection at the end of a school year offers a window into how God is at work in students’ lives. At Northeastern University (NU) in Boston, campus staff member Kaitlin Ho asked some of her senior leaders to reflect on what they had learned through InterVarsity and some of the turning points during their time at Northeastern.

Adam, one of the original founders of NU’s InterVarsity chapter: “My heart for social justice started with InterVarsity, because it challenged me to engage with Scripture. This group is my turning point. Even though I haven’t been around much this year, because of the capstone design course, the gift of InterVarsity is that – while I wasn’t able to attend meetings, while I was far from all of you, I was still close with God. InterVarsity has given me a strong foundation in my relationship with Jesus.” Adam is getting married and starting a new job this summer.

Angela, who was a part of the leadership team for two years: “I found Jesus in college as a freshman. The rest of my college experience was about finding out my identity in Christ and finding out where I belong as a daughter of God. I learned a lot about myself, which was and is still hard to deal with. InterVarsity was my first Christian community. I still remember a few years back, the time when I was singing praise songs with staff in the middle of the dark, crowded pool room. I hold on to that memory because InterVarsity is where I learned to be light in dark places.” Angela is going to graduate school with the hopes of doing financial accounting for a non-profit organization.

Dan, one of the faithful founders and leaders of the chapter: “When I came to college, I was that confused Christian kid who didn’t really know what I believed. Then through InterVarsity’s social justice initiatives I realized that Jesus loves continually and wants to restore what’s broken. When I first came in I had a different “bucket list” and set of values than I have now. The things I cared about then have changed so much, they’re not on my heart anymore. I am so different now. My turning point was all of the challenges that InterVarsity gave me that made me uncomfortable, like proxe stations and GIGs. Those evangelism experiences forced me to step out in uncomfortable places in faith.” Dan is continuing the job search for mechanical engineering jobs in Boston and he hopes to become an InterVarsity volunteer staff member.

Gabby became a Christian at the end of last semester: “Finding you guys at Soul Food (an outreach dinner we had in the fall) was the final puzzle piece to my crazy four years at Northeastern. I was given a place to explore my questions and see Jesus for who he really is in a GIG (small group Bible study). Every time we looked at a passage, I was always surprised about how perfectly it spoke into my life. I was able to build strength from that. InterVarsity is my turning point, not any other organization I“ve been a part of (Gabby is uber-involved on campus, an NU celebrity of sorts) because you guys talk about faith, what matters, what’s real.” Gabby will go home to New York and work for Teach for America in New York City.

I praise God for transforming students by the gospel, for seeking, finding, and saving the lost. Through their involvement with InterVarsity, these four graduating seniors have sought and embraced God’s call on their lives and are committed to serving Him.