College is an important time in one’s life.
It can mean so much to so many different people. To students, it could be the place where they found themselves and decided which of their passions they wanted to pursue after graduation. To professors, it is the place where they bridged the gap between their deep knowledge of subjects and their relationships with others. To parents, it may be the place where they saw their children become adults.
College has meant many things to me. Through this post, I hope to give you a better idea of who I am because of my time at Cornerstone, and why I believe it is absolutely somewhere worth building a life.
CLASSROOMS AND COMMUNITY
I came to college thinking that I knew how to answer the deep questions about God, at least well enough to impress someone else. My Spiritual Formation class with Dr. Jim Dekker showed me just how much I had to learn. While taking the class—a course that is exclusive to Cornerstone—I was truly made a part of a community.
I discovered that the answers to questions about things such as morality and the plan of God were not only ambiguous but sometimes not to the liking of our human nature. It was transformative to be in a classroom with a professor who was more concerned with helping us develop spiritually than anything else.
If that meant he had to speak on his personal wrestling with tough topics, it was worth it to him to help us think more deeply into different subjects.
The class showed me what higher education is truly about and will forever stick out to me as one of the most metamorphic moments in my spiritual development.
FINDING MY VOICE
Until I took my first speech class with Dr. Jeremy Osborn, I didn’t think that communication was something I was good at. I had participated in plays and musicals, so talking in front of people was never particularly scary for me.
However, in plays and musicals, all of my lines were pre-written and I had structure. In speeches, I had to do all the thinking on my own.
Dr. Osborn presented his class in a way that made me comfortable and building that safe space gave me the confidence to present without feeling judged. So, I proceeded to give some of the silliest speeches of my life.
I once gave an acceptance speech for getting the award of “Coolest Guy Alive.” Which I had given to myself.
Sounds lamer now that I’m writing it.
Another favorite speech that comes to mind is one I gave on why Christmas is the best holiday. I knew I had to top my acceptance speech, so I bought a baby blue suit covered in snowflakes, dyed my hair blue (facial hair included), bought a bunch of powdered sugar to use as fake snow and delivered the speech as Jack Frost.
When it came time to make a big decision about my major, that goofy speech and the encouragement of Professor Osborn led me to choose Strategic Communications. Dr. Osborn’s openness in the classroom showed me that I was capable of so much more than I had first believed, and I not only consider it to be one of my favorite moments here at CU, but also a defining moment in my life.
LOGAN, MY FIANCÉE
Bailey Linton pictured with his finance, LoganMore important than the content of the courses I took were the people I met, and Cornerstone will always be the place where I met the love of my life.
I know it’s hard to believe that I had time to pursue a relationship between all the craziness of classes (or that a girl as pretty as she is would think this mug was cute enough to say yes to a first date), but I managed to find a way.
I “lost” my copy of the student handbook (in the trash next to my desk), and I used that as an opportunity to ask her if she could go over hers with me. Smooth, I know.
I thought I was being clever, but she saw through my façade fairly quickly.
I took her into the city of Grand Rapids, and I can’t speak enough into how great of a city it is to be right down the road from. There is always something interesting to see or to do downtown, and that’s what we did for the majority of our first date: we took in the sights of Grand Rapids and explored what it had to offer.
We’ve been together ever since that day, and she has helped me through many difficult times. I have Cornerstone to thank for meeting her, so coming to this university really has defined my future in ways I couldn’t have expected.
If you’re reading this Logan, I love you.
CORNERSTONE IS A PLACE UNLIKE ANY ELSE
Cornerstone is a lot of things to me.
It’s the place where I figured out my place in the universe.
It’s the place where I learned how I wanted to use my gifts to serve the Lord.
It’s the place where I met my entire future.
But overall, it’s the place where I found myself, and I think it’s the place you might find yourself as well.
If you’re interested in building a life at Cornerstone, I would highly encourage you to apply.
