The Student Collective Volume VIII Online

Story portraits
Nicole Lindblom
This year I got the opportunity to be part of the Residential Life team. Being an RA has
surrounded me with a group of super fun people who are genuine and intentional with their
interactions and words. They not only support me but everyone they encounter. Chatting
with them always leaves me feeling encouraged and fulfilled. This semester I have also gotten
the opportunity to get to know the Outdoor Recreation Team through being an apprentice.
Through OREC I have found people with similar interests and passions while teaching others
how to invest in the beautiful outdoors the Pacific Northwest offers.
My experience at Fox has been magnified by my professors as a whole and the way in which they
engage beyond the classroom. As someone who has participated in both an engineering and
financial planning major, I’ve experienced that different parts of every academic department
engage with students outside the classroom in different ways. The Engineering program has
the Engineer Your Soul (EYS) program which engages faith values and brings people together
outside the usual academic goal. Within the Business department I’ve experienced the
opportunity to form personal connections with professors. One of my professors
and I even read a book together because (if we can insert why that would be
dope).
As for my favorite drink, I will always go for an Americano with Oat
Milk from anywhere. However, Chapters does have a pretty good
Pumpkin Pie Chai.
Story portraits
Olivia Brubaker
I, like many other teenagers, thought I had life figured out when I was in high school. I had a strong
sense of identity and worked hard to equip myself with all the skills needed to accomplish undergraduate
studies. This haphazard foundation was quickly dissipated upon my arrival at Fox. My naive sense of self
was challenged by complex classes, course schedules, relationships, and theological questions. However,
George Fox University crafted the perfect environment needed to build me into the woman of faith I
wanted to be.
My identity was deeply ingrained in my family and my hometown, Sacramento. Moving into the dorms
was an abrupt transition, but Brandt Hall quickly adopted me into its unique family. Professors were
also quick to establish relationships with me, and students were eager to collaborate with me in those
difficult classes.
Though the academic experience at Fox was a great blessing, I believe the greater gift of Fox was the
intellectual challenge of faith and self. I had the pleasure of participating in a Life Group led by graduate
Cana Buckley, which centered around resisting the worldly “hustle” - the idea that one has to be as
productive as possible with their time - and discussed utilizing God’s design for rest and work. I was
challenged to look at my life from a Biblical perspective, and even evaluate how high on a pedestal I had
put my scholastic success. This Life Group taught me to focus on the valuable relationships around me,
and to rest well.
Next, the George Fox Honors Program revitalized my faith and taught me great
humility. Reading texts of the Early Church and of other ancient religions
caused me to realize how much my faith operated based on assumptions.
Some of these foundational assumptions were radically changed in the face
of Biblical analysis and early church tradition. The Socratic style discussion
put me at odds with fellow believers, in a way where we all grew. I
learned to greater respect my faith, and the interpretations of others.
The community at Fox is certainly irreplaceable, but as a student, I spent
plenty of time alone studying. I discovered Fox’s background noise helped
me hone in and focus; I found myself often at a table in the Maker Hub,
or reclined on a sofa in the EHS atrium, listening to the sounds of
whirring fans and chittering students. When I needed a break, I
would find a lawn chair on the quad and soak in the sunbeams,
watching students come and go. All of these places gave me
great perspective on how I am just a piece of the puzzle, a
cog in the machine. And what a beautiful fact that is.
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5/23/22 10:17 AM