PORTRAIT
OF THE GRADUATE

A Winsome Christian

This is a young person who possesses an informed passion for Christ, His church and the work of His kingdom. The sweetness of the gospel has so shaped this student that the pursuit of holiness is not just a dutiful affair, but a delight. This student understands that their faith is always lived out in the context of community, a local church, and they have developed a love for all those who call on the name of Christ regardless of denominational affiliation. This student has also learned that every vocation carries with it a divine calling and that Christ’s Kingdom is not only extended through evangelism but also through Christians doing their work in a distinctively Christian manner and through works of justice and mercy.

A Virtuous Scholar

This is a young person who has truly received a "liberal" education across many disciplines. Their minds are honed to be rigorous in thought, broad in historical and cultural context and powerful and persuasive in speech and writing. And in their training they have learned to embrace that which is good, beautiful and true. This student has learned that Christ, and His Kingdom, is the centerpiece of all human learning so all is seen in the light of and for God's glory and man's joy. This student is not only a scholar, but a virtuous one, possessing Christian character that stands out in a youth culture characterized by selfishness, immorality, and confusion.

A Humble Servant

Instead of scholarship “puffing” up this student has been humbled by the character of God, the abundance of His grace and the complexities & intricacies of the created order. True scholarship leads to the awareness and admission that we never “arrive” because of our human frailty and limited nature as created beings. This student realizes that foundational to all other “callings” placed upon them in this life (father/mother, husband/wife, son, daughter, educator, etc…) is the primary call of being a Covenant-Servant to God. The leadership exercised in this call is modeled after the character of Christ and is manifested through service to our fellow neighbor and the advancement of human civilization under Christ’s Lordship.

An Equipped Steward

God’s glory and man’s salvation. This student realizes that the education that they have received is not ultimately for personal advancement but for the greater good of mankind under God. The exercise of this stewardship continues in the collegiate years where goodness, beauty and truth are defended as divine virtues with humility under Christ in the university classroom, on the university campus, and beyond. This student has an acute awareness of the unique nature of the education that they have received and how it is to be employed in love to God and neighbor.