I’m Not Wired to Do One Ting Forever, and Tat’s Okay Now
Paola Martinez Villatoro (’16)
Te interdis program allowed me to see I don’t have to have only one vocation.
I think for many years I wrestled with this idea, because I wanted to find a single thing I could enjoy enough to see myself doing for the rest of my life. However, not all people are wired like that, and interdis at NGU taught me that.
Te interdis program at NGU maintains Christ and His Word as the center, while boldly, fearlessly interacting with the world around us. Te context of learning was often in open dialogue, as people jour- neying together. In class, we explored a wide variety of authors, literary styles, and themes; without exclusively studying reli- gious or Christian authors, I was exposed to many different mindsets, cultures, and perspectives, but kept finding the truth of the gospel in even the rarest places.
Tinking like an interdisciplinarian taught me the art of tackling puzzles by analyzing them through different angles. Seeking solutions in this fashion challenged me to integrate my different fields of study — business, linguistics, and multiple languag- es — and respond to the brokenness in our world with my faith in Christ and my passions in life.
One of the most significant aspects of the interdis program was the people. I could write on and on about the professors who poured into me. However, it would be unfair if I didn’t highlight our beloved Dr. Bruce. His genuine love for students and unquenchable passion have given life to this program; students’ lives are touched by Dr. Bruce’s inspiration, and then that spark continues to grow.
My last semester was by far the hardest. Tat semester, I was taking Senior Seminar with Dr. Bruce, so we saw each other on a week-to-week basis. Tough he could tell I
was struggling, he blessed me in every in- teraction. He seemed to always have words of empathy and encouragement. His ad- vice balanced compassion with challenging reminders to keep pushing me forward.
Dr. Bruce believed in my final project for Senior Seminar — even when I doubted myself. He listened to my ideas and helped me find the materials that ended up be- coming the meat and bones of my project, which explored economic and linguistic solutions to some of the critical challenges of the refugee crisis. For my presentation, I organized a house concert and talk called “A Voice for the Vulnerable.” Te day of the final presentation, I wasn’t sure he was going to make it. Schedules, other com- mitments, and even weather conditions were not in our favor. But Dr. Bruce went out of his way to ensure he could come.
Today, I am using [the tools NGU gave me] every day at work. As a Spanish inter- preter at Greenville Memorial Hospital, I have important responsibilities to ensure a clear delivery of medical information between providers and Spanish-speaking patients from all over Latin America. Tis role makes me both a communication manager and a cultural broker — both tasks that the linguistics program prepared me for.
Overall, however, my IDS degree strength- ened my ability to connect theory and academic knowledge to application and a right understanding of people. [Tis worldview of connectivity] has proven to be one of the most valuable skills I’ve learned to face the complex realities of our multifaceted world.
Now I know my passion is and will only be Christ, but my vocation and calling may take many turns. And that’s okay! Tere’s great freedom in embracing that re- ality about myself as an interdisciplinarian.
NGU.EDU | 19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
