During senior chapel, the Class of 2026 graduates from Grace Christian University shared advice for students navigating campus life. Here’s what they had to say, starting with our ministry leader intern.
Isaiah Denhof
I’m graduating with a bachelor’s in Biblical Studies. I came to Grace, actually was going to go to Cornerstone, but my mom suggested Grace. We toured it, and I fell in love with it. Through my freshman, sophomore, and junior year, I really battled what my life was supposed to look like. Am I actually supposed to go into ministry? God was closing a lot of doors and opening none. I felt like God was saying, maybe this is not for you. It was my junior year. I took Postmodernity and Metamodernity, shout out Dr. Loverin, who helped me to rebuild everything that I ever believed, to really found and create a foundation that I was 110% certain of whatever bit of what I believed. With that, God, after I made a lot of life changes and really was concrete, started opening doors. Rick was one of the first ones. He stopped by, pulled up in his Volvo and said, “Hey, you want to go to Florida?” I was like, yeah, I’ll go to Florida. I actually canceled knee surgery, I had knee surgery scheduled in two weeks. I canceled my knee surgery and went to Florida. God has just been doing amazing things. Obviously, I’m the ministry leader intern here, working under Danny.. And now, as of last Sunday, I committed and accepted an invite to go to Mountain View Bible Church as their full-time youth director in Post Falls, Idaho.
Kristina Brandenburg
My quote, the thing that’s been sticking with me recently that I wanted to share, is, “Don’t rush something you want to last forever.” I think that sums up my three years here because I rushed through, finished in three. Whether that be a friendship, a relationship, or whether it be college or any experience you’re having at college, don’t rush it. You will miss it, and you’ll wish it would have lasted four years or five years or been here forever.
David Cross
When you’re in college, everything is always about the future. You’re always thinking ahead, thinking about graduating, thinking about your career, thinking about having a family after. But when all of your motivation is always extrinsic motivation, it’s always about getting the degree, it’s always about what’s coming next, I think that is where it can be very easy to get burnt out and to really lose motivation in the moment. My encouragement to all of you students who still have a few years left is to just find ways to be motivated in the moment, like intrinsic motivation. Try to find meaning in the things that you’re doing, in the classes and the relationships that you have. Try to just enjoy the process. Don’t just always be focused on the finish line.
Jace Sitzema
I have two pieces of advice to help avoid trouble, what has helped me avoid trouble. First up is firming up my belief in the resurrection, what Jesus did. Because if that truly happened, that helps me make decisions, and it just means everything. Second thing is something Tim Keller said when he was really going through it and ended up passing away. He said, “If Jesus really rose from the dead, walked and talked with people, everything’s gonna be okay.” For people who are struggling with anxiety or stresses, if you’re a Christian, everything’s gonna be okay.
Carly Tywan
I’m Carly, and I have just two things to say: Work really hard, and make sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard to burn out. While doing that, just trust in the Lord and know that he’ll always be there for you.
Stacy Delgado
Learning does not end in the classroom, and that’s something I will literally preach forever. Don’t just consider your 8 a.m. and your 1 p.m. Once you leave at 2:30, don’t think that’s the rest of the day, like you’re done learning for the day. No. Go out there, get internships, do volunteer experience, have coffee chats with your professors, with other professionals in the industry. It can genuinely go a long way, and it’s really about the people. But at the same time, you do want to continue learning, even if you’re 18 years old, 21, or even 30. Continue learning, be a sponge, learn different things.
Garrett Fish
My advice is: Don’t worry so much about your calling. I know that sounds like a crazy statement, but don’t pigeonhole yourself in what you think God’s calling for your life is. Focus a lot more on walking in obedience. Likely, God is calling you to do a lot of cool things in your life right now, in this very formative period of your life. There’s going to be a lot of cool experiences that you’re going to have, a lot of cool people that you’re going to get to meet. Often, in our view of calling, we can tend to shove those things away when oftentimes God is working something much bigger in them. Focus on walking obediently, go and do cool stuff, have some fun.
Marcus Lott
News flash, ironically, my favorite character and superhero is the Flash. Ironically, he moves fast. But that’s one thing I want to tell you guys about: Don’t move too fast. But also, two is better than one. Reason why I say that is because God brought Adam and Eve together for a reason. He knew that Adam needed help. But also, everyone here needs help. Do not do things by yourself. Speaking from experience, I have tried all my life. I have failed visibly, but beautiful people who I met along the way have helped me. Dr. Loverin taught me how to allow people to help me, even when I don’t want help but I do need it. Sometimes we’re gonna get there, you’re not gonna want help, you’re gonna feel like you’re all by yourself. But everyone here is here to help you. Please do not try to do things by yourself, cuz it’s not gonna work. You got people here, and everyone here is here to support you, to love you, and to be there for you.
Leona Frost
Hello, my name is Leona, and my advice to you is: Don’t be afraid to talk to your professors. They’re here to help you. I can’t count the amount of times that I needed help and I went to one of them. I’m thinking of Professor Sherstad. There were times when I wasn’t sure if I could even do a presentation, but seeing her there, going to her, asking for help, and for her being willing to give it to me. If you have a presentation, ask your professor, they’re gonna be showing how you’re doing on their faces. If you’re doing good, they’ll be nodding along. They may not always be smiling, but they’re gonna be nodding because they want you to know that you’re doing well. Don’t be afraid to go to professors, whether it’s after class or before class. They’re there for you, and they want to help.
Kynleigh Copeland
I’m Kynleigh. My advice is to join a sport or a team or whatever because the best experiences and friends I made were from joining sports that I’ve literally never done until I got here.
Maty Temrowski
I’m Maddie. My advice would be: Allow the people here to pour into you. There are so many people that want to help you and are willing to help you. Allow them to pour into your life and build off of their insight and wisdom. And spray-paint-the-rock at least once.
Stephanie Maendel
My encouragement to you guys would be to impact the people that you are naturally around for the Lord. I think that too many people wait until they have a title or they’re in a position of leadership to view themselves as a leader. But really, every single one of us is a leader to someone, whether it’s your roommates, your classmates, your family, your co-workers. Don’t wait until you feel like you’re ready or until you feel like you’re in that position. Impact the people you’re around now for the Lord. He’s put you where he put you for a reason. He’s given you the influence that you have for a reason. Let’s use that to point people back to Jesus. Start here, start now, and we can do that for the rest of our lives.
What Makes Grace Truly Special
If you are considering Grace Christian University, it is worth asking a deeper question than most people start with. Not simply, “What programs are offered?” or “What will this cost?” but rather, “Who will I be when I leave this place?”
We are a community that believes your life has meaning beyond a career and that your education should prepare you for more than a job.
You will find professors here who do more than deliver content. They invest. They ask questions that require you to think, wrestle, and grow. They notice when you are struggling and take the time to walk with you through it. That kind of attention is not accidental, it is part of who we are.
You will also find students who are not simply passing through the same space, but learning how to live alongside one another. Friendships are formed here in the ordinary moments, studying late, competing together, attending chapel, or simply sitting across from each other in conversation. These relationships often become some of the most enduring parts of the Grace experience.
And then there is something harder to describe, but just as real.
We believe that your life has been designed with purpose. That is why, when we talk about Grace, we do not begin with outcomes or promises. We point to the environment, the people, and the mission. Because those are the things that, over time, truly change a person.
So, if you are wondering what your next step should be, I would encourage you not to make that decision from a distance.
Come and see.
Walk the campus. Sit in a class. Talk with a professor. Have a conversation with a student who is living this out right now.
There are some things that cannot be fully understood until you experience them for yourself.
Take the next step. Come visit campus and see it for yourself.
