My name is Stacey Gassman. As a third year Master of Divinity student with graduation quickly approaching, I have been thinking back over my time at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Like many of us, seminary was not my expected trajectory. As I discerned and investigated schools, Garrett-Evangelical became more and more appealing to me. When I applied, I was still unsure of how I would pay for my schooling and living expenses but believed that if it was truly where I was being called to, God would provide. Several weeks after I was accepted to Garrett-Evangelical and had filled out applications for scholarship, I got the letter. The letter that said, “We are pleased to inform you that you have been given a scholarship.” Without the generosity of donors, I would not be at Garrett-Evangelical, poised to graduate and enter into a life of ministry.
As Leadership Scholars, we are committed to providing leadership within the Garrett-Evangelical community. This is an expression of our gratitude for the generosity of our donors. In this vein, we write letters of appreciation every year to the specific donors of the scholarship received. We reach out to alumni through the phone-a-thon and by writing blogs like this. However, it is the volunteering that I have been most grateful for. It is not unlike many people’s experience of mission trips, where you go thinking you will be helping others, and come back realizing how much you have received.
As a Leadership Scholar, I have had the opportunity to participate as a student representative to the faculty arts department. It is a group that is deeply committed to the promotion of the arts within the Garrett-Evangelical community, and the expression of art with and from community members. It is a group that envisions how to bring the arts to theological and spiritual experience; how to bring the arts to theological education. One of the most visible signs of this group is the art displayed in the first and second floor hallways throughout the year.
Another richly rewarding experience I have been privileged to have is being a conversation partner for English as a second language students and more recently for their wives as well. The Women’s Center, seeing the isolation that many of the Korean wives of students face, organized individuals to meet and simply enjoy conversation. It is a rich experience of cultural sharing, as well as an opportunity for individuals to improve their conversational English. As many of these couples plan to remain in America, it is crucial that they have the English they will need to be a part of their wider communities. Among the women helped by this program are artists, teachers and stay at home parents. It is a remarkable experience to be able to hear their stories and insights into American culture, as well as sharing the rich heritage of their home culture.
I am deeply grateful for the scholarship that has allowed me not only to attend Garrett-Evangelical but also to really focus on my studies without financial worry. However, even more than this, I have truly been blessed by the service I have had the privilege of offering to the Garrett-Evangelical community. As the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery put it in his beloved children’s book The Little Prince, “When you give yourself, you receive more than you give.”
Stacey Gassman is a third year Master of Divinity Student at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
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