The Welcome (Back) Cookout听is a dearly-loved 天美视频 tradition hosted by Student Leadership. All students, spouses/partners, and families are invited! There will be hamburgers, veggie burgers, and hot dogs, and we ask that you bring a side dish or dessert to share. Feel free to bring blankets and lawn chairs, as well as a frisbee or football! You can bus to Golden Gardens, but the buses stop running at 9:00pm, so you may want to organize a carpool home. There is a good chance the weather will be beautiful and you鈥檒l get to connect at one of 厂别补迟迟濒别鈥檚 best beaches! You won鈥檛 want to miss this!

A few more details about Golden Gardens if you’re unfamiliar with the area:

Golden Gardens is located northwest of Ballard at 8498 Seaview Place NW, 98117. As it is a happenin’ place to be, parking can be limited. We recommend you carpool if you can. There will be signs and balloons marking our location. You can’t miss us!

Also, if you do not have a car or bike, it can be difficult to get there. Bus Routes 45 and 17E will drop you near the top of the park, and you can take a trail/stairs down to the beach (Google Maps is helpful if you鈥檝e never taken this route before).

Remember you can utilize the bus scheduling tools through the One Bus Away app or at .

Stay tuned to our event calendar for more information and to your for RSVP info and carpooling options.

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1900-ish Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98121
You鈥檝e probably heard of it! Pike Place Market is less than a 10-minute walk from 天美视频 and offers food and drink selections from all over the world. A few of our favorites include La Panier, a French bakery with one of the top chocolate-almond croissants in Seattle. Also Piroshky Piroshky, a delicious spot that bakes Russian pastries, although you should probably be prepared to wait in line for a bit! We recommend setting aside some time to experience all the market has to offer.

2408 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121
Delicious pastries and coffee! A relaxed environment great for meeting one-on-one or venturing off by yourself in between classes. They also serve soup, sandwiches, and salads, but they are best known for their delicious baked treats.

2408 Western Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121
This caf茅 is directly up the hill on Wall Street, about 1.5 blocks from 天美视频. They offer great espresso drinks, breakfast sandwiches and burritos. They also have a killer mac and cheese, soups, and sandwiches that come in half and full options. It is the closest caf茅 to school which is convenient during breaks from class when you need a little pick-me-up.

2322 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121
Belltown Pub has happy hour every day from 4:00-6:30pm. They have a great selection of drinks and pretty great food as well. We also love that you can bring dogs inside!

听
2429 Second Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121
Need an affordable, filling, and delicious lunch between classes? Look no further. Chili & Sesame’s got you covered. Generous portions and great prices make this a favorite spot among students and staff alike. Just make sure you put your order in before 2:00! They close between 2:00 and 4:00pm each day to make the transition to dinner service.

2510 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121
Jerk Shack is a super close walk and offers delicious Caribbean food made with so much love! They have a wide selection of beer, wine, and constantly shifting creative cocktails made in house. We personally love their rum punch and happy hour food bowls!

2411 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121
A great spot right across the street from school and right on the water. They have a nice, slightly fancier happy hour, but most important is the amazing view of the Puget Sound from their lobby and lounge.

2422 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121
Happy hour is Monday-Friday, 4:00-6:00pm. This spot offers delicious pizza and fun weekday specials such as Microbrew Monday, Twenty Buck Tuesday and Wino Wednesday (large pizza and bottle of wine for $25!). A great place to go with a small-to-medium sized group.

2201 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121
Craving some fish and chips or some good chowder? Anthony’s is just a block away on the waterfront, and their fish bar has sidewalk access.

Other places to explore:
– right down the street from the school near Zulily
– 2801 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121
鈥� 2234 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121 (not open for lunch, sadly)

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Through the course of the summer, I felt a big transition was coming but didn鈥檛 know what it was. I had an increasing number of people tell me that I should go back to school and become a counselor. I have heard this all my life, but this time it settled into my body. It filled my soul and spirit and I knew, like I know the color red, that it was time.

Since I was in Bellingham, I looked for schools locally and online. Then I started branching farther out, looking into Canada and Seattle. When I finally came upon 天美视频, I knew it was a fit. For me, figuring things out at the last minute is my fort茅, so even though it was the middle of August and I wanted to start in the fall, it was not far-fetched. Now I just needed to get in.

Last year, I finished my third and final year as a Counseling Psychology student at 天美视频. It was a wild and dangerous ride.

One of the biggest surprises was the gift of the commute. Although arduous, especially with traffic, it was a reprieve to transition between my two worlds. I needed the quiet space to let my mind go as well as listen to my favorite podcast, On Being听with Krista Tippett.

There were many challenges over those three years, one being the ability to hold many things at once. Most importantly, I am a mom and a wife. I also have a big extended family and many friends. How do you hold the demands of being in grad school with such a full life?

Putting it lightly, this program brings up a lot. I have scrutinized myself from many angles. Luckily, I like to work through things and get to the bottom of them. The struggle for me was not putting this same level of intensity onto my family. My husband is my biggest cheerleader. He edited all my papers (hurray!), but I am his lover, not his counselor. The process of holding information tightly, like it is my duty to fix or change others with all the amazing information that I am holding, is a farce.

I had to pry open my fingers over and over again, being available when I was needed, and remembering to speak with intention鈥攏ot an agenda. This was true with my children as well. My daughter, who was eleven at the time, told me that she liked that I was becoming a counselor but she didn’t like it when I get all 鈥渃ounselor” on her. All my kids need to say is, 鈥淢om!!!!!!鈥� and I know that I need to simmer down.

I have to laugh and trust the long journey of life. I have found that it is the little bits of impact that have a long sustaining impact. It is not trying to cram things down my family鈥檚 throat. This was one of the biggest lessons I learned about holding both school and family.

This brings me to internship, where I worked with children and their families. This was both challenging and rewarding. Much of my work involved looking at behavior and assessing what it was telling me. I worked through the therapeutic relationship and play therapy, utilizing evidence-based therapies along with Relational Psychotherapy.

Many times, the parents with whom I worked were at their wits’ end. They needed help NOW and could not handle too much pressure back on themselves. Unfortunately, the kids then carried the weight of being the problem, and I felt the pressure to fix the child.

By the end of my internship, I was still finding my way in providing effective attunement, psychoeducation in triage, and communicating well to parents and children. Every family is unique, so what works for one family does not always work for the next. All in all, it still comes back to understanding that life is a journey. I am learning to be more comfortable sitting in what is messy.

Shalom Shreve is an MACP alumna from Bellingham, WA. She lives with her husband and children.

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Many of you will be relocating to the Seattle area, leaving faith communities that have been a major part of your life and/or the life of your family. Some of you may be feeling overwhelmed at the thought of finding a new church home, while others might be excited for the opportunity to explore. Seattle sometimes gets talked about as an “un-churched” city, and this is simply not true. What is true is that Christianity does not dominate as the main religious or cultural expression like it does in other regions of the U.S. In many ways, that makes church life a bit more vibrant and authentic. You can rest assured that there are many amazing and deeply rooted faith communities in this city and the surrounding areas, representing a great diversity of Christian faith traditions (protestant, Catholic, evangelical, non-denominational, and new parish鈥搊riented church plants).

When I moved to Seattle, I was coming out of the Southern Baptist tradition but didn’t feel as though it would be the right fit for me moving forward (the whole no women in leadership thing was conflicting with my calling, among some other things). I grew up Southern Baptist in the context of a large Roman Catholic family. I wanted to explore other denominations and expressions and discern which community might be a place I could plant. I visited mainline churches and charismatic churches and non-denominational churches and some that felt really similar to my upbringing. I eventually landed at Vineyard Community Church. While I’m grateful for where I landed, it was refreshing to experience so many different types of churches on my way to VCC.

If you are looking for a more traditional experience, hoping to be a part of an innovative church plant, or are longing to find somewhere in between, there are thriving faith communities ready to welcome you. While you can find larger churches that bring people from all over the city, Seattle also has several smaller churches oriented toward serving the neighborhoods and communities in which they are located. Keep in mind, in this city a thriving church can be as small as 35 or as large as 5,000.

Below is a list of local churches, many of which are faith communities that our students, staff, and faculty call home. Although it is not exhaustive, it should give you a good sense of church life in Seattle. Be encouraged and explore! May you be surprised by hope as you do.

Seattle Churches

• *
• *
• *
• (formerly The City Church)
• *
• *
• *

Greater Seattle Churches

Bellevue

• *

Bothell

Kirkland

• (formerly The City Church)

Lynnwood

Redmond

Renton

Shoreline

Woodinville

Tacoma

Kent

Everett

Federal Way

*Denotes 天美视频 alum on staff.

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I distinctly remember sitting in my apartment on the westside of Chicago, surrounded by the noise and clamor of my neighborhood, when I was notified of my admission to 天美视频. I had begun to fall in love with the under-resourced neighborhood I had moved into to live in intentional presence with my neighbors, to live out the values I ascribed to through my work and personal convictions. I was hesitant and excited to step into the possibility of graduate school鈥攌nowing it would mean major upheaval, loss, and also great possibility.

When I said yes to 天美视频, the next six weeks felt like an almost paralyzing state of transition, on the threshold of learning what it is to remain in a liminal space. In a strange way, that time of liminality allowed me to resonate with my under-resourced neighbors in a unique way鈥攑eople who are constantly experiencing displacement, loss, joy, grief, and so admirably holding it all in tandem with a hope like I鈥檝e never known.

That disruptive and exciting feeling of transition did not end when I finally made it to the Emerald City from the Windy City. Even after several months, I still unabashedly described myself as 鈥渋n transition.鈥� That said, over time, I could feel bits of myself that had been scattered start to settle into place. I learned to developed a new set of rhythms between work, school, and trying to create a sense of place and community here.

I have taken to referring to this time as a wilderness. As a student, I was asked to invite the transformative possibility of engaging, naming, celebrating, and grieving my own story. I would much rather engage, name, celebrate, or grieve the story of those around me, but I learned very quickly that my ability to engage the stories and heartache of those around me required that I first do that work for myself. How dare I imagine otherwise? At the end of first year, my Listening Lab Facilitator applauded me for learning how to show myself the same compassion I extend to others. My capacity for grace and mercy for others was expanding as I learned to engage my story with the same gentleness.

In the midst of this journey, we are encouraged not to rush through to the other side, but rather to dwell in the wilderness. I have come to believe this is a profoundly beautiful and necessary task. Like the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, I believe the pillar of cloud and light goes before me as a figure of hope.

One of the most memorable images from my first term was part of a lecture on our capacity for hope. We looked at a well-known image of modern dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, known for creating a movement language based on the expressive capacity of the human body. Dr. Chelle Stearns referred to this sweeping motion as a 鈥済esture of hope.鈥� Such a gesture is only achieved through intentional practice. Like Martha Graham, we practice ourselves into a hopeful posture. As a result, we must learn to bless what life is in this moment鈥攁ll that we are holding: possibility, potential, all that is unresolved in our hearts. I have no doubt that Martha Graham endured hours of practice and her fair share of pain to achieve such a gesture. So it is with hope. What a beautiful emblem of the resurrection!

As a part of the Artist鈥檚 Way class that spring, I completed a creative project inspired by Martha Graham鈥檚 gesture of hope. In an effort to practice my own posture of hopefulness, I created a flip book that traced the movement of the dancer into the full gesture of hope. 35 small drawings of a dancer and her sweeping motion. At the presentation of our creative projects, I shared my piece and how my neck ached and my eyes burned after several late nights drawing and re-drawing only slight variations of the same motion. 鈥淎h, yes. But that is what it is to practice a hopeful gesture,鈥� Dr. Stearns commented. She was right. In the very execution and embodiment of my project, I had tasted hope. It is bittersweet but absolutely worth it.

I hope that in the days to come, my little flip book can serve as a reminder of the beauty we鈥檙e working towards. Like that pillar of light in the wilderness, it calls us back to the wilderness at our feet and the promise of a Presence that transcends our circumstance.

In one of the readings I encountered as a student, the author noted a poem by Julia Esquivel. She says we have been “threatened with resurrection鈥� and this is what keeps us up at night. I can鈥檛 imagine a better reason for a vigilant night than the profoundly hopeful and startling threat of resurrection.

Join us in this vigil
and you will know what it is to dream!
Then you will know how marvelous it is
to live threatened with Resurrection!
鈥揓ulia Esquivel,

If Jessica鈥檚 story of hope resonates with you, and if you鈥檙e wondering if 天美视频 might be part of the next chapter in your own journey, we鈥檇 love to chat. It鈥檚 not too late to join our 2019 cohort starting this fall, and the next application deadline is June 24. Learn more at .

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When I was little, I had a set of cousins who spent their weekends orienteering.

Orienteering is a high-paced, family-friendly adventure of sorts. You use navigation skills, maps, and compasses to navigate diverse and unfamiliar territory, often racing against other families. () I always found my cousins a bit funny for wanting to run around the woods, racing other kids to find flags tied to trees. Who used a compass anymore, anyway? Why couldn鈥檛 we stay at home and ride bikes in the cul-de-sac? I was all about familiarity and comfort.

Now, 20 years later, I find myself changed. My life has been a fast-paced adventure, and I would give anything for a map of the area鈥攆or an internal GPS system telling me where to turn, what roads to avoid, and where I might get stuck in traffic. I鈥檓 not talking about road maps either. I鈥檓 talking about a way to chart my course through this life.

Seven years ago, I plopped down my possessions at my brother鈥檚 home and drove my car into downtown Seattle, making my way to a red brick building in Belltown for my new student orientation at 天美视频. It was an overwhelming and exciting day full of new faces and a new curiosity about the people I would come to know during my time as a graduate student. I wondered if I would actually remember anything I had been told, or if there would be a test later.

Overall, what I felt most welcomed into was a journey. There wasn鈥檛 a comprehensive map given to me of every step I would be taking, but there was a sense that I would not be alone. Others had taken this road before me, and others would take it after me, and there would be signals along the way, warning me of danger or geocaches of richness waiting to be discovered. And through it all, I wouldn鈥檛 be alone.

This particular adventure has had unexpected twists, new languages to learn, and new adventuring pals. As a student, I worked in the Office of Students & Alumni, where I helped orient new students to this place, this culture, and their own adventure in the red brick building in Belltown. From that vantage point, my cousins鈥� fondness for orienteering didn鈥檛 seem so crazy after all.

Orienteering is about tools for adventure, risk, and calculations. And maybe most of all, it is about the friends and family you journey with. As this new season and new school year approach, let鈥檚 all find again our maps and our senses of adventure. Let鈥檚 get ready for the ride.

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Busing

Busing is the primary way most people get around Seattle. You can utilize to get an overview of the different bus routes, and to plan your own you can use the .

Smartphone apps such as听听or can be another helpful resource.听These apps use your phone’s GPS to locate听bus stops near you and provide scheduling听and bus lines. It’s also helpful to听bookmark frequent stops!

An听 will be your ticket to adventure and freedom. It is a reloadable transit card that works for the bus, the light rail, the ferry, and even the water taxi! If you ride the bus more than once a day, we suggest purchasing a monthly pass and adding some dollars to your e-purse. These can be purchased online or at select locations around the city. We recommend听purchasing a monthly pass to cover standard commutes, and you can add money to your e-purse if you need more. For most bus lines, you pay immediately upon entering the bus at the front. Some stops (especially on the Rapid Ride lines) have ORCA readers at the stop, so you can scan your card and hop on the bus through any door. Depending on your income, you may also qualify for the program, which offers reduced fares. Alternatively, if you don鈥檛 want to purchase an ORCA card, you can pay with cash every time you get on the bus. However, be sure to bring exact change, as the bus drivers don’t have the ability to make change for you if you overpay.

Rapid Ride

There are a few bus lines, called Rapid Ride, that run more frequently and cover major routes.听Because of their frequency,听you don’t even need to rely on a schedule or worry about catching a particular trip. You can expect service at least every 10 minutes during the busiest morning and evening travel hours, and 15-minute service during off-peak periods. They are scheduled for late night/early morning service. Full service seven days a week!

Some extra bus etiquette you’ll want to be aware of:

• When boarding the bus, be sure to wait for everyone on the bus to get off before you get on. When getting off a busy bus, have patience with the large crowds.
• Sometimes if there’s an open seat it’s helpful to take it, as this offers more room for those who are standing, and gets you out of the way as people are trying to get off the bus. Simultaneously, offering your seat to others is always nice if you have capacity to stand鈥攅specially in the front half of the bus which is reserved for the elderly and people with disabilities.
• Remember to keep your bag on your lap or on the floor鈥攕eats are for people!
• Greet the bus driver and thank them on your way out. They’re doing hard work!

Bus rides can be perfect times to listen to audiobooks or podcasts, read school texts, or begin and end your day listening to your favorite playlists! Take heart: Once you get your bearings, you鈥檒l quickly learn which bus routes get you where you need to go!

Busing alternatives for when you need to get out of the city:

Cycling

Seattle is a growing cycling city. Even with all the hills and the rain, cycling is a major mode of transportation in this city. With lots of bike trails and bike lanes, you can often navigate the city faster on a bike than in a car. Take a look at this incredible 听that the City of Seattle has provided.

A warning: You can get ticketed in Seattle if you choose to ride without a helmet, so don鈥檛 be reckless! When you are sharing the road with cars, it鈥檚 just the smart thing to do.

You can find bike racks outside of most businesses and carrier听racks on the front of all of the metro buses. There are a ton of local bike blogs, so do a Google search and check them out!

Seattle is also home to the , the largest bicycling club in the United States, with more than 15,000 members. They put on some fantastic local events, many of which are free, and organize a number of group rides each year, including one to Portland, OR and one to Vancouver, BC!

Walking

Seattle is a small city land-wise, running about 20 miles north to south and 10 miles east to west. This makes听walking a very reasonable mode of transportation for those of you who live within a 3-5 mile radius of the school. Drivers tend to be pretty aware of pedestrians, and you鈥檒l also find lots of sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian bridges throughout the city. Keep in mind that jaywalking is still considered a ticketable offense and fines can be pricey.

Light Rail

厂别补迟迟濒别鈥檚 Light Rail is a work in progress. Currently the light rail runs between the University of Washington Stadium and just south of SeaTac International Airport. If you live south of downtown, this is great news for you! Eventually it will extend up north, through Northgate and all the way to Lynnwood. Fares range from $2.25 to $3.25 depending on how far you ride.

Feel free to contact your Admissions Counselor if you’re trying to decide if bringing a car is right for you. Many people who bring a car find that taking the bus is their primary transportation, and saving their car for longer trips ends up saving the most money and time. At the end of the day, of course, you’re free to choose听whatever works best for you and your lifestyle!

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I really wasn鈥檛 expecting to begin this journey until I had already taken the first few steps. In fact, before I really knew what I had signed up for, I was already well on my way. I remember poring over website after website of schools and psychology programs, doctorates and masters鈥� degrees and certificates, each one seeming to offer me the 鈥渂est education鈥� in exchange for more money than I鈥檇 ever spent on anything in my entire life. It wasn鈥檛 until I stumbled onto 天美视频 website that I remembered I鈥檇 been there before: about a year prior, a friend had invited me to sit in on a class. I vaguely recalled the bright red building by the water with comfortable chairs and crazy artwork on the walls.

I can鈥檛 tell you exactly what prompted me to press the 鈥渞equest more information鈥� button. Maybe it was the tagline, text.soul.culture. Maybe I was intrigued by the combination of theology and psychology. Maybe there was something about that class I had attended that lingered in the back of my brain. Maybe it was just part of a long chain of repetitive applications. But within a few days, an admissions counselor contacted me. I submitted my application a few weeks later, and I was accepted by the end of June. Two months later, I stepped through the doors of the red brick building.

It all happened so fast that I barely had time to really think about it. That entire summer was spent in anxious anticipation, buying all my books ahead of time, trying to figure out if it was okay to show up with bright purple hair, joyfully purchasing pink notebooks and glitter gel pens. Sometimes I felt happiness and pride: I鈥檓 going to be a graduate student! Other times I felt nearly sick to my stomach with anxiety. So many questions were buzzing in my head as I swung from fear to excitement and back again. Will I make any friends? What will the classes be like? What鈥檚 a 鈥減racticum鈥� class? As a third culture kid, I鈥檝e always felt ready, for better or worse, to drop everything at the last moment and rush on to the next chapter: from the U.S. to France to Japan and back again. And despite the fact that I was already relatively well-established in Seattle (and had been for two years鈥攚hich for me is actually an eternity), stepping into 天美视频 did feel like the beginning of an adventure.

And what an adventure it has been. That little building really does contain a whole world of its own. Sometimes it feels like stepping right through the wardrobe into Narnia. Other days I feel like walking in the building might break every bone in my body. It鈥檚 now almost three years later, and I鈥檝e spent the past year in my internship, sitting in an office in front of patients. I do feel that I鈥檓 being well prepared for this work, but I can also say that I鈥檒l never be done learning, and that realization has been the greatest gift from this institution. My hope is that as you step into this adventure you will realize that there will always be more to discover: about yourself, about others, about God.

Your story is unique, and I can鈥檛 tell you I know exactly what you鈥檙e going through, whether you鈥檙e still making that important decision, or just starting to pack your bags. Everyone experiences transitions differently: for some it will be a breeze while for others it will be the hardest thing they鈥檝e ever done. But you will meet exceptional people whose stories can interlace with yours, reminding you that you are not walking on this path by yourself. And know that you are entering into something quite wonderful: a community that will welcome you with open arms, an experience that will change you, and your own story filled with heartache, joy, and infinite beauty.

Elizabeth Ferauge is a third-year MA in Counseling Psychology student at 天美视频, dual French-American citizen, and Third Culture Kid who has lived in four different countries: France, Japan, Canada, and the U.S.

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I recently rewatched The Fellowship of The Ring, but this time heard something profound and new. Frodo and Boromir are alone in the woods, and it’s become clear Boromir is fraught with the agony of desire for the ring of power that Frodo wears sacrificially around his neck. He gradually approaches Frodo with such seeming care and kindness, and in an effort to seduce the ring away, implores, 鈥淭here are other ways Frodo, other paths that we might take.鈥� But Frodo is guarded and fiercely loyal to his calling. What he says in response is stunning:

鈥淚 know what you would say, and it would sound like wisdom, but for the warning in my heart.鈥�

Never in a million years did I imagine pursuing a graduate degree. Who purposely chooses to do all that reading and writing? When the flame of desire was ignited in the midst of deep pain and sorrow, I found an arsenal of disclaimers and excuses, many of which sounded logical, or as Frodo might say,鈥渨ise:鈥�

I鈥檓 over 40.听听

I have kids.

I have no time.听

We would have to move; it鈥檚 not fair to uproot the the family again.听

My memory is shot.听

Could I even write a recipe at this point, let alone a theological anthropology? I haven鈥檛 written a paper in 20 years!听

Do I actually have anything to offer?听

What do I know?听

How can I be a counselor when I often mistreat those closest to me?

With the help of those who love and know me, I chose to listen to that warning, to pay heed to the desire underneath and launch out against all logic, but with great hope. Slowly and sometimes painfully, the millions of combinations and permutations involved in moving a family and significantly altering our entire lifestyle fell into place, and we arrived to our home on Bainbridge Island with a month to spare.

Perhaps it is possible to believe in yourself a little too much. Even though I hadn’t ridden a bike with any regularity since childhood, I decided to commute to school by bicycle…onto a ferry…and into Seattle. Despite my newfound sense of adventure, it was a complete disaster. Whatever could go wrong, did.

On my very first day, I crashed into another cyclist on the exit ramp, and down we went, in full view of the cars waiting to unload. I didn鈥檛 know where to go, so I ran off to the side of the ramp, pulling my cream colored black polka dot beach cruiser with me (the bike alone should have been a sign), and asked an employee how to proceed. Without even looking at me, he simply shrugged his shoulders as the cars began to race by. It sounds silly, but boy, did that sting! I felt dumb and so alone.

A few weeks later, I crashed again trying to downshift, popping my chain off and spinning myself to nowhere, again on the exit ramp. I fell over and my bike smashed to the ground, causing my water bottle to pop out of its cage and roll back down into the ferry, all in front of many other cyclists and cars. Talk about humiliation! I felt like such a fraud, undeserving of riding with all of the 鈥減ro commuters.鈥� I wanted to give up, and had many good reasons, the safety of others not the least of them! I told myself there were other ways, but something deeper and truer said, 鈥淣o, get back up. You want to do this, and you can.鈥�

I could write pages about all the things that went wrong, and I can鈥檛 explain what kept me going, other than the 鈥渨arning in my heart鈥� about who I really am. As I look back now, the commuting chaos is such a perfect metaphor for beginning school, for entering into an incredible, maddening, life-giving, dangerous, wounding, healing, and exhilarating adventure. Along with almost killing people, I have also seen views to die for, whales, sunsets and sunrises that bring me to tears before my Creator. I think biking was a way to wrestle with both the deep fears and desires I had as school began; a way to wrestle with the question, 鈥淎m I enough, and can I actually live with how much I want this?鈥�

I think of all of you so often and wonder what you must be feeling. You have a place here, and you are not alone. At the very least, please find me and say hello, and I will remind you that someone else knows what it is to do this! If you like hugs, I will give you one, or laugh or cry with you too. If you feel insecure, or don鈥檛 know who to sit with in class, and suddenly you wonder if you are back in junior high, boldly plunk yourself down next to someone new and know that your presence is a gift to them too. Most importantly, don鈥檛 hide away and try to do this alone; you have so much to offer because you have YOU to offer.

I am glad and thankful that you are on your way, and for your courage to enter into such a crazy adventure, an adventure that will require the places in you that you do not know are even there; an adventure that will lavish you with blessing and life. Welcome!

Rebekah Deitrich is an MACP student at 天美视频. She loves to sing, dance, and ride her bike like a boss.

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Mountain climbing was never something I would have considered, especially since I grew up in the Deep South among the bayous, mossy trees, and southern sweet tea. I never dreamed I would spend the second half of my life living in the Northwest, where the mountains are tall, the trees are evergreen, and the coffee is roasted to perfection. I feel blessed to have experienced both of these worlds. Here I am now鈥攍iving in the Northwest and climbing a mountain, of sorts.

On a sunny, clear day in Seattle I gazed at Mount Rainier on my commute to school, and I pondered an idea that really resonated within my soul. Looking up at the majestic mountain, I saw its overwhelming size and beauty. I thought about how my graduate program experience felt very similar to the immensity of that mountain. Each class, essay, and assignment felt like taking another step toward its apex. Each step took me a bit closer to achieving a lifelong dream.

Almost 16 years ago, my husband accepted a ministry position in the Seattle area. We packed up our home, buckled up our five children, and made the trek across the country from Kentucky to Washington. This was not my first cross-country move, but I was hoping it would be my last! Serving in ministry alongside my husband for over three decades, I became aware of a passion inside of me to care for others. I can see now that God was planting a seed for further education within me.

Now that I am in my second half of life, I began to wonder what my future might look like since all but one of my kids are now grown and married. I had placed my dream of going back to school and pursuing an education in counseling and psychology on hold. After looking into several programs of study, I had not found the right fit (and I believe the right fit is necessary when it comes to life and learning). I needed something that worked for me, and then a friend of mine told me about 天美视频.

I can wholeheartedly say that I have found that fit in this community! My goal was to start slowly and test the waters, because I was very insecure about my academic capabilities. After applying, I was invited to join the 2017 cohort as a Life Experience student. I remember the day I received that call and how excited I was. Then I also began to realize the huge step that I was about to take. Once I stepped into my first class, I thought how incredibly blessed I was to be learning and studying in such a beautiful environment with so many kind people.

Entering this graduate program has been life-changing for me as well as for my family. My husband, children, and church family have been truly supportive. We knew when I began this program that I would need to make some adjustments in order to be able to give this new venture the time and energy it required.

Reading has always come naturally to me, but when it comes to writing, I have experienced a great deal of emotional disruption as I have made the necessary changes to pledge myself to this graduate-level work. In fact, each step toward my graduate degree can be likened to climbing a mountain. One of my greatest struggles has been writer鈥檚 anxiety. I had no idea how overwhelming writing could be until I sat down to draft my first essay. I began to realize that I had a fear of failure that I had managed to ignore. Engaging this fear became essential to overcoming the anxiety and continue stepping upward. Another step in the climb to overcoming my anxiety has been taking the offered writing courses and gladly accepting all the help I could get from my professors, other students, and a tutor.

I have come a long way since that first essay, but I still face a struggle each time I sit before a blank computer screen. Yet even with all this anxiety, here I am contributing to a blog! My ultimate task has been learning how to embrace vulnerability while experiencing anxiety as I train to become a therapist. This requires less judgment and more kindness toward myself. Part of 天美视频鈥檚 philosophy is that we cannot take others to where we have not been willing to go ourselves. This has been a constant encouragement to me as I have pursued the hard personal work, courageously faced the anxiety of writing, and engaged deeply in my life story in Practicum.

Even though I have faced many challenges along the way, I have been greatly encouraged and supported by faculty, staff, students, and alumni at the school. Faculty and staff want only the best for students. I have felt deeply cared for since I began my graduate work here, and I have found an incredible sense of belonging. I am so grateful for the friendships I have made so far and look forward to making many more.

My heart鈥檚 desire is to encourage 鈥測鈥檃ll鈥� as you step into this space of disruption, beauty, hope, and redemption. My prayer is that, as a student, you also will find a sense of belonging and allow your true self to be seen by others. My hope and prayer are that this work prepares me to step into others鈥� stories with the love, empathy, and compassion that invites hope, redemption, and healing to those God places in my care.

I pray the same for you. Now let鈥檚 climb this mountain, step by step, day by day, one assignment at a time. Together, we will make it to the top.

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