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Students' CornerWhat is unique about this place, Regent College? And, what does creating this space on the campus of the University of British Columbia provide to further the Kingdom? The best answer to these questions is found in the stories of the men and women whom God calls into this community. It is through their lives, and in what they experience here that the mission of the College is fulfilled. Here are just a few of the stories from students who have been a part of the Regent community: Dave & Beccy
Allen
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It was after reading books by faculty members that we became
interested in coming to Regent. The College website confirmed it!
We wanted to go to a school that combined academic excellence and
integrity with learning that had spiritual application. Since arriving,
we have thought more about God as Creator and the importance of Sabbath
rest. We’ve learned that faith is not something to be compartmentalized,
but rather it affects how we work and how we spend our money. We
think the biggest “uniqueness” of Regent is actually
its diversity—the fact that so many denominations, countries
and cultures are represented. We would never have had the chance
to be exposed to such variety elsewhere. However, but for the support
of donors, we have realized that we would not have been able to come.
It was a very humbling experience for us to find out about those
who have invested on our behalf and we are grateful to those who
have made this experience possible.
Why Regent? It was a recommendation from an alum and hearing about
Regent’s great faculty/academic reputation. However, what really
persuaded us was the impression we had of the range of courses coupled
with flexibility, the focus on the arts as a means of expressing faith
and an emphasis on equipping lay people. Having arrived, what impacts
us is the way God uses such a diversity of teaching by so many lecturers
in a way that seems to inextricably connect. What excites us are things
like the intimacy of fellowship in communion at Chapel with both students
and faculty and studying poetry with the fresh perspective of fellow-students
and lecturers who share the Christian faith. We so appreciate the overall
atmosphere of openness conducive to discussion, debate and even disagreement.
Our intention is to be refreshed in our faith and gain a renewed sense
of God’s purpose for our lives.
We’ve come from well-established professional careers in the
Republic of Ireland (Michelle a legal consultant and Gareth an engineer).We
came to Regent to gain an education that was culturally diverse and
still relevant to our context in Ireland. One of the surprising things
about our time at Regent has been the number of lessons we have learned
outside the classroom. With such a diverse range of students and staff,
there is a genuine opportunity to learn from different people’s
experiences and their approach to life. We finish this spring and will
return to Ireland where Gareth will be involved in pastoral ministry
in the Irish Presbyterian Church and Michelle may consider further
studies to build on the interdisciplinary studies from Regent. No matter
what the future brings, Regent College, both in the classroom and outside,
has shaped us and will continue to shape what we do in the future.