Greenville University's Pathways to Purpose: Faith, Vocation, and Service in Harmony
Published: September 23, 2024
Author: Liz Dowell
Greenville University's Pathways to Purpose initiative is an innovative project designed to help faculty, staff, and students explore vocation and calling through the lens of faith.
According to assistant professor of English Joanna Boyd-Wilhite, a leader in the initiative, Pathways to Purpose is supported by a grant from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE). The project aims to align personal faith, values, and beliefs with professional aspirations.
A key goal of Pathways to Purpose is to support Greenville University's mission of nurturing students' moral and spiritual development. The initiative encourages shared experiences related to vocation and calling and seeks to integrate these concepts into both curricular and co-curricular programming.
The NetVUE grant has been instrumental in providing financial support for this initiative, funding a summer retreat and educational session for cohort members, study materials, and other resources. The collective goal is to impact not only faculty and staff but also students by fostering a deeper understanding of vocation across campus.
"The initiative is deeply aligned with Greenville University's mission of fostering 'Christ-like character and service,'" Boyd-Wilhite explained. The project draws inspiration from both the Kingdom work commissioned by Jesus in the Gospels and the vision of Professor Jeannie Trudel, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Life.
Professor Trudel has prioritized the development of Christ-like character among faculty and staff and played a key role in securing the NetVUE grant to bring this initiative to life.
For assistant professor of music Grace Denton, Pathways to Purpose is a deeply personal journey. "Pathways to Purpose, for me, is an intentional journey of discovering deeper meaning and aligning one’s life with a sense of calling," she said.
Denton emphasizes that our personal and professional lives are intertwined with our values, faith, and the ways we serve others. She believes the initiative provides a framework for living with purpose, helping individuals recognize their unique gifts and how they can make a difference in the world.
Denton was drawn to the initiative because of its focus on vocational discernment and its potential to empower individuals. "The idea of walking alongside students as they explore their own callings—whether in their careers, relationships, or community involvement—deeply resonated with me," she shared.
She hopes Pathways to Purpose will reshape how she mentors and guides students, helping them connect their academic pursuits with their personal values and long-term goals.
Assistant professor of chemistry Scott Pattenaude emphasized the distinction Pathways to Purpose makes between a Christ-centered vocation and secular definitions of career.
"This initiative helps us differentiate vocation from secular ideas of career that are often focused solely on the individual instead of the community," Pattenaude explained.
The program encourages faculty and staff to reflect on their own vocational journeys and develop strategies to help students navigate their callings.
At a reflective stage in his career, Pattenaude noted how past students have shared that Greenville University helped shape their vocational discernment. "This makes what I do with current students more meaningful," he said.
His hope is that this grant empowers faculty to consistently guide students through the process of vocational discernment, helping them understand that a calling is more than just a career and is unique to each person.
Reflecting on his involvement in the initiative, Pattenaude remarked, "Vocational discernment is often a hard and messy process."
He believes the best way to build community is by sharing his own vocational story and encouraging students to reflect on their journeys.
Paul Sunderland, chair of the music and digital media departments, and another participant in the Pathways to Purpose initiative, echoed similar sentiments.
"Work is only one portion of Christian calling," Sunderland noted. He sees this initiative as an opportunity to deepen conversations with students, moving beyond career preparation to explore God’s broader purpose for their lives.
"This study equips us to go far deeper than conversations about skills, aptitudes, and passions," Sunderland said.
As the Pathways to Purpose initiative progresses, the team hopes to inspire lasting change at Greenville University. Boyd-Wilhite expressed a desire to see the concepts of vocation and calling more concretely integrated into student-facing programs, as well as continued support for staff and faculty in their own vocational development.
The project reinforces the idea that Christian vocation is not just an individualized calling but a communal one, focused on the common good and deepening relationships within the Kingdom of God.
Through this initiative, faculty like Denton, Pattenaude, and Sunderland hope to better understand their own callings and guide students in seeing their futures as extensions of who they are and what they are called to do.
