Finding Joy in the Everyday: Alea VanDeVelde’s Greenville Story

Published: April 27, 2026

Author: Lydia Cahill

Some of the most meaningful moments in college are the ones no one plans – conversations that last late into the night, laughter shared between classes, and quiet reminders that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

For English education major Alea VanDeVelde ’26, those small moments shaped a college experience filled with belonging, purpose, and preparation for what comes next.

“I think most of my favorite memories here have been unplanned moments of living life with my friends,” VanDeVelde said. “Random deep conversations backstage, lying on a tent in Scott Field looking at the stars, running through campus in a thunderstorm while it's pouring rain, and laughing until we can't breathe.”

Through her roles as a Teacher’s Assistant, Resident Assistant in University Hall, tutor at the Simple Room, performer in the Factory Theatre, and leader in the Interfaith Club, VanDeVelde invested deeply in both the GU community and the people around her.

For everyone who knows VanDeVelde, a smile is never far from her lips, and she is always ready with a welcoming hello, whether she knows the person or not.

VanDeVelde says that her perseverance and inner joy come from the Lord and supportive mentors around her.

“Right before I moved here, someone gave me a prayer journal with Jeremiah 29:11 on it, and that is what got me through the transition,” VanDeVelde said.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” For VanDeVelde, the Lord has led her to a new start in the fall as a teacher.

VanDeVelde also listed some of the mentors who have guided her throughout her time at GU. “There are so many people here that I wouldn't have made it without. Gret Tindall was my director for life in general, and her office was always where I went when I needed a safe, quiet place. Natalie Tungate was my partner in crime at the Simple Room. She was a person I could go to when I didn't know what to do next. Joanna Boyd-Wilhite never failed to be an incredible example of the teacher and human I want to be someday.”

After graduating this spring, VanDeVelde will step into her own classroom this fall. She carries forward the same encouragement, mentorship, and joy that shaped her time at Greenville University. Just as others invested in her, she now hopes to create a classroom where students feel supported, inspired, and known.