Seeing Students as God Sees Them

Published: July 07, 2026

Author: Liz Dowell

When Professor Helo Oidjärv arrived at Greenville University in the fall of 2020, the world and higher education were in a major state of limbo. Hired during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she stepped into a social work program in transition, assuming leadership amid staffing changes, accreditation demands, and students navigating uncertainty.

Five years later, Helo reflects that season not as a disruption, but as a calling.

“I was hired knowing I would have to handle accreditation almost immediately,” she said. “The program needed stability, vision, and care. And that felt very familiar to social work itself.”

A Journey Shaped by Faith and Experience

Helo’s path to Greenville is as global as it is personal. Born and raised in Estonia, she spent part of her childhood in Algeria before eventually moving to the United States. Like many in her generation and home country, she was raised as an atheist.

“After high school, during my gap year, I enrolled in a Bible correspondence course that was done through the mail. You would receive little sheets, fill them out, and send them back. At the time, I approached it simply as general knowledge. I thought, ‘The Bible is an important book in history—I should probably know something about it.’ I had never really read it before, and I knew almost nothing about it.

At the end of the course, they invited me to church. What I later realized was that it was actually part two of the correspondence course, which included what was essentially a pre-baptism class—though I didn’t know that at the time. I thought I was just continuing my studies.

I fell in love with how the church interpreted Scripture. Everything was grounded completely in the Bible—there was no emphasis on human opinion or tradition. That deeply resonated with me. I was also moved by the way people lived their faith. They were genuinely loving and kind, and I found friendships there that I had never experienced before.

I had just turned 18 when I was baptized. I experienced what I would describe as a powerful conversion through the Holy Spirit. That was more than three decades ago now.”

And this choice would ultimately reshape both her vocation and her understanding of education.

“Becoming Christian changed everything,” Helo said. “It changed how I saw people, how I understood purpose, and how I approached the work I felt called to do.”

That perspective now defines her approach to teaching social work. To her, social work is not simply a profession, but a form of service rooted in Scripture and compassion.

Teaching Social Work Through a Christian Lens

For Helo, faith integration is not an add-on. It is foundational.

“Social work from a Christian perspective means looking at people through God’s eyes,” she explained. “Not just asking what is effective or ethical in a secular sense, but asking how Christ would want us to love, serve, and advocate.”

In her classes, this philosophy takes tangible form. Scripture is woven into coursework. Prayer opens class sessions when appropriate. Discussions move beyond theory to questions of character, calling, and spiritual formation.

Her goal, she said, is not only to prepare competent professionals but to lead faithful disciples.

“I want students to graduate as Christian professionals … not just professionals who happen to be Christian,” she said.

International online student Chyone Harris, in the Bachelor of Social Work program, said that even though she is an online student, that barrier did not stop her from connecting with Professor Helo and feeling part of the class.

“From my very first class, Dr. Helo created a supportive and personal learning environment that felt much like an in-person experience, which greatly boosted my confidence,” Harris said. “She consistently made herself available and thoughtfully integrated course material with a faith-based approach, reminding me of the values that guide both my academic and professional journey.”

Growing a More Faith-Integrated Program

Under Helo’s leadership, Greenville’s social work program has continued to evolve with intentional faith integration at its core. The program recently received national reaccreditation through 2030, a milestone that required extensive preparation and reflection.

“We went through reaccreditation in 2023, which is a rigorous process,” she said. “But it was also an opportunity to really examine who we are and how faith is embedded in what we do.”

One of the most significant developments is the introduction of a year-long faith integration capstone. Social work students now complete 400 hours of practicum experience while intentionally integrating faith into their placements through research projects, program development, policy changes, or group facilitation.

“This capstone allows students to live out their faith in real, professional settings,” Helo said. “It’s not theoretical, it’s applied, reflective, and transformative.”

Additional courses are also in development, including new ethics offerings and expanded curriculum in social work and spirituality. Helo describes those areas as essential to holistic preparation.

Leading Through Challenge and Growth

Helo is candid about the challenges she faced in her early years at Greenville – taking over courses in mid-transition, teaching during a pandemic, and earning student trust under difficult circumstances tested her resilience.

“The students didn’t know me. They were expecting someone else,” she said. “That was hard. But it was also humbling. It reminded me that teaching, like social work, requires patience and grace.”

Over time, those relationships grew stronger. Evaluations have improved. Trust was built. And Helo found her footing. Not only as a program leader, but as a mentor.

A Campus That Practices What It Teaches

What has kept her at Greenville, Helo says, is the University’s commitment to living out one’s faith.

“One thing I truly love about Greenville is that it practices what it preaches,” she said. “From leadership on down, there is a genuine desire to seek God’s will.”

She points especially to the example of campus leadership that prioritizes prayer and discernment in decision-making.

“When you pray for God’s leading, He answers,” she said. “And not only does He answer, but He also blesses. Scripture tells us, ‘Those who honor me, I will honor.’ I see that being lived out here.”

That consistency, she believes, creates space for authentic witnesses. But also, particularly among students who may arrive with little faith background.

“There are many students who are secular, or nominal Christians,” she said. “I see that not as a challenge, but as an opportunity … to walk with them, to model faith, and to help them encounter God in a real way.”

Teaching by Example

Helo often returns to a simple guiding principle: Live the message before speaking it.

“When necessary, use words,” she said, referring to a well-known saying. “Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary, use words,” famous saying by St. Francis of Assisi.

In the classroom, that philosophy translates into presence, empathy, and attentiveness. Students are encouraged to bring their whole selves: their questions, doubts, and hopes into the learning space.

“For me, teaching is not just about content,” Helo said. “It’s about formation.”

As Greenville University continues to prepare students for lives of character and service, Professor Helo Helo’s work stands as a quiet but powerful example of what it means to educate with purpose: seeing students not only as future professionals, but as people deeply known and deeply loved by God.