by Morgan Feddes, '10
When Erin Raska graduated from Whitworth with a degree in health, fitness and physical education, she never imagined that in just a few years she would be attending Princeton Theological Seminary, in Princeton, N.J.
"I wanted to think more theologically about why [Christians] do what we do in a ministry context, and I was interested in continuing to explore and think critically about Christianity," Raska says. "God has called me to this journey one step at a time."
After graduating from Whitworth, Raska worked for two years as an intern for senior-high ministries at First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue, in Bellevue, Wash. In 2003, Raska returned to Spokane to serve as the youth director at Whitworth Community Presbyterian Church. She entered seminary in 2006.
As part of her schooling, Raska was required to work in ministry outside the classroom. She spent last summer working at Hospice of Spokane, which accepts patients who are expected to live no longer than six months and who no longer desire life-prolonging treatments. "Our job [as pastors] is to help meet the spiritual needs of those in our parishes," Raska says. Most seminary students do not choose to serve their internships at hospices, but Raska recognized her need for the experience. "I needed to learn how to become at peace with death and with the unknown" she says. "I wanted to learn how to be present to death and to dying."
Upon graduating in May 2009, Raska can be ordained into the Presbyterian Church (USA) when she receives a call. She says Whitworth gave her the foundation to transition from majoring in health, fitness and physical education as an undergraduate to attending seminary, because her education was not restricted to just one area. "Whitworth does an excellent job of helping students to think critically while also giving them the confidence to dream," Raska says. "The university offers a well-rounded education that frees one from feeling trapped within a discipline. I felt prepared to pursue a path outside the field in which I studied."
|
