Jocelyn Gartman
Graduation Year
2025
Hometown/Where You Call Home
Oostburg, WI
Major
Community Development
How did you hear about Covenant and why did you choose Covenant?
Besides the idea of living on top of a mountain in the south, the Community Development program drew me in! After talking to a few professors, Covenant seemed to be a place where Christ truly is at the center.
What aspect of Covenant do you like best?
I love the people here! As students, we are surrounded by Godly examples and mentors, friends and classmates, and a community of people that seeks to grow in Christ together.
What about the professors and/or academics has impacted you the most?
Ever since I took the class Living and Working In a Multicultural Context during the fall semester of my freshman year, my faith and worldview have significantly grown. The professors at Covenant naturally interweave a Biblical perspective, and I have learned how to view the world in light of the already and not yet. I am grateful for the way my professors have taught me how to live like Jesus in a world of poverty and brokenness.
What part of your major do you most enjoy or feel most prepared by?
Community Development is so fun! Yes we study poverty, but we also read a lot of neat books, talk about Jesus' ministry, and learn how to work alongside Him in bringing restoration and empowerment to people and communities.
What do you hope to pursue after Covenant and how do you see Covenant supporting your future career or calling?
While I don't know exactly what the Lord has in store, I hope to work with refugee resettlement or microfinance in majority world countries! My professors have been so helpful in providing connections as well as insight into next steps.
How is Covenant equipping you for active membership in the church or discipleship within the body of Christ?
Covenant places a heavy emphasis on the body of Christ as they teach about who and what the church is, while encouraging students to actively participate. I have been blessed to witness a few faculty members lead and serve in the church I attend. Covenant makes space to ask tough questions about the church while also guiding students with wisdom so that we are prepared to lead and serve as members of a local church.
In what ways does Covenant foster spiritual formation that stands out to you?
Covenant creates opportunities for students to wrestle with their faith, while also providing opportunities and gracious people that guide us in understanding, push us towards growth, and teach how to live in a humble awe of God.
How has the Covenant community supported your development as a whole person?
The community at Covenant is unique as it truly does foster growth in all aspects of being a person. Hall life is a community of support, with people to walk alongside in similar seasons of life. Therefore, we are able to push each other while also encouraging and praying. Halls often have people from all grades, and I have been blessed by upperclassmen as Godly examples and mentors in the same major. The built in community of halls naturally allows for holistic growth.
How have your relationships at Covenant shaped your expectations for the other communities God will call you to in life?
My relationships with my professors have particularly prepared me for the communities God will call me to live and work with. The Community Development classes have taught me cultural norms, empathy, and how to be the hands and feet of Jesus here on earth. Their intentionality and heart for people has shaped how I view community. The community of Covenant is so special, and has cultivated an excitement to seek to build similar relationships in future communities.
What is your favorite memory from your time at Covenant?
Hall life! Where else can you live with your best friends, go on random adventures, pull pranks during the middle of the night, grow together spiritually through weekly Bible studies and Prayer and Praise, and have spontaneous dance parties? It's a blast! (Go 3rd South)