Zack Mabry
Graduation Year
2025
Hometown/Where You Call Home
Marietta, GA
Major
Philosophy
How did you hear about Covenant and why did you choose Covenant?
I visited campus in high school, and the combination of a tightly knit, sincerely Christian community and an academically overqualified faculty convinced me this was the right place for me. I didn't even apply anywhere else.
What aspect of Covenant do you like best?
My favorite part about Covenant is how we are able to integrate our faith into our specific majors. Covenant never feels like a Bible-college or seminary, but you also are always thinking about the content of your discipline from the perspective of someone who knows Jesus as Lord of all the world and preeminent in all things. You learn to be both authentically Christian, and authentic in your discipline, without having to forsake one for the other.
What about the professors and/or academics has impacted you the most?
All the professors and faculty here view their students not just as students, but as persons and brothers and sisters in Christ; and the relatively small class sizes means every professor is able to take genuine interest in each student. I have such fantastic relationships with so many different professors here that I would not be able to have at other schools, and they have poured so much into me both academically and spiritually.
What part of your major do you most enjoy or feel most prepared by?
As a philosophy major, we have the opportunity to go every year to a regional philosophy conference, where we get to listen to philosophy papers from other students and philosophers, and present our own. The conference prepares us for actual academic work in philosophy, but is also an opportunity to meet other people in the discipline and form new relationships, as well as growing closer with the other majors. It's also a lot of fun and always a memorable experience.
What do you hope to pursue after Covenant and how do you see Covenant supporting your future career or calling?
I'll be attending graduate school in philosophy after I graduate, hoping eventually to teach in colleges and/or high school, and I would not have been able to do any of this without the support of Covenant. My professors have done so much to help prepare me for graduate school and professional work in the discipline, as well as given me fantastic examples of how to teach and connect with students in a meaningful and lasting way. The college also has tons of other resources available that they constantly remind you of, so you know that you should never be afraid of the time after graduation.
How is Covenant equipping you for active membership in the church or discipleship within the body of Christ?
Everything at Covenant is done with the expectation that all of the students will go on to be church leaders in some capacity. We recognize the privilege that it is to be able to study at a private liberal arts university, and that this prepares us with knowledge and experience that most people in the church never had or have access to. This means we have a responsibility to use our gifts and talents for Christ's church, and in every class we are taught how we can do that. Covenant teaches us that we are called not just to our majors but also to service in the Church.
In what ways does Covenant foster spiritual formation that stands out to you?
The requirement to live on campus for the first 2-3 years seemed excessive before I came here, but once you experience the hall culture and how close you get with the people on your hall, you don't want to move off campus. Every week the halls do prayer and praise, and my hall did small groups, and these really became important to my spiritual formation. The kind of Christian brotherhood I was able to have at Covenant was unlike anything I had experienced before as someone who converted to Christianity in high school.
How has the Covenant community supported your development as a whole person?
Covenant really helped me establish a strong support system consisting of my friends, hallmates, professors, and others to experience the kinds of changes you go through starting college. Living away from your parents, having college level classes, and having to support yourself financially for the first time isn't easy and it would be hard to do it on your own, but Covenant has such a strong community and cares so much about the wellbeing of its students that they provide you with all the resources you need to not just survive but excel during your time here. I'm so grateful to my hall, my professors, and even my work-study opportunities for developing me into the person I am now, ready to graduate.
How have your relationships at Covenant shaped your expectations for the other communities God will call you to in life?
My relationships at Covenant have shown me what shalom looks like, and what I should be aiming for in whatever communities I enter after here. I came from a secular, public school, without having grown up in the church, and it was at Covenant that I was first able to experience what it is like to have true fellowship with other believers, and be in a community that puts Christ at the center. For me, my relationships and time at Covenant have set the example for what I should aspire to later in life. Like any place, Covenant is not without problems, but I have never relinquished the feeling that God is doing something truly special here, and it has been a testimony to His providence in my own life.
What is your favorite memory from your time at Covenant?
My favorite memory is from my freshman year where my hall, The Five Points, won first place at Mac Movie. None of us were expecting to win first place, so it came as a total surprise, and we all started screaming at the top of our longs and rushed the stage. It was exhilarating and everyone on the hall cherished that moment together.