What do you want to be when you grow up? This question rings through the days of childhood and is littered with the hopeful responses of “doctor”, “fireman”, “teacher”, “astronaut” – all things big, bold, and exciting, with the promise of a new adventure around every turn. I personally aspired to sing and act on Broadway…a dream that was somehow transformed into the world of health care. I suppose that dancing on stage and “dancing” into a patient’s room are one in the same, right?

What are your plans after graduation? Similar to the question presented in childhood, this question is also saturated with curiosity, hope, promise, and adventure. It can be daunting when faced with the prospect of formulating a response that meets the expectations of the asker. One may feel as if their path of study is a step towards life changing work, or at least the fulfillment of a personal passion that will also pay the bills, until met with the response of “oh…that’s nice…and what do you plan to do with that?”

Having embarked on a path towards nursing, I cannot say that I have ever received the aforementioned response when sharing my career choice. Instead, I am often greeted with comments of approval, head nods, and smiles. It is invigorating to have found a profession that I am passionate about and proud of, one that seeks to serve in a multitude of ways.

But the question still remains, is this my calling? Is this my purpose?

During my fellowship at National Lutheran Communities and Services I was surrounded by an array of intelligent and impressive people who each possessed a contagious passion for the mission and ministry of the organization. Each staff member was equipped with a unique set of gifts and traits that enabled them to contribute to the service of our communities and beyond. It was here that I observed the beauty that is found in the convergence of differences, of the powerful things that can happen when individuals learn to share their talents and rely upon those of others as well, acknowledging that no one person has all that is needed to complete the mission – be of an organization, or in life.

It was here too, that I was reminded of the multifaceted layers of all people. Our Chief Philanthropy Officer is an avid angler, and a great sports fan. Our Chief Financial Officer has a passion for 80s music and singing through the halls. Our Chief Strategy Officer is most at home at sea, and can often be found sporting a colorful bow tie that relates to his love of the water. At first, some were surprised to learn of these characteristics, amazed that a lawyer would be found knee deep in waders, or that an accountant could possibly have an upbeat personality. And yet these enjoyed pastimes are only glimpses into the entirety of the people who became my family for the summer, mere glances at the intricacies that compose the ones who invested in my life and taught me more than I could have ever imagined.

Just as we have a tendency to silo off the abilities of the people we meet, I believe that we have the tendency to isolate the definition of one’s calling or purpose. It can be so easy to categorize – he is a researcher, she is a sales clerk, he is an artist – all the while failing to realize that who the person is, and the way in which they influence others, extends beyond far more than the title of one’s profession.

Yes, it is true that I hope to gain the title of a nurse. I also hope to invest deeper into health and human rights policy and work in population health. But these ambitions are specific directives. They themselves are not the overarching calling or purpose of my life.

Discovering the joys of sailing with my summer family.

This summer has helped me to see that calling and purpose are not static concepts. Rather, they are fluid, and will change and grow as does my life and understanding of it.

While I hesitate to assert a specific calling over my life, such as a calling to a career, I do believe that there are core aspects of my calling and purpose that will always remain, even if the expression of them changes. Three of theses characteristics were made evident this summer as I was enveloped in an atmosphere of stewardship, community, and life-long learning.

Regardless of where I may be or what I may be doing, I will always be called to be a steward of the time, talent, resources, and relationships that I have been given by God. All of life is a gift, and as such, the calling follows to make good of what I have been given, to be responsible in all that is placed before me and around me. The circumstances will change but the responsibility will remain that all of my life may bring glory and praise to God.

Following in this is the call to community – to live in community, to create community, to recognize the community around me. The summer has been filled with reminders that who I am is a compilation of the countless individuals who have had an influence in my life, both positively and negatively. It is impossible to claim sole responsibility for any aspect of my life. Rather, each step that I take is one linked to community, the communities I am a part of, and the communities I will help to create. Our calling is embedded within the network of human relationships, and the community that I found at National Lutheran Communities and Services helped to reiterate the incredible things that can be done in a supportive, empowering, and loving community.

Breathtaking views of the Appalachians

Finally, I believe there is a call to life-long learning. To claim complete knowledge is an impeding arrogance that will prove destructive in any endeavor. NLCS taught me the value of admitting ignorance, of pursuing curiosity, of recognizing that there are endless opportunities to learn, and individuals to learn from. A life of constant learning creates a forward momentum that is contagious and dangerous – dangerous in the endless possibilities that await.

The questions of life will always continue. After graduation the queries will shift into that of what do you do? What is your vocation? While I will never have a concrete answer as to what my calling and purpose in life is, my fellowship this summer helped to reveal that such an answer is not required. My calling and purpose will always be fluid, carried forward by dynamic and overarching traits for which I am responsible. The questions will change, but so too will the answers. And for this, I could not be more grateful.

The passage of time never ceases to amaze me. Moments long anticipated rapidly transform into present experiences and memories of the past. Short phrases can influence a lifetime, while hours of research can so quickly be forgotten. Time it seems, has no rules, no bounds, and though I was informed that my set time frame working with National Lutheran Communities & Services was to be for 8 weeks, the past few days have left me stunned in the question of, “how can it be that I only have three weeks left?”

I am incredibly thankful to the Institute for Leadership and Service, all those at Valparaiso University who support the CAPS Fellowship Program, the organizations that have provided internships for us this summer, and all those who have served as mentors, instructors, and guides for each fellow throughout his or her lifetime. In reflections with another CAPS

Summer concert at the foot of the Washington Monument.

fellow, it has become increasingly evident to me that all of our involvements and internships this summer are a culmination of past experiences, current passions, and the various walks of life that we have traveled in our short twenty-some years. While professionally, the internships that we are a part of continue to challenge us, educate us, and provide us with unbelievable opportunities, I believe that the greatest development can be found in the personal sphere, in the people that we meet and the life lessons that we accrue in these short months and are sure to take with us as we move forward in leadership and service.

I personally can attest to the life changing learning opportunities that I have found in the people and conversations at National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS). Before expounding upon the impact that those around me have already left, I suppose it best to provide a brief background about NLCS, their ministry and mission, and the work that I have been privileged to be a part of.

Waiting to cross the Potomac River by way of cable ferry.

National Lutheran Communities & Services is a not-for-profit, faith-based ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that provides seniors with a variety of lifestyle, residential and health care options through retirement communities and services in Maryland and Virginia. They are currently composed of three residential communities: The Village at Rockville, The Village at Orchard Ridge, and The Legacy at North Augusta, as well as a home care agency, myPotential at Home. Services provided through the communities and myPotential include independent living, assisted living, assistance with living, skilled nursing, memory care, and short-term physical, occupational and speech therapy. In my time at NLCS, I have had the opportunity to travel to all of these entities, and to experience the impact that the ministry of NLCS has in each location.

My internship is embedded within the strategic development side of NLCS, and is focused on the expansion of the mission and ministry of NLCS, and the ways in which NLCS can look to meet the continually changing needs of older adults and other constituencies of need. Specifically, I have had the opportunity to join a team of brilliant individuals working on the development of a new healthcare delivery model that seeks to keep the patient at the center of care, and focuses on health and wellness promotion and disease prevention. As my fellow interns at NLCS can attest, this project has left me incredibly encouraged and excited, as it has truly been an experience in which I have seen the active development and creation of the way I believe health care should be delivered. It has provided the opportunity to have a glimpse into the policy side of health care, to see the in-depth work that is required to enact change, and to be exposed to the dedication of others from a variety of fields all working towards a common goal. From the moment we arrived at NLCS, we have been considered a part of the team and given the respect and trust equal to those who have been working on this project for years. We have participated in team meetings, partnership development with acute care providers and universities in the area, and entrusted with research and contributions to the development of the program. The combination of all of these experiences surmount to professional development that is invaluable.

Walking through the streets of The Village at Orchard Ridge in Winchester, Virginia.

None of these experiences would be possible were it not for the passion and character of all those who compose the NLCS team. Each day has proved to be an example of what can happen when servant leadership, empowerment, and respect are held at the core of an organization. Once, when driving through the rolling hills of Virginia to one of our communities, my supervisor, Dan, painted this atmosphere of dedication in words that I will never forget. “When you have the convergence of talent, time, and treasure, opportunity and need, you are obligated to act.”

Service is often presented as an option: an elected lifestyle for some, an occasional moment for others, and perhaps even as the sentiment of, “that’s nice, but not my thing”. We fall into a habit of allowing it to become a choice, a conscious act of beneficence, rather than a duty of humanity. But when endowed with the talent, time, treasure, and opportunity to meet a specific need it is evident that such service is not a choice, but a responsibility. To fail to act is to disregard that which has been entrusted to you. This is not to say that each person must take on every cause, or fight every battle. But it has instilled in me a call to awareness to the abilities that I have been given, the needs around me, and the opportunities in which the two may harmonize.

The weeks that have passed at National Lutheran Communities & Services have been filled with lessons such as these and with moments of conversation and events that have propelled deeper thought and exploration into what it truly means to lead and to serve. Five weeks have rapidly elapsed, a mere three remain. I cannot wait to see what each coming moment affords.

Moments of reflection at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial