GIL Alumni

Reflections from GIL Alumna Hannah Schundler

Gordon in Lynn has definitely influenced my short term and long term career goals. After graduating college, I moved to San Francisco to work with an urban ministry that brings suburban students into the city to learn about their urban neighbors and see various organizations working with many people groups in the city. I love working with students and connecting them to the incredible work being done in the city. In the long term, I want to work with college students in student development. Working as a Gordon in Lynn intern also strongly influenced my decision on where to live but more importantly, how to live. I feel more drawn to cities since my experience with Gordon in Lynn and want to learn from the diversity present in urban areas. Also, my Gordon in Lynn experience has encouraged me to live life with a spirit of hospitality and a posture of humility. After my intern days, I spent a semester in San Francisco learning more about urban issues. I loved my time there and decided to take a job there after graduation with the Center for Student Missions (CSM), which organizes short term service learning trips for suburban youth. I am about to start another job with that organization in south Los Angeles. Gordon in Lynn was one of the most incredible opportunities I had during college. I think it is so important for Christian colleges like Gordon to connect with nearby communities like Lynn and find ways to students to serve and learn in such a vibrant and rich context. I think the Gordon in Lynn mentality of creating a partnership with existing organizations is so appropriate and effective.

Reflections from GIL Alumna Lauren Rogers

I read a little bit about the "Lynn Initiative" at Gordon when I was looking at schools, and honestly, it was one of the selling points for me. The idea of urban ministry interested me, but it became alive for me through Gordon In Lynn. During my GIL Internship, I was not only given the tools for working in an urban context, but my passion for this ministry and my heart for this population grew greatly. My internship and growth during this time gave me a lot of direction for my post-graduation decisions. I was not sure where I wanted to end up, but I knew that I wanted to be involved in urban ministry. Looking back, more than a year after graduation, I can see God's continual hand guiding both my time at Gordon, as well as this past year in which I spent time in India, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala. Currently, I am living in Phoenix and just started a new job as a third grade ELD (English Language Development) teacher. I am living downtown, blocks away from my church through which I have helped re-start and now lead a ministry where we meet at a local park several weekends a month to build relationships with families in this neighborhood.  I am so thankful for GIL and the time they invested in me. Through GIL, I have gained greater clarity as to why I want be in urban ministry, as well as received the tools and confidence to do it!