Senior Reflection Series: Seniors reflect on time at PLNU

Lauren Christensen

I grew up in the home of a PLNU alumnus and spent much of my childhood running around campus attending basketball games and trailing the assortment of older family and friends who were students at the time. It was the expectation all along that I would attend Point Loma for my college education.

With all of my previous connections and familiarity with the school, I had no idea the impact that it would have on my life. It is crazy for me to look back on the past four years and see the tremendous growth that has taken place. I have been challenged and encouraged mentally, spiritually and personally. I feel so blessed to have been surrounded by such incredible staff and faculty. These people deeply and genuinely care, and if I had the opportunity to go back, the one thing I would change would simply be to spend more time with the professors in the kinesiology department and others throughout the school.

Through a Loveworks trip to Rwanda, I was encouraged to challenge the way I viewed love and service and it was an experience that will continue to shape my journey and my beliefs. There were also so many on-campus opportunities to learn about and experience God in new ways. My journey with God has certainly had its ups and downs but PLNU provided me with a safe place to encounter God’s unfailing love and to learn how seek Him everyday.

I am thankful for friendships I have made in this place. These people point me toward Jesus everyday and show me what it means to give love and joy to all those around. My time at Point Loma has been a journey of joy and pain and laughter and tears and studying and adventures and I can’t believe it is almost over. I so appreciate this place and I will always consider it home.

Christensen is an exercise and sport science major. Next year, she will be pursuing her teaching credential so that she can teach Physical Education. In her time at PLNU, she has been involved in discipleship ministries, the mentorship program, Loveworks and various other on-campus activities.

Andrew Fowble

(pictured with senior Karina Bunten)

Point Loma has been really good to me these last four years. From my first day as a preview student experiencing a John Wright class session up until this point where we are a month out from graduation, I am constantly reminded why I love this place.

I have learned so much more in these four years academically than I ever thought I could. From my general education classes to my upper division business classes, I feel like everything is in some way relatable and relevant.

Not every class was as challenging or as beneficial as the others, but it really didn’t make much of a difference in the end.

The biggest thing that I gained from this place would be the relationships I have made with the people here. I really wish that I made more of an effort to be closer with the people who I saw and even interacted with on a daily basis, but I feel that the people who I’m close with are more than enough for me.We have such a tightknit group of friends who are always there for one another. It genuinely feels like we are a family at times.

As time has gone on, we have gotten busier and been unable to see each other as often as we would like, but that’s just a part of growing up. It is very reassuring to know that I will be close to these people for a long time, and it’s because of that knowledge that I am very compliant with the reality of graduation creeping just around the corner.

There are just so many highlights to reflect on: hiking the cliffs for the first time, experiencing the Hendricks and Wiley lifestyle, study abroad in London, winning intramural championships, club soccer, meeting the girl of my dreams (hey-oh!), moving off campus with some rad guys; the list goes on and on!

This place really gives us, as students, a lot of opportunity, both for fun and for academics/work. Take advantage of that opportunity and don’t let it pass you by.

Andrew Fowble is a business administration major. He loves sports, so he’s always out playing or coaching with friends in some way. Recently, he’s been out on the golf course working on his game as well as helping the new guys playing with him.

Dayna Rinkor

My journey at Point Loma has been amazing. I lived on campus for three years and it was great. I could not argue with the view and being able to roll out of bed seven minutes before class. I started as a nursing major, changed to pre-med biology, and then finally settled on kinesiology, applied health science. I never thought I would change my major, but I am so glad I did. I felt friction and did not love what I was doing. When God has you where He wants you to be, there will be no resistance, and you will love what you are doing. As soon as I changed to the kinesiology department, I was consumed by my passion that I found in the major.

Not only was I learning about the way the body was designed to operate, but I was also learning how to marvel at how great God is through his creation. The faculty is incredible, with such a heart for the students in both academics and life. I can truly call many of the faculty members a friend. I have to give most of the credit to Leon Kugler. When I took his Gross Anatomy summer class, he immediately saw something in me that I never knew was there.

He saw me as a teacher and he started to sew into my life and grow that gift. I am now in the Honors Program and presenting my research that I did with him, Jeff Sullivan and Brandon Sawyer, on April 18. I have Kug to thank for reaching into my life and shining light on a gift that I did not see in myself. My life has truly been enriched because of the kinesiology faculty and program. I have found my passion and feel entirely prepared for grad school. I am so blessed and honored to be a part of the kinesiology department.

Rinkor is an applied health major and a part of the Honors Scholar Program. She is the youngest of five children and has five nieces and nephews, whom she adores. She enjoys spending time outdoors camping, going shooting at the range, paddleboarding and hiking. She also loves reading, spending time with friends, eating tacos, exercising and eating some more amazing San Diego food.

Evan Deverian

I had the privilege of transferring to PLNU as a junior in 2013. It was a last minute decision and I wasn’t sure about it as I entered the spring semester that year.

To my surprise, things could not have worked out better during that first week of school. The administration, teachers and students were all willing to lend a helping hand when it came to deciding my major. They all were influential in my choice to study societal communications.

The generosity that permeates this campus made me realize that I had made the right decision. It has been a huge blessing from God to attend this university. It’s easy to get used to the majority of your classes having a view of the ocean.

Currently, I am a 24-year-old senior anxiously waiting on graduation. I plan on traveling to Australia and parts of Europe post graduation. I feel confident that PLNU has prepared me for the real world. Looking back, I could not imagine myself attending another school. I am genuinely proud to be graduating from Point Loma Nazarene University.

Deverian is a societal communications major. He enjoys surfing.