Episode Synopsis
Jeff hosts a candid conversation with three Institute students, each at a unique stage in their college experience. Debbie Castellanos, a freshman, Jacob Olivera, a transfer student with a degree already under his belt, and Lauren Garrison, a senior, share their personal reflections on transitioning into and out of college. This episode offers a diverse perspective on the challenges and triumphs of college life, providing valuable insights for anyone navigating or about to embark on their own academic journey at The Institute.

College Conversations Season 1, Episode 8: Real Talk with Students: What’s Life Actually Like at College? (Transcript)

Jeff Sherrod 0:03

Welcome to College conversations. My name is Professor Jeff Sherrod, I'm excited to be with you guys here today. In this episode, we are actually meeting with some students at the Institute for global outreach developments. And the theme for this term is or for this episode is transitions. We have one student here in college for the very first time. We have a student here who is the Senior kind of transitioning out we have another freshman who already has a degree at another school. So kind of a sampling of different students that we have. And I'm excited for you guys to get some meet them. So they're going to introduce themselves, they're gonna tell us where are they are in school, what what level they are, what their major is. And we're just real briefly, you know, what drew you to the Institute. I'm gonna go and start with you, Lawrence.

Lauren Garrison

My name is Lauren Garrison. I am the senior represented in the room. I am majoring in community development with a minor in theology. And then what else? Yeah,

Jeff Sherrod 0:56

What What drew you to the institute?

Lauren Garrison

Oh, what drew me to the institute? Yeah, I think I was always interested in missions. Even since a young age, I wanted to travel and serve people around the world. But I didn't really know what that looked like. And then as I got older, I started seeing that as a little bit impractical. Like, it would just be something I would do for a little bit, and I would have to move on and get a different job. But I think when I started coming to the Institute, for youth trips and stuff like that, I kind of learned that the Institute was more about developing people to be professionally competent. And learning that I was like, this is something that I could do for my life.

Jeff Sherrod 1:41

And what was the direction in life? What was the direction you were kind of going before that before

Lauren Garrison

That was actually interested in in trade school? So I was gonna go to I was going to be a welder. Yeah. So

Jeff Sherrod 1:53

do you think you've had some of those dreams even since you've kind of continued on? Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I've definitely a lot of what we have. We have a farm here on campus. And Lauren's done a lot of work in the farm. Yeah. Continue on with some of that. Yeah, it's been a gift for sure. Yeah. That's great. All right. Debbie. Tell us a little bit about who you are. Okay.

Deborah Castellanos

My name is Deborah Castellanos and I'm a freshman and then to to true

Jeff Sherrod 2:15

freshman, true freshman Institute,

Deborah Castellanos

fresh off of high school and everything. Um, what drew me to the institute, honestly. Nothing. I'm not I'm gonna be very honest. It wasn't really anything that I knew of. Because I didn't know about the school until probably maybe a month before. I

Jeff Sherrod 2:39

decided not before a month before moved in maybe a month before classes started. Yeah. started July when you're figuring Yeah, well, yes.

Deborah Castellanos

I in this is not to be like it's horrible school. No, I it was, if anything, I was just obedient to God into him telling me to come here. And I did. And I didn't know anything about it. I maybe knew a little bit, but it wasn't enough for someone that's deciding a really big decision like moving I moved away from my hometown, which is three hours away from Nashville. And yeah, and so

Jeff Sherrod 3:20

yeah, what was that? What were the things that because your entire family would have been in Knoxville, right. Or in Morristown? Yes. Specifically, you didn't have connections here in Nashville. So this was a major move. I mean, you knew a few people. Yeah, I

Deborah Castellanos

know. But it wasn't like oh, we're so close that I can talk to you every single day it was yeah, it's a very it was a very big jump it was all big solely because of my obedience to God wanted me to come here and we did have some sorts of connections to the school. But it was also talking to some friends that came came to Morris town to help out for a few things even years ago, even years ago but even like a month prior to me even coming here or anything they went and I remember sitting down with someone and the phrase people see something in you so they're gonna invest really impacted me and I was like, Well, God, this is your answer and no one keep coming here without even planning anything. Right? So that's that's kind of what drew me here to

Jeff Sherrod 4:18

school. Yeah. And I think that's a wonderful testimony for people that are listening because I know that for a lot of times they maybe it's sometimes they are looking for alright, what is what are the how does this school match up with my personality? And my background and my way that I like to do worship? And you would probably say in this situation, it didn't tell him?

Deborah Castellanos

No, absolutely deny I was coming here with I was like, I don't know what I'm getting myself into. But God, I know you want me here. So either I will make a difference or people will. I will just meet new people. I don't really know exactly what you want me here. But in a span of a few months, I was figuring out why I figured out why God wanted me Hear

Jeff Sherrod 5:00

Yeah, that's wonderful. Yeah, I think it's one of those things that we try to tell students, even when they come here is that the prayers I have for them, or we want for you what God wants for you. It's like sincerely how I feel like, if that's here, wonderful, if that's somewhere else where God has us, like the best place you can be. But it does need to be prayer. Prayer should be part of your transitions into college. And if you're just looking at things with your eyes, like how does the culture match? How does the style match? Like? Are these people kind of my people, then you're probably making a decision that's maybe based more on your personality and culture than God's calling? Yeah, yeah. That's good. All right, Jacob. Let's finish up. Tell us a little bit about who you are. My

Jacob Olivera

My name is Jacob Oliveira. And I'm the second time freshman,

Jeff Sherrod 5:45

second time freshman?

Jacob Olivera

My first college was Middle Tennessee State University. We're really going I'm majoring I'm thinking of majoring in both Political Studies and community development. Okay. What kind of drew me to the Institute is this kind of a similar story to Deborah, where like, I didn't know about it until like two months before I applied. And it's also kind of like a wild story, because five years ago, tells me already, five years ago, one of the pastors at a church, I was going to have this dream. And I really respect her. And so whenever she told me about this, I was like, I was super impacted. And like five years later in January, not not January 2023, 2022. I was just thinking about that. I'm wondering, like, has that been realized? Has that been accomplished? And so a thought in my head came like, oh, it'd be cool to go to Bible school, but I got my degree. And that's a lot of money. I didn't know about the Institute at this time. And so I'm just living life, looking for a job. And then I go on a mission trip to Deborah's hometown Morristown. And so again, I'm at this mission trip, and I know nobody. I know absolutely zero, because you're from Nashville. I'm from the Nashville area. Yeah. And so, but it's still a very impactful, and still a very powerful week, where God really moved. And so that wasn't enough to get me there. So. And then, like, two weeks later, I visited that church, that that woman was where she had the dream. And without even saying anything, she told me, she was like, hey, you need you need to have the ability to speak words of power, and things like that. And the only way I could get that is through the Word and learning the word. And so that kind of like, was like, Hey, I know you had this trajectory, because at this point, I also the day we left for Morristown, I had a job interview, and I got the job. And I was gonna work as an oceanographer. For the for the Navy.

Jeff Sherrod 7:43

Really, I did not know that. That is, wow,

Jacob Olivera

An acoustic engineer. But she was like, hey, you need this ability to speak. Like, you need to be able to be articulate with your words. And I'm like, Okay, well, the only way I can get that is through the Bible. And so I ended up making the choice to deny the job offer and come to this.

Jeff Sherrod 8:05

Yeah. Now this was this was kind of late to like Debbie as well, right? It wasn't I applied.

Jacob Olivera
Last week of June, last

Jeff Sherrod 8:12

week of June, yeah. Yeah. So like, well into the summer trying to come I know, we had some conversations too, or you're working through it. And you're like, sometimes if I feel like Lord is doing it, you're like, I'm gonna do it. And then that's what we'll guess. Well, I guess we'll see you or not, but let's go on. Yeah. So Thanks for Thanks for you guys. Being here today. Like I said, the beginning, this episode is really about transitions. I think that, you know, for parents, and, you know, high schoolers that might be listening to this episode, I think that the gift that we want to try to give is to say, all right there, we want to try to hear from the students themselves. Yeah, you know, often people go to college, and then, you know, administrators are saying it's like this, or this is what's going on, but we thought we'd give an opportunity for listeners to say are here real college students? Yeah, who are actually went to Bible school, and just try to get a sense of, you know, what was this transition like into into it? And what has been the transition? I know, for Lauren, like, even even out of it, you're not out of it yet. But you know, you're kind of at the back end on the back end of this. So, Debbie, I'm gonna start with you. I love to hear a little bit about like, you know, your backgrounds, or did your family go to college like your parents go to college or, you know, brothers, sisters, the whole thing. And I know at one point you were even thinking about community college. So I'd be interested in like, what was what's kind of the educational background? What was the thing I know, you've already said, like, you know, the Lord drew you, but what, what was happening even with familial expectations along those lines,

Deborah Castellanos

well, when my parents came here in 1999, and they came from where Mexico came from, yes, they came from Mexico. My dad went to seminary school, okay. And he also he went, he went in the States, right? No, he did a seminary school in Mexico. Okay, okay. Yes. And he left home I'm at like, 15 years old to, like, be mentored under another pastor. Gotcha. And so he kind of traveled around Mexico, but also came to America a few times and worked with a specific family here, but then met my mom and they ended up moving back. Yeah, my mom, she, she went for school to be an accountant like she did those things. She's an accountant. I mean, yeah, she was in Canada and Mexico. And she and university that's when she converted, she became she was Catholic all her life until university or college and she became Christian. And then she met my dad and they moved to states, my mom, her job doesn't in America doesn't have really, she doesn't have that title anymore. So it because she has to take specific classes in order to keep that title here in America. So she's not an accountant anymore. But she did study for it. Yeah. But my dad is still a pastor. Yeah, he's a pastor in Morristown, which is the church Jacob went to. And so they both went to school, they both had an education.

Jeff Sherrod 11:06

So it was already kind of a value in your family. Yes, education was.

Deborah Castellanos

My dad made it a very big value. Even in our church, he would say he would just say the education is very powerful. And we're, it's a lot of power. And even being educated, the Bible is

Jeff Sherrod 11:22

like powerful. Because he got to experience that himself. Yeah, he really did.

Deborah Castellanos

I mean, he was he was very young when he left home, and especially when he left the states. He didn't really get to see his family for a long time. Even now, he hasn't really seen his family. But he that value of education was very much in our home. And I yeah, my sister actually, she's older than me. She's three years older than me, and she went to a private Christian school called Carson. Mm hmm. So that's cool. She's cool. In Knoxville, or in Johnson said Johnson states like 30 minutes away from Morristown, right. Yeah. And or from my house to the school. It's 30 minutes away. So it My sister went, she's, uh, she should she thinks it's like, last semester in college right now. So um, and yeah, I was gonna go to community college in more sandwiches. Walters State University. Yeah, University. And I was gonna do two free years. So they offered me two for years. And I was in the choir getting paid to be in the choir. Yeah, yeah, I did choir since like, eighth grade, maybe, like, I would say more freshman year to senior year and got a scholarship for it. Yeah. And so, um, I mean, my, you could say I had like a solid kind of a solid plan on what to do, because I didn't want to stick to music. That was my career path. Like, I want to be a music producer, music engineer or whatever. And my next step was going to go to MTSU, which is known to be a school of music. So that was, that was my plan. Right? But clearly, that's not what I'm doing anymore. Obviously, I'm

Jeff Sherrod 12:58

here now that music still very much music

Deborah Castellanos

is very much still part like I that's something that will still follow me even coming here and making this decision coming to school. I was like, God, I'm not going to do what I want. Like, this is me just kind of throwing away all the plans I made, not you but that I made. And so coming here was definitely surrendering to my flesh. 100% was just purely obedience to the Lord, but also like he, he really just helped me through a lot. But yeah, that was my plan was Community College and everything. And, um, last week of all changed. Yeah, the last week the school was accepting. What's it called? Yeah. Locations. I was like, Okay, I will do it. I did everything. And wow.

Jeff Sherrod 13:45

How did your parents respond to all all this? Oh,

Deborah Castellanos

Wow. My parents. I'm the youngest. So they thought I was gonna be the last one out the house. And it was

Jeff Sherrod 13:53

because you would have lived at home going to a community college? Yes.

Deborah Castellanos

My sister's she stayed at home. She She didn't go to she didn't. She didn't like stay in the dorms and write for city even though it was very, it was close, but like not really close enough for convenient. You could say. But yeah, and I remember calling my parents and telling them that I made a decision to come here. And I was like, I'm gonna come here. And they're like, Have you prayed about it? I said, No, but you guys can I already know. I'm supposed to be here. Wow. Yeah, I was. I jumped all the SATs. Honestly, but yeah, it was it was a decision. It was hard for them because they didn't it was very unexpected. Like it was very Wow, we didn't expect you rolling and then telling us you're gonna live and

Jeff Sherrod 14:41

then a month later, you're gonna and then a month. Yeah, was

Deborah Castellanos

it a month like that span? It was a little less or more. Well, it was a short time for mentally to prepare myself. Yeah, I didn't really tell anybody I was leaving. My friends texted me and we're like, why don't you inquire in our class and you were already moved? Yeah, my teacher called I was me and I was already here. I was actually working here. And she called me and she's like, where are you? I heard from the choir teacher, you are not there anymore. And I was like, Oh, I'm in Nashville. And she's like, what? So yeah, I kind of just dipped. Yeah,

Jeff Sherrod 15:16

left. Now, how have your parents responded since like, what's been the? Oh, yeah.

Deborah Castellanos

Yeah. They, I mean, they're happy. I mean, they're very happy. Because even coming here, I've realized, like the value of being a pastor's daughter, and also being like, seeing, not I never thought my parents were worthy, but like, even seeing more and more how special my parents are. Yeah. And his perception. Yeah, we're, I mean, they're Hispanic. They're immigrants. Were for me, my sister first gen, which means first gen of being, like, first generation being born in America. So that comes with its own pressure and a lot of stuff. But honestly, it's helped me a lot like even seeing it through a biblical lens. Like, it's just seeing everything, like my whole life kind of processing everything that's happened to me. But I mean, it's all. I mean, everything's a process. I think that my parents have very much grateful that I made this decision. And so many people have even told me, the statistics, even here, we're reminded this statistics, it's like the students like, fresh out of high school choosing to go to Bible school, and how it's very rare.

Jeff Sherrod 16:19

Yeah, it's not common, right? No, we have a lot of students who, like in Jacob situation, have already gone and college somewhere else and said to come back, you know, and we have also a lot of students who I've talked to, you know, who are considering Bible college, and they make that decision. Like, I think I'm gonna go to community college for a couple years. Yeah. Often the decision that they're making, I would say is financially based. Yeah. It's like, they're just thinking, well, this is free. I might as well take it. And you know, what I tried to, I was like, Listen, what you should always do, is, do what the Lord wants you to do. So if that's when you call it and that maybe is what it is, yeah, preparing, but you shouldn't make a decision for your life. Based on money. Yeah, you know, it's like that. And I think that that's where sometimes people don't know, that just being frugal, but then delaying potentially what God wants to do is also an act of worshiping money. Yeah. Yeah. Like, it's, it's, it's not just Yeah, cuz it's, you can just say, well, it's free, but like, What did you gain at the end? And I'm not saying if you're hearing me, I mean, college is bad. Yeah. Don't do that. I think it can be wonderful for a lot of people. But on the other side of calling on yourself calling right yeah, like, connect with the Lord and find out what He has for you. And which can be hard. Yeah, that's, that's, that's the thing is think, especially for us, you know, because I'm telling all the leaders in people's lives are saying, seek the Lord, to pray. And then I've talked to, you know, college students for last 15 years who are 18 year old milk, what am I listening? What's happening exactly when I pray? And always my follow up question is, well, have you started that process? Because they already imagine, yeah, they're not going to get the kind of direction they want, before they even pray. Yeah. And what I've found is that as people actually just in faith, say, I'm going to spend purposeful time. And I'm going to seek the Lord, that God actually does respond in ways that maybe you're surprised by maybe someone says something to you. I think that was a conversation with the Lord. Oh, you have like all these things that, you know, things happen to us all the time, God's doing stuff, but prayers, this thing that connects us with all those things that are happening. Yeah, that'll give us the kind of discernment that we need. Yeah, so I think that's, that's great. That's a good perspective of it. Yeah.

Jacob Olivera

And even on the financial aspect, like the tuition might be free. But as someone who has gone to college textbooks can be like, $200 each. Yeah, that's gotta pay for food. And if you're gonna live at the, I don't know, if community colleges have dorms? Some do, some do. Most don't. Yeah, you're gonna have to pay for that. Because that's not including tuition, and then you're gonna have to pay for gas if you're driving. And as someone who commuted to college, that's 30 minutes there, and 30 minutes back, yeah, that adds up a lot. It's true. So, yeah, you're got free tuition. But here, you're not, you're gonna have to pay for some school, or Bible call, you're gonna pay for some school. But in the end, it's gonna be more fruitful to your life, right?

Jeff Sherrod 19:12

Yes. Yeah. Cuz the only thing that I sometimes caution people against is they get into community college and they don't, you know, that's the nature of human college don't offering the same level of support that you're always using. They're not assigning mentors. They're not saying let's have careers Yeah, let's have you know, those things. Like that's not their that's not their purpose. Yeah. And they're not doing that, which is fine. But then people sometimes get into and they're like, I'm terrible at school. Yeah. And I'm not going to continue I'm going to drop out and you know, so there's a lot of people that start me in school and they don't actually end up transferring to a four year degree because they feel like they're bad at school.

Deborah Castellanos

That's exactly what was and I was already I knew myself I was gonna drop out. Oh,

Jeff Sherrod 19:50

so when you're saying like, I'm going to MTSU allows, yeah, that was a ban. But maybe yeah,

Deborah Castellanos

that was like if I able to know that is exactly what I thought. I was, I mean, money was something I was worshipping. I don't even know. Because I think that was some financially. That's something my family has always struggled with. Yeah, making that decision was convenient for me convenient for them. I'll stay at home and work and help them. But yeah, that was, it's so true. Like that is so true. And jumping out was actually a lot of my friends is thoughts. Oh, I'm sure. Yeah, I'm

Jeff Sherrod 20:23

sure. All right, Jacob, let's hear. Let's hear from you here a little bit. Let's tell us tell us a little bit about your previous degree at MTSU. And maybe what surprised you the most about coming to the institute already having some college experience like what's been the thing is like, Oh, I didn't expect it to be like this. Alright. Yeah.

Jacob Olivera
So again, I went to MTSU, which is the school Deborah was about to go to. Also a huge coincidence, I survived. So I got to MTSU, I majored in Applied Physics. And so I kind of had this. It's a big school MTSU, it's a huge school, like 15 minute walks between buildings, some parking lots are like 30 minutes away, like walking, so you got to walk 30 minutes to get to your class.

Jeff Sherrod 21:10

Tennessee, we would take buses be,

Jacob Olivera

there's three different bus lines for MTSU by just getting across the campus.

Nope.

Jacob Olivera

I enjoyed my time at MTSU. And I, there's a lot of me, doesn't think it's a mistake, I think, because I did enjoy what I went for. And I did enjoy the education I received and the people I met. And I even learned a lot of like, not just like the hard skills, and you know, physics, but the soft skills and like making friends and all that because it is a big campus. So you're gonna meet a lot of people, but at the same time, physics is such a small major. Yeah, there was like nine people in my class. So you still get pretty intimate with the people you go to school with? Because you're, like, all four of your classes. Classes are the same. Yeah, most likely, you're gonna be with the same people. Wow. And so coming to the institute. I mean, some of those things stick and some of those things that are not very much smaller than them. You're

Jeff Sherrod 22:12

not You're not there's no buses between those no buses,

Jacob Olivera

I walked to class from my dorm, and it takes a minute.

Yeah, it's not.

Jacob Olivera
There's also like, even though I said the physics major had a very intimate connection, it's not as intimate as the Institute. I'm living with my brothers, essentially, yeah, I'm living next to my sisters, and down the street from my professors. You know, we all go to class together. And we have breakfast together at the coffee shop. After we wake up, we pray every morning. It's such a more familial aspect that sometimes I forget, it's called it's right. I think. I think I'm just here, learning about God, and, you know, living life and life, basically, just seems like life. Yeah. Because also, it is also a much more difficult experience, then MTSU, for a few reasons, I'm so used to I got paid to go there. All four years, and then at the institute is very much, I have to work a lot. But it's also enjoyable work, I get to volunteer volunteer, I get to help out at the K through 12 that the Institute is associated with, I get to help out around campus, I have to get to help out. This after school program called case I'm very much more involved at the institute than I am at and I was at MTSU. Right at MTSU. I was involved in the Ultimate Frisbee team. But that's like, that's

Jeff Sherrod 23:50

what you're saying. That's what that was your extracurricular.

Jacob Olivera

That was my extracurricular. Yeah, yeah. But that was still fun. I still like had a real close ties to those people. And I still keep up with them. And I'll still play like, semi pro. With them. Semi pros. Wow. Lucky you. Yeah. Yeah. Because that's still like a big part of our life.

Jeff Sherrod 24:09

Let me throw frisbee player and I've learned navy. Marine biologists are learning new things like …

Jeff Sherrod 24:20

Yeah, I think that you know, because I had a similar thing. When I went to college, I was interested in the college part, like not really anything else, you know, so if people are like, Hey, we're doing a club I was like, I'm not part of any anything.

Jeff Sherrod 24:38

Class, I just wanted to sit and take classes and then hang out with friends. That's basically all I wanted to do, like, anything that the college put on. I was like, not into, but that's different. Yeah, I don't think that if someone came here and they were like, we just want to take classes and I'm not really interested in other stuff. We'd be like, you can't do it.

Jacob Olivera

I don't think that's gonna work. And if You try to do that it's like you lose so much benefit, you lose so much fruit. Because yeah, there's so many opportunities you can get through the there's so many skills that you can learn to the opportunities that the Institute gives you. Yeah, they're like, hey, help out the Academy. And so we help at the academy and you get skills with children. Hey, help out with California, California, you help with California, you get skills in the kitchen. Hey, how about at the farm? You get farming skills? Yeah. And it's interesting, because you these things all add up to like, helping cross across the ocean, right, you know, helping other countries? Absolutely.

Jeff Sherrod 25:32

One thing I want to just highlight that you said is that, you know, even when you're thinking about your time at MTSU, a very large school, you said, I don't regret the experience I had. And I think that's important for people that are listening is that I've talked to so many people now, like, I wish I would have found out this place sooner or I wish and I'm always like, Yeah, but you didn't, what are you going to do now? You can't like what does regret do for you? All you get to do now is recognize that God really is in charge of your life. If you say he is and you submit to Him, and then the experiences that you have, he uses them. So like I mean, I don't know if you know today how physics was going to be used? Maybe you don't. But I would like seen it so often, where experiences and things that people have learned, even when they don't know it, God somehow wraps this all back together. So if you're like, man, I've always wanted to go to Bible College. And I'm doing here I feel like now I'm starting so late because you started this. Well, how old? were you when you started from 23 to 23 when you started, you know, and that can maybe for some people, it can be like, Oh, I'm starting so late. But you know, 23 it's not it's really we're not telling you that, you know, my mom started college actually, when she was she didn't she wouldn't she didn't go to college. She barely graduated high school. She went to inner city school, inner city Catholic school and, and Philadelphia and then always had a hope of learning the Bible. And I think she started at 56. You know, amen. She's

Lauren Garrison

A queen.

Jeff Sherrod 26:55

She's a great, she's a great, she's actually still she does social services with the college and but you know, like, when when some people are like, I'm starting so late. I'm like, you're not. You're not starting that late. It's like and experiences that you had, yeah, like trust that God will use those gods. So I don't see them as a regret. I see them as just another thing that Gods equip you with? You don't know. You just leave it up to him to tie it back in. Yeah, that's great. That's awesome. Lauren, let's hear from you. Tell us a little bit about, you know, what, how many years have you been here? And kind of what what are some of the main focuses you've had? Since you've been here in terms of like your occupational work? Maybe you're kind of like a, you know, maybe the volunteer component? Yeah. And some of those things.

Lauren Garrison

I'm a super duper senior. Yeah. Five years. So you get to being a senior. Yeah, that's and I even on the other side of COVID, and, you know, different things happening, I kind of started having to work more. And I would say that the Institute has really just helped me through all of that. And with mentors, professors, all of the different aspects of student life. I've had a ton of opportunity that has allowed me to keep going, I would say, in moments where I've like had, you know, where I thought maybe, you know, even in a time, I would say, where a lot of people were dropping out of college or just straight up deciding not to go to college. I was able to keep pushing, I would say because of the support that I've had. I mean,

Jeff Sherrod 28:26

that's certainly happened for a lot of kids during Oh, yeah. I mean, people were just, they were all transitioning to online. It was so it was hard. And it's just harder. Yeah. And then like, I'm not doing this anymore, and then you'll make up to like, I've already moved on.

Lauren Garrison

Right? Yeah, I moved on. COVID

Lauren Garriso

COVID was so rough during college. Yeah, I can't imagine. I mean, I was online, but I couldn't imagine doing it somewhere else.

Jeff Sherrod 28:47

Even we went online for about one half of one semester. And people had a hard time with that. But we were back on campus actually. The next? Yeah. Next semester. Yeah. Wow. After the summer, it's insane.

Yeah, it was a guest. Yeah.

Jeff Sherrod 29:02

water restrictions, but we weren't gathered. Yeah,

Lauren Garrison

We made it happen. Yeah. And I think that yeah, that's what changes everything for me is that people put so much effort in, because man, if I was anywhere else, I mean, maybe, I don't know. But I really don't know how I would have done it without all the support that I had, like, even during those times of COVID going online. But I'm related to what,

Jeff Sherrod 29:29

let me ask, let me ask a question about this. Like, you know, you're saying earlier that your kind of initial path was a trade, trade school, which, you know, I know that for a lot of kids, maybe that you're listening. Sometimes that can be like the two paths. Like if you're academically inclined, you're going to a college and if you're not academically inclined to a trade school, and this is not, you know, we're not saying that one is better than the other but people who are I'm really not good at school. I'm gonna learn a trade and I'm gonna be able to make my money you know, that way So that was was that the path because you felt you weren't as academically inclined?

Lauren Garrison

I actually graduated high school with honors. Yeah, I did well, in high school, I hated doing the work. Gosh, I just, I was like, why I just couldn't, if I couldn't find a purpose. I mean, I it really like, it took so much of me to care about school. And I think because of that, like, once I, you know, once I finally made the decision to come to college, you know, me not having developed necessarily all of this study habits or a lot of different things like, I mean, I was like, why would I? Why would I go to college? Like, I'm going to trade school and you know, my leaders, even at school were like, for sure, supporting that they're like, you will make plenty of money being well,

Jeff Sherrod 30:49

because for a lot of people, it works really well. Yeah.

Lauren Garrison

And it's Yeah, I think it's great. I had a lot of friends that did that route, and they make really good money and they live. Some of them live, you know, on the beach, I can really beautiful places, because of that the opportunities that those jobs offered them. But for me, I had actually gone on a mission trip. And I knew the environments that a lot of people around the world live in, but also environments in trade in regards to women, I was just kind of like I had known, I kind of put my foot in the water, I guess, yeah, where I had seen the experiences of a lot of women in that environment. And just stories that I had personally heard, and I was like, this is a very hostile environment. And I don't know, at 18, that I'm prepared necessarily to respond to this. And I'm not saying that's everyone's experience. That's just what I had heard. And so I think for me, I was like, I want to be somebody who can empower women, I want to be somebody who can be an empowered woman who can respond who can speak in moments, whenever, you know, I might feel pressured, or I might feel you know, whatever it is, it's like, I maintain, like, I don't, I might have all these values inside of me, but I don't necessarily think they're coming out and I'm they're not articulate. And I honestly don't really know what God thinks of women, I don't really know, you know, I had all these questions. And I think even coming here and meeting women who were empowered, or who were empowering, or who were very skilled in a lot of different areas, I, you know, met those women. And I was like, I want to be a part of that I want to be a woman who can go around the world who can talk to women here. And say, like, there's you're capable of much and articulate and be able to respond in those moments. Like, even if I am to become someone who would, who would go to trade school after this, or who might continue working in the garden or working in a lot of male dominant fields. You know, my job right now I work in a kitchen, it's very male dominant, I was the first or I was the only girl for about a year. And I think having if I hadn't learned the Bible, I there would be a lot of issues that I would have, even with even understanding my value or understanding how what my gifts are in regards to those moments and not seeing myself as less than Yeah, I would say that that's sort of what encouraged me and empowered me to make the decision to say, I'm gonna go to college, and we're in regards to the academic thing. I know, that was your Yeah, your main question. But I would say all of those were the things that inspired me to go. I was like, I care about this. Right. So that's why I wanted

Jeff Sherrod 33:33

I think, a really important part, like, if people have the the why behind it. Yeah, when they start, you know, because sometimes divorce started, like, Debbie, you were like, I'm trusting the Lord. You know, and you're hoping for some answers along the way, right? And then other people, like I'm trusting the Lord and he's already showed me some things that I feel like I'm equipped to be able to handle that why it can be really inspiring, even when things get hard through the academics, because has your experience been the same in terms of you know, you went through school defined but just didn't like it? You know, what's been obviously here we're doing it's still a lot of reading. Yeah, still a lot of paper writing. Yeah, there's, that's, that's, you know, we're, we're called, you know, the people who have saved the Bible have been traditionally called People of the Book, right? Like yeah, it's very rigorous. It's what we do. How has that been for you? Is it still been? Like, you know, you look at classes now like I don't like it or you know, I do it but it's not what what how would you respond to?

Lauren Garrison

Its I would say, it's definitely still a challenge for me yeah. Every time I am in a classroom or anytime I have to face those things. You know, if I am someone who is inclined to you know, trade work, if I was like to choose those two paths, I obviously would have been on the trade side, I would have been like, academic or, you know, work with your hand

Jeff Sherrod 34:53

and do the work, because you just didn't like this. I hated

Lauren Garrison

it. And so even like today, you know, like You know, however many years later studying, I have to be connected to the why? Because I like look at the pages I look at, you know, my homework assignment. And but I think the difference is like I was saying through that COVID time is the support like, yeah, no matter what, like, I can go to my professor, I can be like, hey, you know, can you help me understand why it is that we're doing this? Or we might talk about it in workshop, or I might talk about it with my classmates and be like, hey, like, what do you all think the importance of this is who you know, and each assignment, each paper each, whatever it is that we're doing each podcast, I'm like, talking to people about it, I'm learning. And I think because of that, that's what's motivated me to keep going. And that without that support, I don't know that I necessarily would care. Right, do it.

Jeff Sherrod 35:46

Yeah. So even though you're you're studying like something that is meaningful, right? You're saying the Bible, which I think we at least all of us in this room, like, that's, that's how, you know, if you're still saying I still needed support. Yeah. Through that. Like, if this had just been me on my own, even still saying the Bible, there's no need to sister couldn't do it. Right. Yeah. And I think that's, I think that's true of a lot of people. It's like, you know, it's even if you get in some, like, we all do this, right? Like, we all want to work out. But until someone's like, oh, go with you. Yes. And sometimes it's hard. Like, we know, the things that are good for us, but having a system of accountability, and structure and support really helps. Yeah, yeah. That's great. Lauren, let's end with this. I know, we're kind of running out of time here a little bit. But I would say, you know, your super senior, as you kind of said, You're what would you say to students who are beginning Bible college, and maybe I know you just hit can only talk about the institute? Because that's the context that you know, but what would you say about students that are starting Bible college for the first time, you know, even Debbie, and Jacob, what if you knowing that what you know, now, what kind of advice would you give on the front end, like, Hey, make sure on the front end, you're focusing on

Lauren Garrison

this thing? Yeah, I would say make sure that you're praying, because I think prayer, it keeps you attentive. And I think, you know, as someone who might not be as inclined to sit alone, and sit alone in front of a paper or in front of whatever prayer can be something that might not be my first instinct, necessarily, but I think, you know, I did have a family that was very prayerful, and taught me that. And without that, I would be, I would be nowhere. I think, in each season of life, God has gotten me through so much. And even in that first, you know, that first time when I was first coming to the institute, maybe maybe just it being completely unfamiliar to me, a new school, a new place, whatever it is, without being rooted in prayer, I, I would have just been lost. I was in it was prayer with people it was prayer for people. It was prayer, asking for prayer, asking people who were supporting me to pray for me. Those moments were always so powerful, not just in the moment, but because they kept me attentive to what it was that God was leading me to, and got what it kept me connected to the why, of what it was that God was calling me to, like, even like Deborah was saying, for Yeah, I would just say, I would just say prayer. Yeah,

Jeff Sherrod 38:22

you came up with that one so fast. Yeah. It's,

Lauren Garrison

I mean, it's, it's, it's, yeah, it's real. And I can't stress enough how alive God is. And if you're looking for a way, I think, whenever you can open the Bible, you know, even if it is like, it can be overwhelming, oftentimes. But I think whenever you approach it with prayer, you can realize how God alive, how alive God is. And be able to walk in faith on the other side of that, because it can feel like a lot to take a step of faith or even to trust that that time would count for something that that time that you're giving would mean something, but doing it on the other side of prayer is like, it's God just shows you who he is. And I think that's what makes life so valuable. And it makes what learning the Bible so valuable.

Jeff Sherrod 39:16

Amen. That's awesome. That's a great way to end guys. Thanks so much for taking the time to even speak to some of the listeners here and share your stories and some of your backgrounds of things that have been going on. You know, if you're, if you're listening and you're curious more about the institute, you can head over to i4god.org and learn a little bit more about what we do here in Nashville, Tennessee, and the work that we're doing to train up the next generation of disciples, but until then, I'll see you guys later. Thank you