Maryville College Initiative on Vocation

The Maryville College Initiative on Vocation seeks to achieve two primary goals.

First, it seeks to give young people a sustained opportunity to explore the underlying theological and philosophical roots of vocation, to connect those roots to their own religious faith or existential convictions, and to begin to discern their own specific calling in the world.

Second, it seeks to identify talented young people and provide them with opportunities to explore a possible calling in the ministry, either as an ordained or lay leader.

In pursuing these aims, the Initiative will build on existing curricular and co-curricular programs and will offer many new ones as well. Though the Initiative is focused mainly on Maryville College students, it will also benefit faculty and recent alumni, church youth and clergy, and young adults from local congregations. The Initiative will seek to achieve its primary goals through specific programs organized under the following two themes: Vocation and the College Experience, and Ministry and Church Leadership. 

Vocation and the College Experience:

  • Diagnostic Testing for Freshmen — two or three selected diagnostic inventories (assessing personal and vocational interests, leadership and personal qualities, etc.) given to students during the middle part of their freshman year.
  • Advisor/Mentor Retreats — a series of annual afternoon or evening retreats for faculty advisors and their own group of advisees and "mentorees."
  • Lilly Summer Internships — up to ten internships offered each summer enabling Maryville College students to get firsthand experience in quality professional, nonprofit, or corporate work settings.
  • Community Service and Professional Meetings — funding of approximately 15 students per year to participate in a service project or professional meeting or conference related to their area of interest.
  • Vocation Dinners — two dinners per year (one per semester) in which a feature speaker tells students the particular story of his or her own life and sense of calling.

Ministry and Church Leadership

  • Isaac Anderson Fellowships for Church Leadership— two fellowships of $16,500 each per year to attract and educate outstanding students who show interest in and promise for leadership in the church.
  • Advocates for Ministry Dinner— an annual dinner which will provide approximately 20 faculty-recommended students per year with the opportunity to spend an evening with two outstanding ministers who can vividly and engagingly describe the rewards and realities of a life devoted to ministry.
  • Summer Church Internships— one full-time summer internships in a parish or other appropriate ministry setting for students who are not Anderson Fellows.
  • Seminary and Divinity School Visits— an annual trip led by the Campus Minister for interested students to visit selected seminaries and divinity schools.
  • Summer Retreat for Church Youth— an annual week-long summer retreat to introduce teens to the notion of vocation as it relates to the life of Christian faith and, in particular, to introduce them to a possible call to ministry (Visit the Summer Youth Get-A-Way page for more information!)