This fall, three young leaders are getting a behind-the-scenes experience of Trinity Western University’s top administration. These young leaders are the very first cohort of the Trinity Fellows program, a competitive mentorship and apprenticing opportunity with TWU senior leaders.
Each year, the Trinity Fellows program selects only three of Trinity Western’s most promising recent graduates to participate in a year-long paid internship offered through the Office of the President in partnership with the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust.
All three of this year’s Trinity Fellows graduated in April 2020, finishing well despite the pandemic’s interruptions.
Naomi Lomavatu is a skilled pianist who directed music for a TWU chapel team. Chanhee Park has worked in several countries and speaks English, Korean and conversational Bengali. Sarah Patterson-Cole directs events for the Young Women in Leadership TWU in Langley.
Courage to lead and serve others
Lomavatu is a Fellow for the Office of the President, working with TWU President Dr. Mark Husbands. Lomavatu has volunteered with the Union Gospel Mission serving the needy in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side and has visited inmates at the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women in Maple Ridge, BC. Born and raised in Williams Lake, BC, Lomavatu has also worked as a dispatcher for the Cariboo Fire Centre during four wildfire seasons.
With a background in Business Administration and a specialization in Human Resources, Lomavatu’s goal is to integrate her passions, skills, education, and desire to serve others, through pursuing a career in Human Resources or working for a non-profit organization.
When asked what advice she has for younger people, Lomavatu says, “Be courageous and step out in the things that scare you – especially when you’re in a supportive environment with sincere mentors and people encouraging you along the way.”
Bridging education and development
Chanhee Park is a Fellow for TWU GLOBAL, a department overseeing Trinity Western’s non-traditional programs, including the MA Leadership and BA Leadership programs in Langley and Richmond. She is working with the Vice Provost of Leadership and Graduate Studies and Dean of TWU GLOBAL, Dr. Sonya Grypma.
Park was recently a parliamentary intern for the Senate of Canada in Ottawa, ON. She has worked with international students in Wroclaw, Poland, and supported her parents' mission work in Kolkata, India.
One of Park’s sources of inspiration is Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Park says, “I hope that in whatever we do, we would strive to seek Him and His kingdom first.”
With a degree in International Studies (Linguistics and TESOL track) and minor in Education, Park hopes to one day work for economically, environmentally and socially sustainable development in various parts of the world and share the Gospel.
Stepping out in faith
Patterson-Cole is a Fellow for the Office of Business Administration, working with TWU’s Senior Vice President of Business Administration and CFO, Aklilu Mulat. Patterson-Cole has previously worked with refugee resettlement and has assisted Indigenous families through the Mennonite Central Committee in Alberta. She is originally from Waterloo, ON.
When it comes to embracing the unknown, she offers this perspective, “My encouragement would be to not be afraid to take risks. So much of my experience has come from saying yes to opportunities that have come my way. It is worth it to take the leap of faith and step out of your comfort zone.”
“God has amazing plans for all of us,” she continues, “and it is by stepping out in faith that we can begin to see those plans unfold.”
Patterson-Cole plans to use her degree in International Studies and minor in Business Administration to pursue a career in the development and non-profit sector, expressing, “I would love to work for an organization that is involved with empowerment or leadership training, and works towards sustainable development.”
All three Trinity Fellows are based in Langley, BC, where they will be completing their year-long assignments while pursuing studies in the MA Leadership program, a feature of the Trinity Fellows internship.
TWU is honoured to welcome the new Trinity Fellows.
Read this story in the Langley Advance Times.
About M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust
M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, created by the will of the late Melvin J. (Jack) Murdock, provides grants to organizations in five states of the Pacific Northwest—Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington—that seek to strengthen the region’s educational and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways. To learn more, visit: www.murdocktrust.org.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has five campuses: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, Ottawa, and Bellingham, WA. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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