Leaving the Comfort Zone
Sierra Yazzie knew she wanted to work as an international missionary before coming to Calvin. So she enrolled, formed her own interdisciplinary major in International Development and Intercultural Studies, and moved onto the Mosaic floor in one of Calvin's residence halls.
The Mosaic floor is an intentional community of students who wish to broaden their perspectives on culture and diversity. Students apply to live there and participate in learning and living with others from different backgrounds. “Living there was very influential in shaping my future. I also became friends with a lot of international students. We had these huge kitchens and people would hang out and say, ‘Try this tea from Kazakhstan,’ ‘Taste this recipe from Ethiopia.’ We spent a lot of time together.”
“I’m a people person. And community is the best thing about Calvin. Not only did I make friends, but my professors were there for me. They invested in me for no reason other than they are professors and I am their student.”
While at Calvin Sierra traveled to Honduras, China and Nigeria and isn't done exploring the world. She is raising support to go to Peru and serve in ministry there. Possibly, she'll live in Ghana one day. “It’s amazing what you can learn about yourself just by being in another place. It’s amazing to go and live with different people and understand who you are in comparison to the whole world. You just can’t get that from a book.”
“Calvin has been extremely influential in helping me develop my own faith, challenging me to think about things I wouldn’t have otherwise. Every step of the way, I have been encouraged to go out and leave my comfort zone and be surrounded by people who think differently.”