A liberal arts education at Grove City College allows you to explore your interests with both breadth and depth. In this series, you will meet GCC students who are discovering their passions, pursuing their interests, and customizing their education as they pursue their desired careers.
For Kristin Thomas (’16), growing in faith and developing a lifelong pursuit of truth is at the heart of her college education and future career as a nurse.
As a senior in high school, Kristin was inspired by her AP biology class and thought she might pursue a career as a nurse. After considering a few options, Kristin decided to attend Grove City College as a biology major.
Some of Kristin’s favorite courses in biology at GCC have been Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Cell Biology.
“Microbiology, taught by Dr. Stauff, is amazing. I loved that class. We learned a lot about the cell, and different bacteria and viruses that cause different diseases. It was so cool to learn about all of these incredibly complicated systems that happen in just a tiny cell,” Kristin says.
Kristin explains that, because biology is a science about the study of life, the Christian perspective at Grove City College provides a unique approach to studying biology. She explains that, while not every professor and student within the biology department holds the same views, the common thread of faith is the same.
“Some people are theistic evolutionists and other people are more conservative in their views,” she explains, “however, the one thing is that regardless about how they believe how the world began, its origins, they all believe that God was sovereign and that everything in this world was designed. I think that there is such a big difference when you study something like biology with the idea that it is all a design rather than being complete chance.”
Kristin explains that this emphasis on faith has helped her see a connection between biology and her faith in Christ.
“To me, it has helped me to love the Lord with my mind…I’ve been able to intellectually believe more in God and appreciate the whole idea of this world being a design. Not only does God know how our cells defend against invading bacteria and other pathogens, but he can also know what is going on in my heart and in other people’s hearts. The fact that he is both a designer and a comforter helped me, as a biology major, to see a different side of who God is.”
For Kristin, an education rooted in knowing God and finding truth is invaluable.
“You can learn to be a nurse anywhere. Any nursing school can teach you how to be a good nurse, but not every institution can teach you how to think critically about the world and how to honor God,” Kristin says. “I realize that there is going to be a time in my life that I am going to stop being a nurse…but there is not going to be a time in my life when I stop learning about God and growing in God and that is something that Grove City has taught me that a lot of other schools can’t teach you.”
Learn more about the biology major at GCC here.
Learn more about the pre-health concentration here.
