October 9thFrom Our Students
Each year our bursary applicants are asked to include a short essay with their application. As Kyle Wiebe, Trinity Mennonite, continues his education at Canadian Mennonite University, he writes this:
I had originally planned only to attend Canadian Mennonite University for two years, but after this last year at CMU, my plans have changed, and I am now returning as a residence assistant and am planning to finish my degree there. It is a running joke at CMU that there is a ‘curse’ that makes those who plan for only a couple years of study stay much longer than anticipated. While this is, of course, a joke, it also speaks volumes about the quality of CMU; that it can consistently change the course of people's lives, oftentimes for the better.
It isn't just the incredible people, or the intimate class sizes and personable professors, but the way CMU approaches faith in both practical and technical ways is so valuable to a young adult questioning and growing in his faith. CMU encourages students to live into faith daily, while also providing the opportunity to learn about the specifics of why the tenets of our faith exist and the purpose they serve through in-depth study of the Bible.
I clearly remember one class that I had last year, titled “Eat, Love, Reflect”. My professor would always remark that he would rather the class be titled ‘Love, Eat, Reflect’, as it would be more accurate and applicable to the Bible and how we live life, but it didn’t roll off the tongue as well, so he switched the order. This, to me, was the perfect example of what CMU is, people who do not shy away from the humorous human portion of our lives, yet can still go on a 45 minute rant about the order of the words in the title of his class when in relation to how Jesus teaches us to live.
In the end, this last year at CMU was one that has changed the direction I thought my life was going. I am so incredibly excited to be returning.