(This article is a first in a series of interviews with students talking about how being at SPU has impacted their faith.)
Many students start college wondering: How can I build my resume and career? What will my social life look like?
But when Trinity Gonzalez arrived at Seattle Pacific University, she had another question on her mind. How can I build up my faith?
One of the important things she was looking forward to during her freshman year was finding a community that could not only support her academically and professionally, but one that could also help her grow in her faith.
“Like many first-years entering a university, I didn’t know how or if I was going to be able to find that community I wanted,” said Gonzalez. She attended Involve-O-Rama, a University-hosted student club fair where she learned about the Falconettes, a women’s faith-based club that serves on campus and in the greater Seattle community.
She felt drawn to the idea of the Falconettes’ “sisterhood” and the various volunteer opportunities. Right away, Gonzalez knew she wanted to be a part of this community. After a year with the group, she was chosen to be the president of the Falconettes.
“I was so excited when I found out I got the position but knew that it required dedication,” said Gonzalez. “My mentality going into this role was to serve the members, SPU, and Seattle to the best of my ability. I wanted to encourage support or ‘big sister’ relationships for the members of the club and foster a space where we could be vulnerable with each other.”
Serving as president has helped Gonzalez live out her faith in tangible ways and challenged her to lead by example and be more confident. The Falconettes have volunteered for fundraising walks with organizations supporting Alzheimer’s education, breast cancer and multiple sclerosis awareness; assembled activity kits for youth; delivered cookies to students during final exams week; helped at a gala for Plymouth Housing that serves the homeless; and handed out flowers to strangers at the University of Washington with quotes from scripture.
“Being in the community of Falconettes has helped teach me the importance of serving others and how to be vulnerable in my relationships, which proved difficult for me in the beginning.”
Finding Faith on Campus
One thing that struck Gonzalez about campus life was how open people are to spiritual conversations. It encourages her to ask questions and be a part of thoughtful conversations about the deeper questions in life.
“When I walk around campus and in the dorms I see student-led Bible studies, faith-based clubs, and overall, just positive relationships between the students, faculty, and staff,” Gonzalez said. “I have felt so comfortable sharing with my peers and professors questions about my faith and have gained valuable perspectives that have deepened my understanding.”
Connecting Faith with Work
Gonzalez is a business major with a focus in marketing and a minor in communications and data analytics. These past few years in the classrooms have helped her explore a faith-based perspective for the workplace. “I am learning to consider the question: What does faithful business look like?” says Gonzalez.
“As a business major, professors have shown and taught me how to merge faith practices in various aspects of business.” Gonzalez, who hopes to own her own business in the future, said her classes challenged the notion that businesses just need to make a profit to be successful. “My professors have taught me that in faithful business, we consider the impact we have on our market and employees just as much as we consider our profit.”
Trinity Gonzalez is a first-generation student from central Washington and will graduate in Spring 2025. She is pursuing a degree in business marketing, and minoring in communications and data analytics at Seattle Pacific University.
