(This article is fourth in a series of interviews with students talking about how being at SPU has impacted their faith.)
Emma Grey-Dufour, a physiology major, was surprised to find herself engaging with her aunt over questions about science and faith this past summer. Her aunt initially had doubts about how faith and science can work together, but what started as a casual conversation gave Grey-Dufour an opportunity to share what she’s been learning in her science classes from a Christian worldview.
“As I explained and shared insights that I heard and learned from my professors, with time she began to start asking me more thoughtful questions,” she said. “This made me feel like I was truly able to share my faith with my own family.”
However, this moment of confidence did not come easily. Grey-Dufour described herself as having a vague understanding of her faith coming to SPU.
“I knew who Christ was, but I wasn’t quite sure how to reach out to him. One of the reasons why I chose to attend SPU was to grow into a deeper meaningful relationship with God,” she explained.
Once at SPU, Grey-Dufour found adjusting to college can be challenging relationally and spiritually.
“I quickly realized that college life can be very overwhelming, especially while balancing a job outside of school. For the first few months, I felt alone quite a bit of the time,” she said. “I thought maybe I’m not cut out for this. Maybe my faith isn’t good enough for this school, and maybe I don’t belong here.”
She struggled with imposter syndrome and believed that God didn’t truly know what she was going through and the obstacles she had to overcome. Isolating herself in this mindset further sent her into a downward spiral.
Her faith grew after encountering several professors who mentored and walked alongside her. She went to Belize for a study abroad trip in marine ecology with Professor of Biology Eric Long. Grey-Dufour was among the many students who were not just interested in ecology but curious in asking questions, such as “Why are we really here? How can science be truly real if religion exists?” One of her favorite moments was hearing Long say, “Are you ready for my long answer based on my thoughtful experiences and reflections?”
Hearing from Long’s biblical perspective helped her see how faith and science can play a role together. This deepened her confidence in God and helped her develop a better understanding of where she stands in her own faith.
She then took foundational courses on the Christian faith required for all students. Professor of Theology Esther Cen taught her to wrestle with questions of faith and this led to a deeper and renewed understanding of Christ’s love.
“I realized that my loneliness was based on my assumption that I wasn’t truly understood by God.” Grey-Dufour said. “I started realizing what God has done for me throughout my daily life and this perspective began to make me a more thoughtful and grateful person.”
She wondered if she could trust God in difficult times, and discovered the answer was yes. “He truly made me feel like a more confident, fearless person, because of my growing faith in Christ. I can better live out my life with love, compassion, and curiosity rather than fearfulness and isolation.”
What would be her advice for an incoming SPU student? “I believe to get the most out of your experience with professors is to not be afraid to ask questions. They will not turn you away or give you a short answer. Instead, they will tell you, ‘Let’s have coffee and talk more about this?’ ”
Grey-Dufour felt grateful to professors who invested in and encouraged her to grow spiritually. She has seen how they’ve invited her to ask the hard questions and patiently hear her out. They not only work hard to teach but also showed her what it looks like to have a living faith.
“It took some time, but my faith grew in a much more meaningful way than I could have first imagined,” she said.
Grey-Dufour is pursuing a career in medicine as a physician. She is passionate about health care and is currently involved in student clubs Active Minds and HAUS (Healthcare Association for Unifying Students).
