This summer, we are following grads from the Class of 2015 as they continue their journeys around the corner and across the globe. Jonathan Eigege is working as an intern at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

• Name: Jonathan Eigege
• Class: 2015
• Hometown: Jos, Nigeria
• Major(s): international relations and business
• Next step: intern at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

Who was your favorite professor? Why?

Becca McBride (political science). Her approach to teaching emphasized the importance of hope and imagination more than any other professor I’ve ever had. In the field of International Relations and Affairs, which can be depressing because of how much time we spend understanding and unpacking poignant global issues and challenges, her approach to teaching and the community of learning that her classrooms became because of it turned out to be a breath of fresh air. I always left her classes and our one-on-one conversations understanding that the world was messed up in many ways, but also realizing that it did not have to stay that way because of the agent of renewal my education was equipping me to be.

What’s one thing that surprised you at Calvin?

The intentionality. Intentionality permeates everything at Calvin College—whether it is obvious like the Chapel break and Commons Lawn’s role in faith formation and community building respectively, or less glaring and more cryptic like the synergies between the mission statement and the Orientation schedule. I think it is very cool that who the college is informs what it does to the degree that this is true for Calvin—and not the other way around. That purposeful intentionality is something that I have come to appreciate and that I try to apply to my own life and my relationships. Interestingly, I think it is also what I miss most about Calvin.

What’s one thing you would want to tell someone starting his or her journey at Calvin?

Don’t see your college experience through the duality of successes and failures. Frame your college experiences through the duality of successes and stepping-stones. In other words, welcome “failure” and see your drawbacks as opportunities to improve and do better with the next iteration. Some of my greatest successes in college—academically, socially, and even spiritually—came after failing miserably at something the first time through. I can’t imagine how different my college experience would have been if those initial “failures” made me give up. Never settle—don’t stop picking yourself up and trying again.

What was your favorite space on campus? And why?

Student Senate office. Since I served on Student Senate in some capacity for three of my four years at Calvin, this space was the place on campus where I was most cognizant of and able to witness my growth throughout my college career. I remember walking in as a first-year senator and having other leaders pour into me as I tried to catch and run with the vision of the Executive Team. Last year, I was the one identifying leadership potential and casting vision. I feel like I came full-cycle in that space, and I am very thankful for what it represents. Since graduation, I’ve found that different locations on campus—research labs, the Service-Learning Center, the Engineering Building, residence halls, etc.—served the same purpose for others. Everyone seems to have blossomed where they’d been planted.

What class at Calvin uniquely prepared you for this position? And how?

African Politics. Only two weeks into the class, I quickly realized two things: that I didn’t know as much about Africa as I thought I did and that despite its isolation and exploitation throughout history, Africa was a success story waiting to happen. The unanticipated consequence of this class was a deep desire and passion to be involved with work on Afro-centric policy solutions. Three years ago, I would have laughed if you told me I would work with a think tank after graduation. However, after my African Politics class, it became an option and now is about to become my reality. Even though I believe all my classes at Calvin have prepped me for this position in some way, this class set me directly on the path towards it.

What about Calvin specifically prepared you for this position? (that you may have not gained anywhere else)

I participated in the Political Science Department’s Paul Henry Semester in Washington D.C .in spring 2014. During that time, I interned full-time with the Office of the Mayor of Washington DC and got exposed to the spheres of political and public life in D.C. Because of the experience I garnered through this unique opportunity and what I’ve learned through my interactions with Calvin’s vast alumni network in D.C., I am well positioned to navigate the transition to professional life in Washington. Most importantly, the D.C. semester gave me the opportunity to explore the relationship between faith and public life within a community of my peers—a platform I probably would not have had anywhere else.

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