Student Spotlight: Theo Ryan
Theo Ryan, 20, is a junior studying pastoral ministries who can be seen hosting the People of NU video blog (vlog) series on YouTube, giving prospective students a firsthand account of life at NU.
“It’s kind of funny, because a lot of comments you see on vlogs are like, ‘Your life isn’t this exciting; you’re just making it up’ and that’s one perspective, but my perspective is that I’d rather be more excited about what I’m doing than less excited,” he said. Working as a vlogger for NU was an unexpected answer to prayer for Theo.
When he started attending NU in the fall of 2014, Theo wanted to get involved in a local church, join a worship team, and find an outlet for his love of making and editing videos. Shortly after the start of the semester, the director of digital media at Northwest University announced the openings for People of NU vloggers, and he applied and got the position. Theo has also joined an NU worship team, co-leads a small group on campus, and attends the City Church’s Kirkland campus.
Theo’s university education began in 2012 through an internship at a church in Missouri that partnered with Evangel University. While earning his two-year Associate of Arts degree in leadership through his internship, he knew he would transfer to finish his Bachelor of Arts in pastoral ministries. Theo first heard about NU through his father, Rick Ryan, who graduated from NU in 1976. His family currently lives in the Sacramento area, although he has lived in many different places throughout his life. Theo was drawn to the Pacific Northwest and first visited NU’s Kirkland campus while completing a summer internship at a church in Tacoma. He hopes to use his degree to plant a church.
His advice for incoming students is to get plugged in to the community on campus and at a local church. Theo said that when you come in as a freshman, you are in a season with lots of freedom, and with that freedom, it is important to remember how healthy and valuable consistent community can be.
“Definitely get plugged in to the school, because you build friendships. But I think more importantly, get plugged in to a local church, because that’s where you’re going to build some outside friendships that will be your own,” Theo said. For the 2015-2016 academic year, Theo will serve as a church relations leader within campus ministries, combining his love for NU and passion to connect with local churches.
Check Out People of NU on YouTube!
Written by Kindsi Lora, Northwest University Student