Two Perspectives on Ottawa
DANIEL ZEKVELD ’19 AND JOHANNA WOLFERT ’19 SHARE HOW THEIR EXPERIENCES IN THE LAURENTIAN LEADERSHIP CENTRE PROGRAM SHAPED THEM ACADEMICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY.
NAVIGATING THE POLITICAL sphere is a challenging task and can be especially tricky for people of faith. How do Christians make a di erence in a sector where faith is supposed to be left at home? For Redeemer students interested in work in politics, gaining hands-on experience by studying in Ottawa and interning alongside Parliament Hill politicos is invaluable.
Daniel Zekveld ’19, who majored in international relations, has ambitions to eventually work for a political NGO or not-for-prot. In the fall term of his senior year, he had the opportunity to take part in Trinity Western University’s Laurentian Leadership Centre (LLC) program. A semester at the LLC consists of three courses, an internship and on-site living at a historic mansion in Ottawa. Zekveld took courses in Canadian government leadership, ethics, public a airs, public policy and cultural change while also completing an internship. He interned with the Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA), where he got a taste of the multifaceted operations at a political NGO, from attending lobbying meetings and summarizing documents to helping to create
promotional videos. Zekveld also had the opportunity to work in an MP’s o ce, completing data entry and research.
“We spent a lot of time in our classes wrestling together with how to live out our faith in the public square.”
Zekveld was well-prepared to participate at the LLC. “My international relations major from Redeemer and my experience at the LLC fully complemented each other,” he noted. “My experience at the LLC helped me to understand various parts of my education to a fuller extent. My classes at Redeemer helped me to excel at the LLC: in classwork, class discussion and my internship tasks.”
Studies and work through the LLC helped Zekveld to discern how he can be active in politics while also holding fast to his Christian faith. “There are a lot of Christians who indicate that it’s hard to be eective as a Christian in the public square. Before coming here, I sometimes had the impression that, in general, politicians cared less about their faith,” he reected. “While this may be true with some, I have met and heard about many serious Christians who are involved in the public square.”
Zekveld earned credits towards his degree and a certicate in leadership and applied public aairs. He left the LLC with a renewed hope that he has brought with him to the workforce. “This experience helped to restore my faith in our political system and helped me see that change is possible,” he said. “Change can be made through ordinary people by God’s grace.”
Johanna Wolfert ’19 also majored in international relations and joined the LLC programs in the fall of her nal year. In Ottawa was the opportunity to learn from dierent perspectives, which challenged her to grow intellectually and spiritually. “Perhaps most importantly,” she summed, “moving in with a group of strangers and living in a new city forced me out of my comfort zone, stretching me in a unique way and helping me grow.” Her classes also oered an opportunity to grow. “Not only did my LLC classes build and expand on the material I learned during my years at Redeemer,” she continued, “they challenged me to re-examine what I know from a dierent angle.” Interning at an MP’s o ce, she tackled speechwriting, constituency communications and committee work. She also researched religous freedom issues seen in Canada and abroad.
As a part of the LLC classes, Wolfert and her classmates went on eld trips in Ottawa, attending a Supreme Court hearing and visiting the Cardus o ce to learn about the history of Christian social thought. “Every day at the mansion brought new opportunities to challenge and encourage each other,” Wolfert said. “We also spent a lot of time in our classes wrestling together with how to live out our faith in the public sphere.”
Experiential learning is an essential part of education at Redeemer. Wolfert and Zekveld’s experiences in Ottawa with the Laurentian Leadership Centre are a testament to the value of o-campus study. “I would highly recommend this program to anyone,” Wolfert concluded. “The internship, classes and community life experiences are extremely valuable for any discipline.”