by Tony van der Hiele

After the challenges that Covid-19 brought in 2020 and 2021, the past academic year was a great comeback for the Office of Student Life, as they reintroduced all the events and activities they had been doing before the pandemic. The campus felt alive again, and it was special to see many of our students engage and connect with life on campus. Our students, together with staff and faculty, make up the incredibly diverse CBT community. Students and their families come from different places and cultures, representing various generations, while all of them have the same mission to impact the world around them for God. Today, we want to highlight the CBT Student Life Office and thank the people behind the events and activities, which are such a blessing to our campus community.

Our Student Life Office exists to help and encourage students to thrive in their academic, emotional, and spiritual life during their time at CBT. Whether through our weekly Friday fellowships, which strengthen community life, free food and bread as a practical blessing, retreats to unplug and re-focus, or recreational activities for students to blow off steam after a week filled with classes and writing papers. The fall intramurals are also a favourite with our students. Student Life books a gymnasium at a local high school for students to use on Friday nights for volleyball or basketball games. Doing something physical together outside of campus builds community, students say. Together with CBT’s Student Council, the Office of Student Life planned and executed many more community-building activities, such as a Christmas party, student hikes, and game nights. Student Council also decided to bring back Fun FEB this year, a month full of activities designed to cheer up the student body and offset the winter blues.

Mary Parra has directed the Student Life Office for the past five years, but from this summer onward, she will dedicate more time to homeschooling her children. Mary says: “I thank God for giving me the opportunity to serve Him and our students as the Student Life Director for our school during these past five years. As I leave this role, I do so with the confidence that He has great things in store for CBT! I pray that God will continue to use our school to faithfully raise up godly men and women who will spread the seed of the Gospel not only in our nation but throughout the world!” Many students and alumni will fondly remember Mary’s hugs, prayers, encouraging emails, text messages, and her warm presence on campus. CBT thanks her for her service and for pouring so much of herself into our student community.

With Mary stepping down, our school has been praying for a new Student Life Director, and we are excited to share that we recently welcomed Verna Verity to the team in that role.  Her love for God, enthusiasm for life, coaching skills and background in local church ministry and community health care will undoubtedly help and encourage our students and vitalize our campus community. She looks forward to the new semester and shares, “I hope to provide an environment where students can flourish in all ways – mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally – while God is working on wholeness and holiness, so students will also thrive in the tough places God is calling them to.”

We thank the Office of Student Life, especially Mary and now Verna, as well as all the others who dedicate so much of their time, talent, and resources to support and help fill the cups of our students and the CBT community as a whole. After all, it is our prayer that everyone will succeed in life and ministry to the glory of God.