Rev. Holly Ulmer speaks to students in a group discussion about balancing your life in the Chapel Lounge on Sunday, February 22, 2015.
College can be a tumultuous time for students as they begin to navigate adulthood and a career path, the Rev. Holly Ulmer said, but this university’s United Campus Ministry chaplain said she hopes a new program will reduce that burden.
Ulmer has introduced the L3 program, which stands for “Listen, Learn, Lead” and seeks to help struggling students achieve “spiritual and mental wellness” by helping them find a career path based on their passions.
The program is not a substitute for mental health treatments, Ulmer said, but is a complementary tool that uses meditation, weekly meetings and networking with University Career Center professionals to help students in science, the arts and humanities, business or wellness.
This university’s L3 program, which was one of 27 L3 groups funded by private philanthropic foundation Lilly Endowment Inc., is important to Ulmer because she remembers how challenging the stress of college can be when combined with having to think about a professional future.
“Realizing how vulnerable I was in college inspired me to be a college chaplain,” Ulmer said. “In my experience, a lot of my troubles came from wrestling to find a sense of purpose and meaning. With a purpose, you can get through most challenges in life, both expected and unexpected.”
A major practice in the L3 program, which is intended for religious students of all faiths and non-religious students, involves walking through the Memorial Chapel Labyrinth. Students walk through the labyrinth and meditate on a piece of scripture or any question they have until they feel relieved of the pressures of life, Ulmer said.
“Some people walk with a stone representing the problems they have so they can leave it in the middle as a symbolic way of leaving issues behind them,” she said. “There are many ways to do it, and none of them are wrong.”
Catholic Student Center Campus Minister Lisa Greey said the L3 program is doing important work for students because it can remind people of the gifts God gives them and influences them to use those gifts for good.
“God wants us to identify and use our skills because it fulfills individuals and betters the greater community,” Greey said. “Looking at gifts and talents and calling from a faith perspective is extremely important.”
The program is planning its main kickoff event, in which the Rev. Ruby Reese Moone, a civil rights leader, will come speak to L3 program members and co-sponsor Black Ministries Chaplaincy on April 14. Ulmer said Moone’s speech “will show how her faith and spirituality inspired a lifelong calling as a civil rights activist.”
“Dr. Moone’s story is truly an inspiration for those hoping to make a difference by fighting prejudice and oppression,” Ulmer said. “Her personal journey can definitely help students as they seek to find and live out their personal life callings.”
Sophomore computer engineering major John Cardea said he decided to work with Ulmer on the L3 program because he wants to show students that religious beliefs and satisfaction with academics don’t need to be separated.
“This campus has a lot of Christian groups and a lot of academic groups, but it can sometimes be hard for students to be actively involved in everything they want to be,” Cardea said. “This program will help people to combine the two.”
