Krista Wichterman graduated from Dominion in 2020. She currently attends Baylor University, where she is studying English, sociology, and communications. Here, she shares a few reflections about Inspiro Week, which began during her time at Dominion. 

I clearly remember when Mr. Mitchell came into our 4th-period class to share the news that midterms were canceled. Instead, we would engage in a week of experiential learning through various activities, community service, art productions, and visiting museums and other places in Washington, DC. During the week, which was called Inspiro Week, I heard Handel’s Messiah, visited the Holocaust museum, attended a Vivaldi concert, ate dinner with my teachers, and rang the bells for the Salvation Army. 

Looking back, I can see that Inspiro Week gave us a plausibility structure of how to get involved in community service and how to engage with learning outside of a classroom environment. That was part of the hidden beauty of Inspiro Week. My friend and fellow alum Lilly Flanders and I had so much fun ringing the bells for the Salvation Army during high school that we signed up to do it again this Christmas season.

My favorite part of my Dominion experience is that I was taught to love learning. Dominion showed me that to be a lifelong learner not only involves a continual pursuit of truth, wisdom, and knowledge, but also a consistent pursuit of new, perspective-shifting, and enriching experiences. 

While volunteering with Dominion at a homeless ministry in DC called Central Union Mission, I was inspired to become further involved with the unhoused population. This summer, I worked as a full-time staff member at a homeless shelter in Vermont. My job was to connect clients to social services and teach clients professional development skills. The church I currently attend is a congregation of Waco community members and unhoused individuals, which emphasizes the importance of service and sacrifice while pursuing a Christ-centered lifestyle. 

I am thankful to Dominion for instilling in me a love of new experiences and new challenges while seeking to make an impact in underserved communities. Inspiro Week felt emblematic of Dominion’s intention to show students the excitement and beauty of learning in non-traditional environments while encouraging students to pursue a life full of service.