Erica Norman

For Erica Norman '20, Calvin has provided many opportunities for growth: learning from her liberal arts courses, serving on the worship team, and traveling to China, all while pursuing a double major in Chinese Language and Speech Pathology.

What people and experiences prepared you for a career in speech pathology?

In high school I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what future career God was calling me to. I spent some time volunteering and interning in special education classrooms and elementary school classrooms. I loved those opportunities, but they didn’t seem to fully fit my gifts. However, the experiences of working with children and special populations within those classrooms prepared me to think and care deeply about people who need help to achieve their full potential.

Why did you choose to major in speech pathology?

Speech Pathology seemed like the perfect combination of my love of people, science, and language. My mom suggested the major to me after I spent time in a first grade classroom as a student intern. I loved that experience but knew that it didn’t quite fit my skills. Speech Pathology allows me to use all my gifts and passions together.

What’s one thing you would want to tell someone starting their journey at Calvin?

Take your time. Especially in the sciences and in speech pathology, everything can seem like a race. However, as young people I think it is important to gain a variety of experiences that will shape our future passions and perceptions. I decided early on in my college career to extend my undergrad so that I could also major in Chinese and go abroad to China for a semester. My experiences in China shaped me greatly and when I came back I felt ready to dive into the Speech Pathology master’s program.

How has your faith grown at Calvin?

At Calvin I was able to stretch my comfort zone, and through this God has shown me more deeply his universal power and love. As someone who likes to analyze and understand things, the classes I took at Calvin in religion and philosophy helped me understand my faith more deeply in a mental sense. The travel experiences and work experiences I had at Calvin showed me how to live a life in step with Jesus. At Calvin I have become a more confident and more open-minded person when it comes to understanding my faith and learning from others in their walk.

What’s one thing that surprised you about Calvin?

I thought Calvin would feel both bigger and smaller than it does. As a senior, there are still many people from my own class who I’ve never met, and yet the community at Calvin feels very tight-knit. Being able to engage in many different communities, including the international student community, music community, and the worship-leading community has allowed me to make connections across grade levels and majors with many different people.

What is your favorite space on campus, and why?

This was maybe the hardest question to answer! I have many places around campus where I like to relax or study. The one that I think of right now is the lobby and seating area right outside the third floor of the library. My friends and I call it the “Lib Lob” (short for “library lobby”). The fireplace there is cozy in the winter, and there are good places to study or chat with friends. Most of all, many language classes have their conversations groups in the Lib Lob, so I can eavesdrop on French, Spanish or Chinese conversations while I study.

Describe Calvin in three words or less (or in 140 characters).

Calvin is a place where you can be challenged to grow deeper in your faith while widening your horizons.