I walk up the sidewalk in the Watters quad and see flourishing plants decorating the Heatherly’s yard and one of those nifty magnetic screen doors (these are common among the students who always have their doors open). As the door is opened, I am greeted by Nathan Heatherly, the resident director for men’s quads, and Katie Heatherly, a recent Union graduate with a bachelor’s in history. I sit in the eclectic living room decorated with a warm and inviting rug and plant-filled window seal. As I suspected by the magnetic screen door, one of the first things they tell me is that they love anything outdoors, as they are both from North Carolina.
Katie and Nathan are newlyweds, married on June 27, 2020. The transition in a matter of months has been pretty drastic. Katie graduated in May, they were married in June, she began a new job at a law firm, and Nathan began the new challenge of Residence Life amid a pandemic.
When COVID-19 hit, their wedding plans had to be reworked and the guest list had to be cut from 250 people to 40 people. This was very disappointing for the couple who wanted to celebrate their love and new life together with all their friends. Amid loss and disappointment, both Katie and Nathan have seen the Lord’s faithfulness in how He has changed their perspectives.
“It’s opened my eyes to things I get caught up in,” Katie said. “Even in planning for our wedding, I thought I was going to lose my mind at one point, but putting it in the bigger picture, people are dying. In the US we have passed 200,000 deaths and in the grand scheme of things it (the wedding) is really not that important.”
Going into a new job field in 2020 is challenging and terrifying, especially for Katie, as her degree in history didn’t have a clear career path. However, she has seen how the Lord provided her a job in a law firm here in Jackson. Starting a new job hasn’t been as difficult as she expected, but it is still challenging dealing with new policies and regulations.
Nathan’s job has drastically changed as well this year as COVID-19 has caused new planning for events and has hindered meeting one on one with residents. “It’s really difficult to have and build community when you are supposed to be socially distant,” Nathan said as he reflected on the challenges of this semester.
Nathan’s passion for living amid student life is what drew him back to Union after graduation. He was a Resident Advisor for 3 years and is now entering his second year as a Resident Director.
“Bryan Carrier always talks about Res Life as a mission of interruptions,” said Nathan.
He is currently in Graduate School so that he can one day work in higher education through the route of residence life.
While it feels strange for Katie to live here while not having a job or classes on campus, she is thankful to be surrounded by a community of people they love. In a season where most experiences are new, it is comforting to avoid starting a new life, in a new town, on top of being newly married. They have friendships with professors that are refreshing with the wisdom these older, more experienced friendships bring. Katie explained how shocking and encouraging it was that their old professors still reach out to them and invite them over for dinner or tea. Although they are no longer students, the professors and staff are still interacting in community.
The Heatherlys have learned to be present amid wanting to move on to the next phase of life when they will one day live in a different location. Although they don’t intend to live in Jackson forever, they are still choosing to be content and present with where their jobs and lives have placed them.
Nathan and Katie Heatherly are a reminder of the purpose that lies in the most challenging and new seasons of life.
