As director of the Vocatio Center, Stephanie Hawley’s job ranges from simple tasks such as assisting with resumes, cover letters and interviews, to complex missions such as life-calling and career coaching.
The Vocatio Center works not only within the Union community, but also within Jackson and around the country. Hawley and her team reach a large audience of both students and alumni.
Hawley’s office has a large open window that looks out into the courtyard, where the center’s sign is clearly visible: The Vocatio Center, Life Calling and Career Services.
She shared with me that Vocatio is Latin for calling, saying that it is “very central” to their mission at the center.
“Its vital for us to be addressing calling. I think we wouldn’t be fulfilling our mission here at the university if we weren’t addressing that question because it is just central to who we are as people who follow Christ,” Hawley said.
Hawley graduated from Union in the spring of 2012 with a degree in English and a minor in French.
Hawley has a large bookshelf containing numerous books with varying titles along the back wall of her office. I noticed many of them had to do with “life calling.”
Hawley’s experiences at Union helped shape her own calling.
“I really liked learning about other cultures, other people, how people think and behave; I realized I liked studying people,” Hawley said.
“I also like education in general and helping people learn and grow academically, intellectually, spiritually and otherwise just in general.”
Hawley has been working in the Vocatio Center since 2019, and in 2021 she stepped into the role of director.
At the core of Hawley’s job is helping students achieve their next steps in life. She emphasizes the role that confidence plays in this.
“That’s what this is: it’s not me telling you, “you go do this, this and this.” it’s helping students get there themselves, and so confidence is a huge part of that.”
“The biggest thing when students come in here is to be willing to ask awkward questions, be willing to learn and be uncomfortable,” Hawley said. “That’s where I see the most growth in students, and that’s what I love the most: seeing that change.”
According to Hawley, confidence is critical in the more specific processes, such as job searching.
“I think so much of the job search process is how you frame your (skills) and how you talk about yourself and learning how to do that in a really effective way,” Hawley said. “So learning to do that with confidence is one of my big major goals for students.”
Students can become easily overwhelmed by finding a “life calling,” but Hawley has learned a few ways to make the process less intimidating.
“I try to encourage students that you may not discover what you want to do overnight, and that’s okay,” Hawley said. “It may take a few jobs to clarify and refine what is a good fit for you, but you haven’t wasted time. You haven’t made a mistake because you needed those experiences to learn and grow.”
Hawley has learned that checking in on student’s emotions can keep their stress levels down during one-on-one services.
“It’s been helpful for me to realize that sometimes we all just need backup,” Hawley said.
Making the concept of a life calling accessible seems to be a strength of Hawley. She uses faith as another defining component when discussing these sometimes daunting callings.
That idea of calling, and “where God is calling me,” that can be so overwhelming, and its not as mystical as we make it out to be,” Hawley said.
“God has called us to follow him, and we can do that using the gifts and the talents and the interests he has given us,” Hawley said. “And we can do that at a Kroger and at a church. Our call is to follow him first, and there is so much freedom in that.”
Combining faith and confidence has ultimately led to growth for Hawley and those she serves at the Vocatio Center.
“Sometimes God does give us clear answers, but sometimes we just have to take the next step because he has given you the ability to make wise decisions,” Hawley said.
Hawley likes to think of the Vocatio Center as a “sounding board” for those who utilize their services.
“The great thing is, I don’t have all the answers, but I can help you find answers,” Hawley said.
Under Hawley’s leadership, the Vocatio Center has implemented resources such as Pathway U, a program that helps students better understand themselves and their opportunities.
“There are ways to overcome things that are more difficult for you, and it’s not that we’re going to somehow feel like the job search process is going to be fun and it’s probably never going to be fun,” Hawley said. “But we can find really good ways to do it with confidence and with purpose.”
Trenton Holloway, the assistant director of the Vocatio Center, is also a Union alumnus. He works closely with Hawley on a daily basis and calls her a “joy to work with,”
“I’m really grateful to be working under someone who is such a great example of what we should be,” Holloway said.
According to Holloway, Hawley has led the innovation in the office and the overall growth of the Vocatio Center. “She’s there for support, but she’s also really good at empowering us to go and do,” Holloway said.
Hawley not only encourages others to be confident in their growth and life callings, but she is an example of these things.
“Serving students and walking alongside them is at the heart of pretty much everything she does,” Holloway said.
Photo by Laila Al-Hagal
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Hawley minored in psychology rather than French. It also misquoted Hawley as saying “how you frame your sales” rather than skills.