“The most life-changing thing in college was the relationships I had with my professors,” Associate Professor of Economics, Colene Trent said. “They were the ones that put the idea of being a college professor in my mind. I would never have chosen that alone.”
Trent has been teaching at Union University since 2013. She has grown a deep love for the community and is passionate about knowing each student and encouraging them to reach their fullest potential.
“I signed up for Dr. Trent for fun,” senior Christian ministry and missions major Tricia Clare Griffin said. “I didn’t need the credit, but my roommate told me Trent’s classes changed her life. It has been life-changing.”
Originally, from Alabama, Trent grew up in a Christian household that prioritized faith and emphasized giving back.
“I accepted Christ while swinging on my tire swing in my backyard,” Trent said. “At Union, I am constantly encouraged to be strong in my faith, learn about the Bible and study God’s word because of who I am around, and that’s important. It really matters.”
“She takes a christian approach in everything that she does,” Griffin said. “The first topic we discussed was tithing, and you would not get that anywhere else. Most personal finance professors would start with budgets or Roth IRAs but not Dr. Trent.”
From the age of three, Trent pursued the goal of becoming Miss Alabama. Her involvement in the Miss America programs cultivated the servant-hearted spirit she teaches with today.
“It is teaching young women to be well rounded,” Trent said. “There is talent, interview and of course you get to walk in a sparkly gown. I love that, but the part of it that is not seen is the community service element.”
During her competition years, Trent founded a nonprofit where she campaigned in elementary and middle schools to provide students opportunities to volunteer and demonstrate to them the value of giving back.
She has since shifted her nonprofit towards foster care awareness, a topic important to her and her husband David.
“The seeds that you plant in college and the things that are close to your heart should stay close to you,” Trent said.
Trent has also remained heavily involved in the Miss America Organization through her role as Executive Director of Tennessee.
“As an overachiever, I know how a perfectionist I can be,” Trent said. “To some extent, I just want to encourage students to keep doing what they are doing and encourage them that they have great abilities.”
“She is very approachable, which makes money feel approachable,” Griffin said. “It is not something that is scary; it’s something that’s a tool.”
Students in Trent’s classes complete all assignments using their personal budgeting numbers. She intentionally brings in guest speakers to make different subjects more relatable.
“When we talked about house mortgages, she brought in a realtor,” Griffin said. “She brought in a banker to talk about credit vs. debit and brought in her husband and kids to talk about budgeting as a family.”
Even as Trent and I spoke, she was rocking her little girl and watching her toddler play before she would travel to a business-professor conference the next day.
“Delayed gratification is so much of success,” Trent said. “Whether that’s your faith-life, investing or going to grad school and sitting through really hard classes for four years until you feel like you’re going to pull your hair out, even things I do today. Sometimes the process is so long but overnight success does not happen overnight. Anything good is worth waiting for and investing in.”
Photo by Laila Al-Hagal