PHILADELPHIA (BRN) – Recently, I had the privilege of sharing the Commencement Invocation for Drexel’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, at which one of my long-time students, Olivia (Ngo) Boerman, was the Graduate Student speaker. Olivia will soon receive her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering after her dissertation defense which is scheduled for this summer.
Olivia was one of two students to receive the Drexel University Graduate College Outstanding Dissertation Award. This award is presented by the Graduate College to doctoral students who have written original, innovative dissertations that reflect great research and have, or are likely, to be disseminated widely and have significant impact on the field and society. Her dissertation title was “Macrophage Phenotype Transition as the Biological Mechanism of Chronic Wound Healing Treated with Non-Thermal, Non-Cavitational Therapeutic Ultrasound.”
As an undergraduate student, Olivia was involved in Drexel Students for Christ, one of the student organizations I advise. Through that connection, she opted to ask me to be her university required mentor in association with her receiving the Liberty Scholarship (she introduced me to the Liberty Scholars Program and I have mentored two other students since.)
Through the program, we were required to meet at least once per term (we met more often than the requirement) to touch base and see if there was any way I could help her thrive at Drexel. Those conversations dealt with everything from dealing with professors, classmates and career paths to relationships, family and Jesus.
Then as undergraduate turned into graduate school, we continued the mentorship, even though it was no longer required. I helped her navigate work/rest balance, supervisor issues, imposter syndrome and relationship turmoil. I even tried to connect her with some of the Vietnamese Christians within the BRN to give her advice on how to communicate her beliefs accurately and winsomely to her devout Catholic parents.
Often people imagine college ministry as being this revolving door of new relationships changing at least every four years or sooner, but sometimes you get to walk with one for a considerably longer period of time and that is truly a blessing. I expect this mentorship to continue as Olivia moves on to a faculty position at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, where the Lord will continue to use her at the campus-level. Please pray for Olivia as she enters into this new season of life and continues to share the love of Christ with college students and her new colleagues.
Watch Rev. Musser’s Commencement Invocation (5:45)
Watch Dr. Olivia (Ngo) Boerman’s Graduate Student Speech (20:30)
