WEBVTT 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:09.220 Hello. 00:00:09.280 --> 00:00:10.900 My name is Carly Gehrman. 00:00:11.120 --> 00:00:23.275 I am a recent graduate of the master's in psychology specialized in marriage and family, completing a capstone project of an integrated view of marriage preparation in the Catholic church. 00:00:23.655 --> 00:00:27.335 And my time at Divine Mercy University has been a gift. 00:00:27.335 --> 00:00:30.395 It has been an honor, and it has been an absolute privilege. 00:00:30.720 --> 00:00:34.020 And I would love to share just a little bit about what led me to DMU. 00:00:34.080 --> 00:00:39.460 So, I hail from the great state of Ohio, and I am an Ohio State graduate. 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:42.420 And in my undergrad, I studied biology pre medicine. 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:55.195 And, for a long time I knew that I was captivated by the human person, and I think I thought growing up that that would be through medical studies and, through being a physician and healing the human body. 00:00:55.440 --> 00:01:03.440 And then my first year of undergrad at Ohio State, I encountered John Paul the second's theology of the body, and it truly changed my life. 00:01:03.760 --> 00:01:10.295 John Paul the second changed my life, and his teachings on the human person, and marriage and family and sexuality. 00:01:10.515 --> 00:01:18.935 And there was this little dream planted in my heart in my last year of undergrad, actually, of what if we revived marriage preparation in the Catholic church? 00:01:19.555 --> 00:01:25.120 It would be such an opportunity, to be so honest, and it was so clear of, like, oh my goodness. 00:01:25.180 --> 00:01:38.465 People who have not stepped foot in the Catholic church since they got confirmed but are getting married in the Catholic church because of mom or dad or grandma or grandpa's, thoughts or preferences have to go through marriage preparation in the Catholic church. 00:01:38.845 --> 00:01:51.105 And what an opportunity to have them encounter Jesus, to have them encounter the church, but also to so authentically teach what marriage is as a sacrament and the beauty of the human person. 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:53.440 And so that was a little dream. 00:01:53.440 --> 00:01:55.680 And at the time, I was 21. 00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:56.400 I was single. 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:59.440 I was in an apartment studying biology, and I was like, okay. 00:01:59.440 --> 00:02:02.180 I have no idea how this is going to come to fruition. 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:07.335 But, lord, I know that you're present here, and I know that you're on this, and so I will hold that in my brain. 00:02:08.375 --> 00:02:20.075 After graduating, I actually took a big detour and I went into ministry full time, and I became a full time Catholic missionary with an organization called Damascus that really ministers to youth in the church. 00:02:20.610 --> 00:02:27.970 And all the while I had this little dream of marriage and family and working in marriage preparation in the church. 00:02:27.970 --> 00:02:38.235 Long story short, through my time at Damascus, I continued as a missionary ministering to middle schoolers and high schoolers and people of all ages, and I continued on staff. 00:02:38.235 --> 00:02:50.750 And there was this one trip that I went on to a college campus, and I knew that I knew that I knew in that trip that I wanted to go back to school, that there was this huge desire of, okay, Lord, we're not done learning. 00:02:50.810 --> 00:02:54.910 And I knew that there was a seed to continue in graduate school. 00:02:55.130 --> 00:02:58.330 So I returned from that trip, and I was like, what does this mean? 00:02:58.330 --> 00:03:00.990 Does this mean that I'm quitting my job in ministry? 00:03:01.210 --> 00:03:03.470 Does this mean that I'm going back to medicine? 00:03:03.530 --> 00:03:05.515 Does this mean that I'm looking into counseling? 00:03:06.455 --> 00:03:09.595 It was such a beautiful, wonderful question mark. 00:03:09.975 --> 00:03:14.955 And so I went on my laptop, and I was looking at so many different programs. 00:03:15.015 --> 00:03:19.995 I was like, do I go back to medicine and look at nurse practitioner side? 00:03:20.190 --> 00:03:21.330 Do I look into counseling? 00:03:22.430 --> 00:03:28.210 And I had seen Divine Mercy University previously, and I was just on the website. 00:03:28.270 --> 00:03:32.770 And then I discovered the master's in psychology program. 00:03:33.505 --> 00:03:37.285 And as I was looking through the courses, I was like, oh my goodness. 00:03:37.345 --> 00:03:39.345 These are all the things that I'm interested in. 00:03:39.345 --> 00:03:43.585 I actually had friends be like, Carly, this program sounds like it was written for you. 00:03:43.585 --> 00:03:45.985 Like, these classes sound like they're written for you. 00:03:45.985 --> 00:03:55.230 And so I scheduled a call with the admissions adviser, and all throughout the call, there was this overwhelming sense of peace and joy and clarity. 00:03:55.690 --> 00:03:59.530 And I had thought at the time I was talking to him in, like, February, and I thought, okay. 00:03:59.530 --> 00:04:00.650 I'll start in August. 00:04:00.650 --> 00:04:01.530 And he was like, great. 00:04:01.530 --> 00:04:02.650 So how about this summer? 00:04:02.650 --> 00:04:16.395 And so all of a sudden, I was applying for this master's in psychology to start in that June, just a short I guess that would be four months later, but to to start school. 00:04:16.910 --> 00:04:25.170 And I learned on that call with him that I could specialize in marriage and family, that I could actually receive a certification in marriage preparation. 00:04:25.230 --> 00:04:29.730 And the at the time, it was a focus inventory that then shifted to the prepare and enrich inventory. 00:04:30.415 --> 00:04:38.275 And all of those little whispers, with the Lord in college just came to the forefront of, daughter, this is a step to take. 00:04:39.055 --> 00:04:47.760 So I was so grateful and so excited and just overwhelmed at this opportunity to begin school with Divine Mercy University. 00:04:48.140 --> 00:04:53.260 Now in the process of this, as I said, there was this question of, okay, is this going to be full time school? 00:04:53.260 --> 00:04:54.860 Am I quitting my job? 00:04:54.860 --> 00:04:57.360 Am I what does all this mean? 00:04:57.875 --> 00:05:14.020 And one of the things that I was so grateful to learn is how flexible Divine Mercy University is for married people, for families, for priests, for religious, that this is truly a school meant for the human person, and meant to help people thrive in their vocation. 00:05:14.020 --> 00:05:16.900 And so I was so excited to learn, no. 00:05:16.900 --> 00:05:22.360 I can continue in ministry and do this while living in Columbus in this place that I feel called to. 00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:27.845 And, again, there was just green light after green light after green light. 00:05:27.985 --> 00:05:31.665 And I would say the final thing that I was really thinking about is like, okay, lord. 00:05:31.665 --> 00:05:32.725 What about tuition? 00:05:33.105 --> 00:05:39.150 I was in ministry full time, and, as I had said, I loved school growing up. 00:05:39.150 --> 00:05:43.730 Loved school growing up, loved school in undergrad, and so I saw the merit scholarship. 00:05:44.350 --> 00:05:45.730 And I was like, okay. 00:05:45.790 --> 00:05:48.030 Let's apply and let's do this. 00:05:48.030 --> 00:06:02.735 And, as I was filling out that application, again, it was just greater confirmation and greater clarity of, wow, I really want to do this program, and I feel so excited at what the Lord could do, with me pursuing this degree. 00:06:03.115 --> 00:06:12.470 And continued filling it out and then submitted the application very late at night on the night that it was due, but it was such a trust and such a surrender of, okay, Lord. 00:06:12.470 --> 00:06:14.570 We will we will see what you have here. 00:06:15.510 --> 00:06:23.765 And then shortly, a few short weeks later, I received a phone call from that same admissions adviser telling me that I had received the scholarship. 00:06:23.985 --> 00:06:27.505 And I knew that I knew that I knew in that moment of, okay. 00:06:27.505 --> 00:06:29.285 This is where I'm supposed to be. 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:52.715 This is a yes that I'm called to be faithful to, and I am so abundantly grateful for how that scholarship made this degree possible while I continued working in ministry and pursuing my own vocation, to marriage and just what the Lord has done with that yes to now be sitting here today, on graduation weekend for this degree in psychology specialized in marriage and family. 00:06:52.775 --> 00:06:58.555 What would I say to somebody considering starting school with Divine Mercy University? 00:06:59.660 --> 00:07:04.160 Wholeheartedly, first and foremost, I would recommend this university wholeheartedly. 00:07:04.380 --> 00:07:06.400 And I have two colleagues. 00:07:06.780 --> 00:07:08.880 I have two friends. 00:07:08.940 --> 00:07:10.460 I have two family members. 00:07:10.460 --> 00:07:18.865 Divine Mercy University has left me in awe, and I was so excited about the potential when I learned about Divine Mercy University. 00:07:19.325 --> 00:07:25.825 But then beginning school with them, I truly was amazed at what the school has fostered. 00:07:25.965 --> 00:07:29.530 So first, this is an authentically Catholic school. 00:07:29.910 --> 00:07:45.305 I was amazed in each and every class at every professor being vibrantly Catholic and integrating their personal Catholic faith and the beauty, truth, and goodness that our church has given us into academically excellent coursework. 00:07:45.845 --> 00:07:48.005 So my background was in science. 00:07:48.005 --> 00:07:56.790 And coming into school out to Divine Mercy University, I was amazed too at the academic excellence that they have stewarded as a university for graduate education. 00:07:56.790 --> 00:08:06.970 And I truly think that DMU brings something very special to how they integrate the truth, beauty, and goodness of the Catholic church with academic excellence in the psychological sciences. 00:08:08.070 --> 00:08:19.455 So DMU is doing something special for the church, for science, for psychology, for counseling, and I believe that they are playing an instrumental role in the church and the nation today. 00:08:20.315 --> 00:08:28.030 Secondly, something that I believe sets DMU apart is they genuinely care about students wholeheartedly. 00:08:29.530 --> 00:08:42.775 I was amazed again at every single class how as we are learning about psychology and the human person and vocation and virtue of how all this was not just presented in a way for head knowledge, but also heart knowledge. 00:08:43.235 --> 00:08:48.935 And there is deep reflection of how this coursework applies to the student's life. 00:08:49.235 --> 00:08:51.235 I personally was so enriched by this. 00:08:51.555 --> 00:08:59.840 One of the things in the Catholic or the Christian Catholic model of the human person is we talk about how we are called and created and fulfilled in vocation. 00:09:00.300 --> 00:09:12.395 And as I was pursuing my master's in psychology, specialized in marriage and family, I myself was preparing for marriage, and got married just two weeks prior to this graduation date. 00:09:12.395 --> 00:09:18.335 And so throughout all of my graduate coursework, I also was pursuing my own vocation to marriage and family. 00:09:18.610 --> 00:09:46.865 And I was amazed at how through what DMU has fostered, they and so intentionally were preparing students for their own vocation to priesthood, to consecrated life, to married and, a single vocation, to all vocations that it was so intentional of how can we actually apply this coursework to the student's life to prepare them as best as we can to be the very best man or woman that God has created them to be. 00:09:47.180 --> 00:09:58.880 I've reflected many of times of how my graduate degree with DMU has prepared me to be a better wife and future mother and just daughter and missionary disciple within the church. 00:09:58.940 --> 00:10:12.185 And so I'm so grateful for how DMU is so intentional with the education for me, not just the intellectual side of the student, but also the human and the spiritual, components of every single student who begins school here. 00:10:12.885 --> 00:10:31.000 And then finally, a piece that I think sets DMU apart is they, again, in being so rooted in the Catholic tradition, also form students to have a Catholic worldview on everything within the world and society today. 00:10:31.575 --> 00:10:45.895 So I was amazed throughout all of my coursework of how with the Christian Catholic mental model of the human person, it so beautifully integrates psychology, theology, philosophy, like an integrated view holistically of the human person. 00:10:45.895 --> 00:10:56.310 And then through all of our classes of this is how this is applied to the world, to the church, to the nation, to society, to politics, to the human person today. 00:10:56.850 --> 00:11:31.735 So I genuinely believe that DMU does do an incredible job at forming students to be grounded and rooted in the Catholic church and the Catholic faith, to be grounded and rooted in the best of the best psychological sciences that exist today, and to be formed in that way of this is how we think, this is how we lead, this is how we teach the world today and engage the the world and engage society in a way that truly is, to be an authentic disciple in the church and in the world, all through DMU's education, which is a gift.