CCO Campus Ministry

Scott Gabriel PhD, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Viterbo University
CCO staff, 1998-2003 (Ohio Wesleyan University)

After spending my last two years at the University of Pittsburgh doing molecular biology research with one of my Biology professors the logical decision was to join CCO staff, right?  Well, both my professors and parents thought maybe not. As I reflect on that time in my life, I am sure both were concerned that I would never return to the subject that I had spent so much time being trained in and loved doing. I remember my professors especially were adamant that I would never be accepted into a good graduate program if I took several years to be away from science. As it turned out, after taking six years away from science, I was accepted into Cornell’s Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology graduate program.

Now five years later, I am finishing up my Ph.D. and am looking to return to the undergraduate school environment, this time as a professor. As I prepare applications for these tenure track positions, I find myself frequently referencing my years with the CCO as pivotal in my own development and also as significant experience qualifying me to be a professor at their institution.  Specifically, I found the training I received as a CCO staff prepared me to help students face the amount of transition and change they face during their undergraduate years. This student development oriented perspective is rare among traditionally trained academics and has set me apart in this competitive job market. On a personal level, my own Christian faith was deepened and broadened significantly in my years of being a CCO staff. It is not an exaggeration when I say that the learning and experiences I had through the CCO has kept me engaged and vibrant in my faith through these years of graduate school. It excites me as I begin my career as a college professor to again be serving and mentoring college students as I teach them biochemistry, a suitable culmination of the training and experiences I had with the CCO years ago.