Cover Photo: Hebron Hailu Gabre-Marian (on left) posing in front of Grebel as part of a 2006 promotional photoshoot.
Hebron Hailu Gabre-Marian’s (BASC 2007) first contact with Grebel was during a University of Waterloo Open House day in March 2002 when he was checking out the Mechanical Engineering program. His dad, knowing a little about Mennonites, convinced him to swing by Grebel for a quick tour. He remembers his tour guide fondly (Eric Lepp BA 2005) and thought, “if there are more people like this guy at Grebel, then this will be a fun place to live.”
He recalls hard hats being stolen, with ransom notes left in their place and taking the ‘open-door policy’ to the next level when his buddies removed numerous residence doors! He spoke fondly about photo ops with their apartment pet—a laying hen. However, mostly he remembers conversation and debate, and that never before had he been able to engage with others with such honesty, respect, and integrity. “Somehow,” said Hebron, “we didn’t get offended, but learned to discuss differences and laugh and shake it off when we didn’t agree—all was okay.”
Hebron strongly believes that Grebel’s open door approach paved the way for good conversation. “Open doors meant you didn’t just stick to like-minded people, but rather naturally engaged with many in the community. A culture that respected diversity meant we could be ourselves and not have to fit into a mold.”
As a student, Hebron looked forward to chapels and community suppers. He made it a priority to attend both each week despite the demands of his engineering program. “These gatherings forced me to slow down and refocus. I didn’t get anything like this in my engineering program. These consistent weekly gatherings helped balance me as an engineer. They helped calm me down, they gave me perspective, and they sparked great conversation that carried on well into the night.”
And, Hebron remembers vividly one Chapel Retreat at Hidden Acres when Tom Yoder Neufeld and Arnold Snyder shared their testimonies. “It was a time of open conversation about faith and values and life. Tom and Arnold made themselves vulnerable and opened up about their lives with students in a way that they could never do in the classroom. It was such a gift.” What made the retreat extra special for Hebron was the fact that connecting with Grebel professors in the classroom eluded him because is program did not permit many elective courses.
Amongst the fun and the play, Grebel opened a world of meaningful debate for Hebron and gave him practice solving problems through animated, yet respectful discussion. He is so grateful, and to this day, he welcomes lively conversation about faith and life with Grebel friends and beyond. He is committed to having a community supper of sorts, every night at the dinner table with Deanna and their four young kids, despite all the demands of their schedule. For, it is around table set with good food and warmth that they learn to listen, to be patient, experience hospitality, and to wrestle with their differences.
He is also committed as a teacher to helping the children in his grade 5/6 classroom to learn how to listen and discuss their differences with respect.
Hebron had one last thing he wanted to mention before our interview wrapped up. “Mary, be sure to maintain the environment at Grebel where students learn how to discuss and debate without getting offended ... this is what university is all about.”
