Cover Photo (right to left): Debra Worth (BA 2001) in 1999 at Grebel with Tamara Shantz (BA 2003)
With her home so close by, living in residence was not financially practical, so Deb joined the off-campus associate program and started her undergraduate career in Social Development Studies at the University of Waterloo. Her classes had 500 or more students in them and she remembers feeling lost and overwhelmed. Grebel’s associate program provided a smaller context—a place to build relationships, a place where people knew her name, and a community of like-minded people who shared her values. “Grebel helped me feel in community again,” recalled Deb, “it helped me simmer down from the overwhelming feeling of my big classes.
Deb did not sit on the sidelines. As an associate she walked the Grebel hallways, ate as many meals as she could at the College, engaged in social events, and participated in Chapel and Community Suppers. The more time she spent at Grebel, the more she desired to live in residence—she wanted the 24/7 feeling. However, she could not afford it. A summer job in the Grebel kitchen, where she sometimes worked seven days a week, helped to turn that reality around. It was a delightful day for her and the community when she moved into residence in September 1998.
Initially drawn to Grebel to find like-minded people, Deb quickly found herself surprised by the diversity of the community. Many students were not Mennonite and there was a wide spectrum of belief and attitudes towards faith, politics, and ethics.
“The diversity was not always easy, and I do not like conflict, but meal conversations, sports, late night chats and sitting in classes together were key to building relationships that then could weather strong differences of opinions and belief,” Deb remembered. “The friendships meant that we got past the differences and frequently found common ground.”
Building relationships were also key to her leadership role on the Chapel committee. She didn’t just want to bring her own views and opinions about things like worship music to the planning meetings. She wanted to bring the thoughts and feelings of the broader community. And in order to do so, she needed to have genuine friendships with fellow Grebelites. “I worked intentionally at getting to know people. I would sit with different groups each night at dinner and most nights I would stop studying early to wander the hallways to visit with people—how else could I get to know and understand the beliefs and values of others. I cared, and people knew I cared.”
Navigating diversity continues to be a theme in Deb’s life, such as in her work with USA Refugee Resettlement in South Dakota. She noted, “I hold the conflict that sometimes arises from diversity as valuable and as something to be cherished. I learn the most from those experiences.”
Staying mentally grounded and well is also a theme in Deb’s life. The darker side of her energy for life and engagement and her passion for justice is that it easily morphs into chronically feeling overwhelmed. She remembers that in her first few months in residence, she regularly stayed up far too late for fear of missing out. After almost failing a course or two, she sought help from interim chaplain, Carmen Brubacher (BA 1994).
“It was the first time I could get a handle on what was happening,” said Deb. “Carmen normalized my experience and helped me name some patterns in my life. Recognizing that mental health is part of life and no matter who you are, you need to build skills to take care of yourself, is a lesson I first learned at Grebel. Since then I regularly go in for a tune up with a counsellor, because my skills fade and I need to refresh.”
At the end of our interview, Deb’s parting words were, “I find strength and hope in my memories of Grebel. I learned so much about the world, about relationships and about myself. When I look back I remember and find courage. I did it then, so I can do it now, no matter what comes my way!”
