Being a Witness to Christianity After College
Interview with Cierra Houchins
Part One from our “Thy Will Be Done: Life After College” Series
Photo by Chelsey Shortman
Interview with Cierra
Cierra Houchins moved to Anchorage, Alaska in 2003 where she currently resides. In 2014, she was part of the inaugural class to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Ministry from the University of Dallas. In 2017, she became the Catholic Youth and Young Adult Ministry coordinator for Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska. In 2019, she decided to leave her job as a coordinator to pursue a position with Club Beyond, a non-profit organization that aims to bring the Gospel to military teens. She is currently fundraising her salary to become a staff associate for JBER Club Beyond.
Tell us about yourself and what you do!
I grew up an Air Force Brat. I have lived all over the world. When my dad retired from the USAF in 2003, Anchorage, Alaska became our permanent place of residence. I am passionate about spreading kindness, making people laugh and reminding people that they are more loved than they could ever realize. My faith blossomed in college because I attended the University of Dallas, a Catholic university that fostered an environment for young adults to take ownership of their faith. After graduation, I had to work hard to stay consistent in my faith. For the first time in my life, I was working instead of being a student. My work environment was not religious and I had to work even harder to live out my faith because the majority of my time was spent in a secular work environment. Though the majority of my coworkers were not religious, my time spent there offered me the opportunity to evangelize through my daily actions. I have always believed that evangelization is not about talking about Jesus but rather living your life in a manner that shows people the beauty of Christianity and inspires them to seek what you have found.
How did you “prepare” for life after graduation?
I didn’t know what to expect post-graduation but as I was searching for jobs in my senior year, I quickly realized that I probably wasn’t going to find a ministry job in Texas without having a Master’s degree. I still wanted to stay in Texas with my friends so I decided to work at a medical clinic post-graduation and put my ministry dreams on the backburner.
How did this transition affect your relationship with God?
It certainly forced me to put my faith into action more than I was used to doing. Since 2003, I had been in Catholic schooling and was surrounded by like-minded individuals. Once I entered the workforce for the first time, I was surrounded by predominantly non-religious people which offered me the opportunity to evangelize in the workplace.
How have things turned out differently than anticipated in your career? How are you finding contentment with your life?
My life is certainly different than I could have ever imagined. If you had asked me 10 years ago where I would be today, I would have said that I expected to be married with kids and working in the medical field. The reality is that I am single and working in retail. I graduated with my BA in Pastoral Ministry in 2014 and have had the opportunity to work in ministry over the past few years. But recently, I decided that instead of being in charge of a specific ministry, I prefer being able to volunteer in ministry and offer support to those in leadership roles. One of the greatest lessons I learned in college is that you can live out your vocation in “ordinary jobs” just as much as you can in ministry. Working in retail, I encounter so many different types of people on a daily basis. This offers me the opportunity to show a positive example of a Christian in the world instead of perpetuating the negative stereotype often associated with modern Christianity. Furthermore, I have gained a great deal of perspective from my coworkers/customers who are not religious that has allowed me to understand a different lens that many people view the world from in their daily lives. Though my life is the complete opposite of what I could have imagined for myself, I can see the blessings of being single at this stage in my life and know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. These days, I am just trying to live my daily life discerning God’s plan rather than my own. My journey has been a long and winding road but I think God has been preparing me along the way. I have struggled at times trying to be content with the season that God has me in right now but each day is a new opportunity to discern God’s will for my life.
How has finding a community and a new sense of home in the Church been like?
I moved back home to Alaska in 2016 so I was able to jump right back into my old church community and my friends. The main difference this time around is navigating being single amidst a group of Catholic friends who are now married and becoming parents.
How are you intentionally living out your faith and seeking out new friendships?
Recently, I have been so busy working part-time jobs while I was fundraising that I haven’t made any new friends who share my faith background. But, as I have been working at the mall these past few months... I have had the pleasure of gaining the perspective of non-religious people and entering into dialogue about matters of faith. They have helped me to understand a non-religious point of view and I have been able to offer them a positive experience of a person who actively lives out their faith.
In these cases, how do you approach actively living out your faith with others as witness? What major fruits has this bore?
I would say the key thing I had to learn in regards to interacting with non religious friends is realizing everyone has a reason for why they believe what they believe. Unfortunately, growing up as a Catholic, I unknowingly was walking around pridefully thinking I was so far ahead of others who didn’t have faith. 2019 humbled me and broke down my pride in ways I never could have imagined. From that experience, I no longer strive to make a judgement on other people’s lives but rather I am simply just trying to live my life one day at a time and only offering advice to others when asked.
Drawing from your own experience, what advice might you give to women who are currently in the midst of their transition from graduation to post-grad life? How might they discern the next steps the Lord might be inviting them to take?
My biggest piece of advice to women would be to ask God for the gift to trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. As women, we are often under a lot of pressure to present a certain image to the world and it can be exhausting when we feel like we aren’t living up to the expectations of society. As an unmarried woman who is approaching 30, I have struggled with feelings of inadequacy as I watch those around me get married while I am still single. Though I would love to be married one day, I am trying to learn to use this period of singleness to cultivate skills that will serve me throughout my life regardless of if I am called to the married vocation or not.
This interview was compiled and edited by Ashley A. Hinojosa.