Mark Challita (26) experienced a deepening in his faith in his time at PLNU, leaning on his community to guide his steps.
Mark, an applied health major at PLNU, was first drawn to campus by the sense of community he noticed right away.
“All the students being so supportive of each other, and the personal connection that the professors have with students, has been very unique,” Mark said. “I’ve talked to friends that go to other universities, and they never really had the same connection with professors.”
The strong Christ-centered community makes Point Loma stand out, Mark said, which was one thing he was really looking for in a university as he considered his options.
“I grew up Catholic and going to church and practicing my faith, so I’m very big on that aspect spiritually,” he said. “Having a community of friends my age that push me to be the best person in all aspects of my life has been pretty motivating and easy to find at Point Loma. I’ve been very fortunate to meet a lot of my best friends.”
Being a part of the kinesiology department was a rewarding experience, not only because it’s ranked so high academically, but also because of how plugged in it is to the surrounding community and how it sets him up well to attend grad school.
Dr. Brandon Sawyer, professor of kinesiology at PLNU, considers Mark a credit to the department.
“Mark is a fantastic young man,” Sawyer said. “The trait that stands out most in him is his incredibly positive, enthusiastic, and overall genuinely joyful attitude. Before I even officially met Mark I would see him across campus and he would yell a greeting to me by name. And I felt bad because I didn’t know his name. But then I realized we hadn’t even met yet. Now that I have him in class that wonderfully hopeful and joyful attitude just continues on in all the best ways.”
On top of his studies, Mark had also become very involved on campus.
“I’ve stepped into being an Alpha leader and on the board of the Middle Eastern club my sophomore year,” Mark said. “In my junior year, I was an RA at Wiley Hall. This year, I’m a D-Group leader, in the hockey club, and now the President of the Middle Eastern club.”
Mark mentioned how he felt brought out of his shell with these activities and leadership roles, and credits his friends for helping him lean in to where God might be calling him next.
“The people around me pointed me towards these opportunities — I hadn’t really taught or led anything spiritual like D-Groups. One of my best friends encouraged me to give it a go, and I haven’t regretted it at all.”
“The people around me pointed me towards these opportunities — I hadn’t really taught or led anything spiritual like D-Groups. One of my best friends encouraged me to give it a go, and I haven’t regretted it at all.”
These friendships have helped form and shape Mark’s faith over his four years at Point Loma. When it can be difficult to see God’s goodness, those in your circle can help remind you of who He is, and therefore who you are.
“There’s a men’s group on campus that I’ve been going to for three years. That group has really held me accountable with my faith,” Mark said. “And having the chance to speak in Time Out chapel about my testimony has also made me realize how well God has worked in my life, despite the outcomes that I’ve had. And seeing the way that God has shaped other people, or very close friends of mine, has really changed my faith and changed my relationship with the Lord.”
Mark has gotten to live out what he sensed about Point Loma’s campus four years ago — a strong sense of community and deep, lived-out faith among the students and faculty.
“Long story short, I think if I went anywhere else I could say that I might not have been as blessed in that aspect of changing my faith. Even talking with some of the faculty and staff members, and having those conversations about faith, has helped me learn more and change.”
“Long story short, I think if I went anywhere else I could say that I might not have been as blessed in that aspect of changing my faith. Even talking with some of the faculty and staff members, and having those conversations about faith, has helped me learn more and change.”
Very few college seniors enjoy answering the question, “what are you going to do after college?” but Mark is doing what he’s done all along: trust that God has a plan and will guide his steps. And maybe even surprise him along the way.
“I’m meditating on what my post-graduate career is going to look like after Point Loma,” Mark said. “I want to be open to what God has in store for me, despite not knowing what is in the future. Having an open mind about the future… There is a path that I want to go on, which is dentistry, but if God blesses me in another way and gives me another opportunity to serve Him in the future, I want to be open to that. I want to be faithful to God in the roughest of times, and like being grateful for Him in the best times as well.”
A huge takeaway for Mark from college is about flexibility and openness to trying new things and seeing how the path might change, regardless of the circumstance he might find himself in.
“Wherever you get put doesn’t matter, whether it’s at Point Loma or another school or another situation,” Mark said. “Just always be open to change. Because with change comes growth. And I’m pretty big on accepting change, in order to grow.”
