“I want my faith to touch all aspects of my life,” Rianna (26) said. “I want it to be integrated into how I am in my relationships, how I am as a student, how I am as an employee.”
Rianna Nowlin lives out the idea that leadership doesn’t always belong to the loudest voice in the room. A senior at PLNU, she is graduating with her B.A in Christian studies and two minors, one in pre-therapeutic psychology and one in women’s studies. Even with such a full course load, she’s set to graduate on time in the spring from the school she didn’t plan on attending.
“I actually had never heard of Point Loma,” Rianna said. “I got a random letter in the mail, talking about Point Loma. When I actually looked on the website I really was intrigued — the different programs, the nature, the clubs and scholarships… little by little, PLNU became my top pick.”
Rianna toured PLNU’s campus while she was in high school and immediately loved it. Her interest was compounded by the theology department, as she was interested in pastoral ministry.
“It’s been really formative,” she said. “I absolutely adore my professors and respect them so much.”
Rianna stepped into a leadership role on campus quickly, becoming an RA and participating in Res Life to give other students the experience that she has.
“Seeing how much my supervisors and RDs really do care for the students and each other has been really neat,” she said. “And Res Life is overall really welcoming, engaging and open minded, which has been something that’s been really beautiful to see and be a part of.”
“Seeing how much my supervisors and RDs really do care for the students and each other has been really neat. And Res Life is overall really welcoming, engaging and open minded, which has been something that’s been really beautiful to see and be a part of.”
Being a leader has helped to develop her own faith, especially through serving people she’s living with.
“In residential life, it’s a job where I’m literally living with the people that I’m serving and working for. All of these people are God’s people, made in God’s image. I firmly believe that I can learn something from every single person I encounter. So although I’m available to residents by placing a work order, or running events or things like that, I’m also open to learning from them.”
Rianna remarked on how wonderful it is to see former residents of hers step into other leadership roles, from running clubs to becoming RAs themselves. Though she certainly had a hand in it, she hasn’t always seen herself as a leader.
“A lot of the time I’m not your stereotypical leader,” she explained. “I’m more introverted. I’ve heard people say that a leader is the loudest person in the room, and that’s something that I disagree with.
“Point Loma has helped me see leaders who are more diverse in personhood and in leadership style, and also has encouraged me to know that my leadership style does not diminish me as a leader or person. Sometimes the leader that’s needed is the person who will be more of a listening ear.”
In her time at PLNU, Rianna has come into her identity and personality, living out this idea of quiet leadership by mentoring younger students and helping to create the kind of environment that helps foster growth.
“I don’t have to do what the world would deem great,” she explained. “I just have to be faithful.”
Being faithful, for her, can look like asking the hard questions and wanting to understand God more deeply. In her theology classes she’s gotten to explore who God is, why we’re here, and how to best put her theological knowledge into practice in service to others. This experience with Christian professors and mentors has helped shape a faith that didn’t start in childhood.
“I wasn’t raised in the church,” Rianna explained. “There were a lot of questions about faith and theology [when I came in] — my professors really encouraged me to ask hard questions. That has been so incredibly helpful…[it’s been] a challenge living in an unfamiliar Christian community while also figuring out what Christianity looks like for me.”
There was some difficulty in encountering different streams of theology and belief, and the classroom is a place where conversations, debates, and questions can happen.
“I have interacted with a lot of people who were raised in a very Christian upbringing, sometimes in really beautiful ways, and sometimes in ways that confused me or made me feel unsure or even uncomfortable… and so stepping onto campus and not being quite aware of what that would look like was difficult. All of a sudden I had people asking me, ‘what are your thoughts around women in leadership?’ I still believe that if [being a lead pastor] was my calling, then God would be like, ‘yes, that’s your calling. Go for it!’”
Rianna had known there were people who would disagree with her stance on women in church leadership. Some — including friends — have disagreed with Rianna on women’s place in church leadership, which has been a challenge for her to navigate. However, she doesn’t let the disagreement get in the way of continuing to learn and love.
“I’m learning about this God who is a God of love, a God of justice. We almost have a moral obligation in the way of following Jesus and loving one another, to work towards justice and love.”
“I’m learning about this God who is a God of love, a God of justice,” she explained. “We almost have a moral obligation in the way of following Jesus and loving one another, to work towards justice and love.”
There are times when Rianna wants to just go on a hike and be with Jesus on a Sunday, experiencing the wonder of God’s creation. But at the end of the day, fellowship in the church takes priority.
“People do fail you, and that doesn’t make them bad people,” she said. “That makes them people. I fail people all the time. I’m still working on with my faith, trying to figure out how God wants us to live, while also acknowledging a huge piece of that is community with people, with God’s people — [we need] fellowship in the church, building one another up, praying with each other, reading Scripture together, and having different hermeneutics.”
Although understandings of God’s word can vary, Rianna acknowledges that we are called to be in community and trust God together. It also looks like “extending trust and love towards other imperfect human beings as well. Because communities still need leaders,” she said.
And what about leadership and faithful living after graduation?
“It’s definitely a blank canvas,” Rianna said, “and that holds a lot of opportunity. I get to figure out how to pick up the paintbrush and start painting.”
