From Student to Leader

Hollis Dudgeon ‘16 guides current Christian Scholars, creating a safe space for spiritual growth

As a freshman at Georgetown College in 2012, Hollis Dudgeon ‘16 didn’t yet know which road to travel. She did, however, establish key relationships with friends and faculty mentors who would lead her into an exciting new chapter in her life.

“I had so many friends in the Christian Scholars Program my first year, even if I wasn’t officially in the program,” said Dudgeon. “Dr. Ward’s Foundations class was also key in me deciding to further explore my faith and go down the path I would eventually go down.” Designed to help students grow spiritually, the Christian Scholars Program presents students with mentorship, leadership, and mission trip opportunities. Each year, a fall break trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina, is a particular favorite for students.

CURIOSITY TO PASSION

“My freshman year, of course, everyone is excited about Hilton Head, and

then I break my leg…”

This small setback didn’t prevent Dudgeon from exploring the Christian Scholars Program further. Her friends and several inspirational professors continued to inspire her curiosity. However, as sophomore year rolled around, her interest in the program transitioned from a curiosity to a passion.

“After missing the Hilton Head trip my freshman year, I was so excited to go my sophomore year, and it was a profound experience. Connecting with my fellow classmates and some truly inspirational church leaders had a significant impact on my path at Georgetown and beyond.”

A CALL TO MINISTRY

As Dudgeon progressed through her degree at Georgetown College, she discovered her faith becoming more mature. She also began to question many preconceptions about her role in the Church and the world.

“There were the beliefs that women couldn’t be in ministry and that homosexuality is evil,” she said. “Those beliefs felt very burdensome on me.”

While feeling the weight of that burden, Dudgeon also felt a call to ministry. However, her youthful passion was quickly struck down by leaders in her own church.

“I felt an initial call to ministry in high school. When I brought it up with leaders in my church, the response was ‘women can’t be in ministry.’ So I started thinking of more ‘practical’ routes to take. I thought maybe I’d be a doctor who goes on medical missions or go into business and work with charities. I was just stuck in that mindset.”

Her passion, though, didn’t disappear. It simply lay dormant, waiting for just the right people and experiences to allow it to blossom.

“Coming into college and being around different types of people, I feel like I found a different possibility for what faith could look like in a way that was so liberating.”

Those faculty mentors who inspired Dudgeon in further exploring the Christian Scholars Program would continue to guide her growth, reignite her passion for ministry, and open her eyes to a world of possibilities.

“The thing that helped me grow the most was the mentorship. Dr. Sands Wise, Dr. Ward, and Dr. Klopfer in particular just really invested in me and cared about my growth as a Christian leader. Those mentors saw me as a leader before I saw myself as one.”

LEADING OTHERS

As graduation approached, Dudgeon was still unsure about which path to take. She applied to Teach For America, but a conversation with a friend who was applying to seminary inspired her to change course.

“My friend, Jana, was applying to divinity school, and I just decided to go for it. I just let go of that fear and thought ‘Why not.’”

Dudgeon earned her Master’s of Divinity at Wake Forest University School of Divinity in 2019. “If Georgetown was the beginning of my liberation, Wake Forest was the completion of it.”

After seminary, Dudgeon felt the pull back to Georgetown College, accepting a position as Director of Faithways Academy, GC’s faith-centered summer program for high school students.

Dudgeon also serves as a spiritual advisor to students, teaches in the Religion department, and plays a critical role in the Christian Scholars Program.

“It was really strange at first to return here,” said Dudgeon. “I describe it as a ‘haunting.’ I was encountering myself in the same spaces, but I was very different. I was also suddenly working with these people who were such a huge influence on me, so of course you worry about meeting their expectations and living up to how they helped you.”

Dudgeon has started to see the fruits of her labor and experience the other side of some of those life-changing moments she had as a student at Georgetown. “It feels like it’s really meaningful work getting to engage with students in ways that are really beautiful.”

PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

Having been involved in the Christian Scholars Program as a student, Dudgeon is keenly aware of the changes the program has undergone over the last five years and the ways it has remained the same. “It’s certainly grown since my time as a student,” she said. “But the heart of it remains the same in the way it creates a space for students to talk about vocation and calling, and then supporting them through that.”

So what does Dudgeon hope for the future of the Christian Scholars Program, which has been a fixture at the College for more than 20 years?

“Ultimately, I want current and future students to feel loved and equipped spiritually. I hope the program helps them better understand exactly what their faith means for them, specifically for them, and that they’re provided with opportunities that both challenge and support their faith. It’s really about making their faith their own moving forward. That’s of the utmost importance.”

“Coming into college and being around different types of people, I feel like I found a different possibility for what faith could look like in a way that was so