In her first year at Geneva College, Anya Zvorsky ‘28, a sophomore biopsychology major, found unexpected opportunities to get involved in the local community while gaining direction and experience for her future. 

When Anya first visited Geneva, she found the campus, environment, and the people she met to be welcoming. She'd been searching for a Christian college in the area and immediately felt that Geneva was a good fit. Anya loved both biology and psychology in high school, and one of her biggest goals in searching for a college was to find one with a faith-based approach to psychology. She was hopeful that Geneva would provide just that, and she has not been disappointed. 

“Geneva does a good job focusing on faith integration. I had a psych class that really delved into that — not just adding a Bible verse to things, but actually doing your faith in your career.” 

Anya realized that in addition to strengthening her Christian worldview, her first year opened her mind to new ideas and new friends. She was paired with an international roommate from Brazil and found herself connecting with many international students at Geneva. This was one of the more unexpected turns of Anya's freshman year, and she found it to be enriching. Discussions with classmates of various backgrounds helped her to think deeply in the classroom too. 

“I took Humanities 103 [Invitation to the Humanities] last semester, and it really helped me to see things from a different perspective. We talked about these fundamental questions together and went into the deeper meanings that you can’t always see when you’re reading on a page.” 

Anya has also grown in her understanding of the work she might like to pursue after her four years at Geneva are complete. She is interested in further education in art therapy, counseling, or neuroscience. She sought out volunteer positions with local organizations to see how she liked working in these fields, serving for a time with both Neighborhood North - Museum of Play and Tiger Pause Youth Ministry. She originally learned about Neighborhood North through one of her chemistry professors. 

“I told her that I wanted to work with kids in some way, and to get experience, and she pointed me to Neighborhood North. It’s a great opportunity for me to learn more. After volunteering there, I’m thinking I probably want to do something related in my career because I really enjoyed it.” 

At Neighborhood North, Anya helped set up and run events, demoed crafts for kids to learn, and job shadowed various positions. At Tiger Pause, she was a part of the mentoring program for high school students, giving advice and assistance with graduation tasks and college applications. 

Anya continues to work with Neighborhood North and Tiger Pause, as well as helping with Upper Room’s campus ministry and making art and friendships through The Creative Process. As she continues her education at Geneva, her passions and calling will continue to be shaped through her experiences both in the classroom and in the local community.

By Reagan Shields ‘26