Amanda “Mandi” Becker ‘18 graduated from Newman University with more than just a degree. She graduated with study habits, research strategies and inquisition that have all helped her soar to new heights, both personally and professionally.
Today, Becker is a doctorate student in Saint Louis University’s theological studies program with a concentration in Christianity in antiquity. Her ultimate goal is to become a theology professor who is “just as much concerned about the souls of the people in the room as it is with content mastery,” she said.
“I want to be the type of professor that strives to show Christ to their students, whether that be through my writing, my actions or my teaching,” Becker said. “In a conversation the other day I referred to this as teaching with an eye toward pastoral care of the learners in the room.”
The role of religion
When Becker graduated from high school in 2016, she simultaneously graduated with her associate’s degree. This gave her the freedom to choose two majors in college and still graduate in a reasonable amount of time. She planned to use her first major, mathematics, as the driving force of her career. She then asked herself an important question before determining the second direction of her undergraduate studies.
“I think my rationale had been, ‘What do I want to do in university that pushes me to grow and deepens one of my existing, deeply personal interests?’ Theology was that thing for me. How cool would it be to be able to take classes and basically have that as a part-time career while I was a student?”
Church was always a fundamental factor in Becker’s life. But as she grew older, her faith became less of a family expectation and more of a personal conviction.
I want to be the type of professor that strives to show Christ to their students, whether that be through my writing, my actions or my teaching.
Amanda Becker ’18
“And even to some extent, my home,” Becker continued. “Middle school and high school marked the years when I really got serious about my faith and understanding who I called ‘Lord’ and why.”
Becker attributes her local pastor, Jim, for being a mentor and “encourager” in her walk of faith.
“He was always giving me suggestions for reading and encouraging me to ask questions and dig deeper into things,” she said. “Following God’s design for my life and saying I was in a personal relationship with Christ was no longer just a casual pursuit for me. I think it was in these years that I started to consider what it might mean to fully devote one’s life to following after where God led.”
Becker describes her own relationship with her faith as marked by a “period of deepening and perseverance.”
“The last ten years or so have gradually been modulations on the same melody, adding depth and color to the perception that this faith that I am part of, this God that I have given my life to — though things may not make sense at the time, and they may be terribly hard — He’s big enough to handle them,” Becker said. “And it’s there that I can place my trust when all other things are thrown into uncertainty.”
It’s within Becker’s faith that she discovered her calling to attest to God’s glory in an academic career.
“I feel called to continue pressing into this place where God has asked me to call home,” she said.
A formative educational experience at Newman
Although Newman University wasn’t initially on Becker’s list of potential colleges, her Baptist pastor recommended the university. Becker met a few faculty members, including Matthew Umbarger, associate professor of theology, and John McCormick, former professor of theology, and immediately felt supported as a first-year student.
Becker said she will be “forever grateful” for her experience with Jamey Findling, former associate professor of philosophy, who saw her potential and rigorously pushed her to give her best work whenever she could.
“He pushed me to ask as many hard questions as I could stomach wrestling with,” she said. “In addition to this, I owe much to Dr. (Joshua) Papsdorf and Dr. Umbarger for how they modeled respectful but passionate inquiry and research. They showed me the potential space for Christians of different traditions to meet together in a shared love of theology and encourage each other to ask hard questions of ourselves and our materials.”
The Honors Program also deeply impacted Becker as a scholar and student. She and her fellow honors students were not only held to high expectations but also challenged to arrive at class prepared and ready to engage with the course materials through exploration and discovery.
Newman’s most challenging courses, like abstract algebra, taught Becker the importance of grit and daily hard work. Newman’s interdisciplinary approach to education also formed her love for learning.
“That work has paid off in that I’m a deeper examiner of things now, even if I don’t work with abstract mathematic proofs on a daily basis,” Becker said. “Honestly, I think a large part of the story of my success, whether at Newman, Truett or God-willing, SLU, is owed to the strength of the character and quality of my educators who have never shied away from hard questions and never let me settle for easy, dull answers.”
She added, “I am constantly grateful for the sheer number of wonderful individuals who poured into me while I attended Newman, and even those that I continue to interact with now that I have graduated. They continue to be sources of wisdom and models of exemplary educators as I move forward.”
A path to professing
After graduating from Newman University in December 2018, Becker attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, for her master’s degree. There, she attended George W. Truett Theological Seminary and received her Master of Divinity degree in May 2022.
Now at Saint Louis University, Becker said she is blessed to pursue a doctorate-level education that, like Newman University, has “phenomenal instructors.” She even noted that the school’s Jesuit educational model aligns with St. Newman’s “Idea of a University.”
“It is so incredibly fun and exciting to be spending substantial parts of my time in classes, interacting with scholars, who are also fantastic teachers, and exploring materials that are all so close to my field of interest,” Becker said. ”Being at SLU has put me in touch with so many fantastic people who have helped my research interests expand and my skillset grow.”
Eventually, Becker would love to return to the Wichita area and teach at a private religious college in the area.
“I want to be the best teacher that I can possibly be for my students, setting a broad table and encouraging many students to bring their big questions, their hard questions, even their small questions, or the questions they may think are laughable, to the conversation so that they can be explored,” she said.
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