Date: July 20, 2026
This week, the Student Government Association is honored to take over the Dean’s Commentary and share a glimpse into student life at VTS. Throughout the week, you’ll hear from Katelyn Printz, Student Body Vice President; Jasina Wise, Student Body Chaplain; Anthony Amato, Senior Class President; and Jenna Monroe, representing the Spouse and Partner Group. Each leader offers a unique perspective on our shared life together and the many ways God is at work in our community.
At VTS, you’ll often hear Dean Markham describe our life together with three simple words: Class. Chapel. Lunch. Those three words mean much more than our daily schedule. They reflect the way we are formed together as a community. We don’t simply attend classes together. We worship together. We gather around the table together for meals. We become part of one another’s lives. We celebrate our joys together, walk alongside one another through tough times, and share in one another’s stories. We also have the privilege of sharing this community with spouses, partners, children, and families whose presence enriches our life together and reminds us that formation extends far beyond the classroom.
It is in those ordinary moments that God forms us. We come to VTS to study Scripture, theology, history, and the practice of ministry, but we are also learning how to live together as the Body of Christ. Those shared experiences prepare us not only for what we will do in ministry, but for the people God is calling us to become.
It is a tremendous honor and privilege to serve as Student Body President this year. I am grateful for the trust my classmates have placed in me, and I look forward to serving this remarkable community.
On behalf of all of our student body, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the faculty and staff who pour into our lives every single day. Thank you for challenging us academically, encouraging us spiritually, caring for us personally, and walking alongside us as we continue to discern God’s call. Thank you as well to the administration that listens to us, supports us, and guides us as we prepare to serve Christ’s Church. Thank you for your commitment to providing a world-class seminary and for continually investing in us as leaders of the Church.
Finally, thank you to our alumni, donors, and friends of Virginia Theological Seminary. Your generosity, prayers, and faithful witness make this experience possible for all of us. Because of your support, the formation that happens here reaches far beyond VTS as graduates carry what they have learned and experienced into congregations, schools, hospitals, nonprofits, and communities around the world.
As we prepare to welcome a new class of students and their families to our community, my hope is that every person who joins us finds a place at the table—a place where they are known, valued, supported, loved, and challenged. I also hope that, together, we continue discerning who God is calling us to be as individuals, as a community, and as leaders in the Church and in a world that so desperately needs the love of Christ. My prayer is that our time at VTS shapes us into people who faithfully bear witness to Christ’s love wherever God calls us to serve.
Zachary Ferguson (M.Div. ’27’)
Student Body President