Zoe de Boer knows when a great opportunity presents itself. That was certainly the case when she was offered the Viterbo campus ministry graduate assistant position last summer.

“I had another job offer but campus ministry was so influential for me when I was an undergraduate student at Viterbo I knew I was making the right choice,” said de Boer of accepting the post at her alma mater. “I absolutely love it.”

De Boer earned a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and theology this past May. She is now a student in the university’s Master of Arts in Servant Leadership program.

Originally a music theatre major, de Boer felt God pushing her in a different direction.

“I’ve always had a huge passion for music, but it’s not what I was called to do,” she said. “My first day in theology class, I knew it was right.”

One of the highlights of her time as a student was participating in a campus ministry service trip to the Texas and Mexico border. Learning about the issue of immigration and speaking to migrants and refugees was a profound experience, she said.

In her current position, de Boer helps to build relationships with students by cooking for and participating in the weekly Table of Plenty Supper and Scripture and Mingle-Unwind-Gather events. She also handles the department’s marketing and social media duties and will lead a poverty and homelessness-focused service immersion trip to Milwaukee during spring break. Outside of Viterbo, she leads the high school youth group at United Methodist Church in Onalaska.

In her free time, de Boer enjoys reading, working at her craft business, playing music with her father, and hanging out with her family, boyfriend, and cats.

“My big dream is to start a nonprofit that provides music and art therapy for women who have survived domestic violence,” she said of her future career goals.