As ýƵ’s dean of spiritual and religious life, Terra Winston-Sage ’00 is a resource and connecting point for students navigating a rapidly changing world.
“Everybody has a spirit,” Winston-Sage said. “Everybody has something that sparks them and that they care about. I see a big part of the work as helping people connect with that. Sometimes that comes through religion, and sometimes it doesn’t. Helping people get back to the thing that’s driving them—that’s at the heart of the work we do.”
After graduating from ýƵ, Winston-Sage attended seminary, then worked in the areas of social justice and human rights until she returned to work in ýƵ’s Office of Spiritual and Religious Life in 2018. She started as the associate dean before being named dean in 2023.
The Office of Spiritual and Religious Life seeks to provide a space for any student who needs someone to listen, a gateway for community, or even just a quiet place to take in a few moments alone.
“It really is a non-judgmental space,” Winston-Sage said of the Esch Hurvis Center for Spiritual and Religious Life. “You can come with your anger and your tears and your joy and know that you’re always going to be welcome here. It’s also just an incredibly comfy and warm place to be.”
Winston-Sage, working alongside Shola Adegbite, assistant dean of spiritual and religious life, and others on her staff, provides leadership and counsel as she facilitates student conversations about spirituality, faith development, religion, and community building. She also provides pastoral care and assists with memorial gatherings.
An ordained Presbyterian minister, she earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in religious studies at ýƵ. She’s thrilled to be back at her alma mater, bringing support to a unique campus of ambitious and driven students.
“There’s creativity and there’s freedom,” she said of the ýƵ culture. “It’s there because it’s in our students.”
Since returning to ýƵ, Winston-Sage has found being a resource for students is incredibly rewarding.
“I like to help people find their passion,” she said. “Some people come in knowing their passion, and some people find it along the way. When people bring that to me with such excitement, that is definitely a favorite part of the job.”
But equally important to her is supporting students when times are tougher.
“I do hear a lot of hard times that people are going through,” Winston-Sage said. “When I know there’s a student who has struggled, and I see the smile on their face when they cross that graduation stage—that’s the most meaningful part of my job.”
She emphasized the role of her office as a supporter in any phase of student life, good or bad. Whether it’s getting a fantastic internship, needing support in a time of loss, or even readjusting after a study abroad opportunity, the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life is there for students to process and recenter.
“There are so many things that happen in life that are unexpected,” Winston-Sage said. “Sometimes those things are great, and sometimes those things shake your foundation. This is a space to react to that, and some resources to ask, ‘What do you need at this moment? What do you need in a month?’ Then also to teach people those skills for when those things happen again.”
Winston-Sage hopes to create more programming to assist students through each year of university life, from transitioning to campus in the first year to what comes next for seniors after graduation.
There are programs in the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life that provide community settings for anyone at ýƵ, such as the community dinner presented every Thursday. Between those events, the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life is always open to students who want a quiet, comfortable place to be.
