December Student Life Events Report

Written by Associate Dean Mika Deshotel

The Office of Student Life at HJI was excited to host two new events this December, concluding the Fall 2024 semester with a bang. Spotlight on Student Research, highlighting the dissertation project and findings of Ron Pappalardo, was held on December 7th at 11AM EST via Zoom. The Spotlight on Student Research series was created for the purpose of providing students with an opportunity for connection with other students at HJI, as well as for networking with students in a similar area of study. The series also seeks to highlight great work being done at HJI, which can inspire excellence and energize leadership within our students’ diverse areas of influence. HJI’s Open Mic Night was another first of its kind, held virtually on December 17th at 8PM EST. The evening event was meant to serve as a celebration for a fruitful semester, as well as a chance to reflect and decompress from a busy year. 

The Spotlight event featuring Ron Pappalardo, welcomed 42 participants who were eager to learn more about Ron’s dissertation work entitled, “The God Effect: Long-term Influences of Elicited Mystic Experiences.” Ron was preparing for his doctoral defense, so he began with a presentation of his research and conclusions using a slideshow specially prepared for the dissertation committee. It is well known that Ron has been leading workshops on divine mystical experiences for some time, and his findings revealed how impactful they have been for participants. In his surveying, Ron found that over 90% of participants felt their mystical experience initiated subsequent experiences that have carried them forward ever since. Ron’s work also revealed that mystical experiences can be explicit and unique to the receiver; he reinforced this finding with testimonials of God’s unique and personal revelation to participants. After Ron’s formal presentation, he invited participants on the call into a guided meditation followed by volunteer sharing of their experiences if they felt inspired to do so. Ron also addressed specific questions related to his project and findings. As of this writing, it was confirmed that Ron Pappalardo did well during his dissertation defense and will be receiving his doctoral degree this semester. Congratulations to Ron for his impressive work and diligence in supporting individuals of all walks of faith towards a real, authentic relationship with God. 

The Open Mic night event turned out to be an intimate and cozy gathering. It concluded with the singing of Christmas carols and well wishes offered from participants, including some children who joined in on the fun. HJI students, Shawna Lewis, Athanasius Catalan, and Melanie Chaudhary graced us with song, with a group poll, sharing and scavenger hunt featured intermittently between performances. Shawna Lewis is in her first year at HJI, and even though she was unable to join our event live, she composed a combination piece reflecting on her time at HJI and her growth journey this year. Since her piece was HJI- specific, we wanted to give everyone a chance to enjoy it by listening HERE. We hope to offer another Open Mic event to kick off the Spring semester, as well as host more of our student leaders as part of our Spotlight series. Be on the lookout for those events, as well as those hosted by the Graduate Student Council in the coming months.