Vanessa Campbell ’25
Major: Religious Studies: Religious Leadership track and Organizational Communication and Leadership
Fishers, Indiana

After graduation, senior Vanessa Campbell hopes to work in a faith-based nonprofit that supports youth experiencing homelessness and poverty. The Religious Leadership program at Butler has provided her with the perfect foundation, combining academic versatility, real-world experience, and a multifaith perspective that’s shaped both her professional and personal growth.

Campbell, who majored in the Religious Leadership subplan of Religious Studies before Religious Leadership would be offered as its own major, originally entered Butler as an Exploratory Studies student. But after taking First Year Seminar with Senior Religion Lecturer Brent Hege, she was drawn to the adaptable approach of Religious Leadership. She paired it with the Organizational Communication and Leadership Major.

“You’re really able to explore your own unique passions with Religious Leadership,” she said. “There’s so much flexibility and interdisciplinary opportunities to overlap with other humanities, like psychology, history, anthropology, music theory, and other ways to apply your interests.” 

The major is designed to tailor to students’ career goals and explore areas beyond religious studies alone. It offers focus areas in communications, nonprofit management, finance, social work, and more while also pairing easily with other majors, making it ideal for those—like Campbell—who want a broad yet deeply applicable education.

Butler is a multifaith university that is not religiously affiliated. Since the Religious Leadership program explores belief systems from around the world, Campbell was initially nervous about how her own beliefs might be tested. Reflecting on her time in the program, she says the program has stretched her in only the best ways, maturing her own faith while developing insight and appreciation for diverse perspectives. 

“I’ve grown so much in my knowledge about religion itself and the greater world,” Campbell said. “I’ve learned about history, culture, how our upbringings shape us… I’ve grown even stronger in my own identity, and that’s been something so empowering about this major.” 

Whether she’s interning with the campus ministry Young Life, the youth mentorship organization Big Brothers Big Sisters, or engaging in hands-on coursework, Campbell says her time at Butler has equipped her with experiences that directly align with her calling. 

She’s explored the intersection of her Christian faith and environmental justice through her Ecotheology class, working with the Farm at Butler. She’s spent a semester visiting local mosques and interviewing Muslim leaders. And she’s even designed and pitched her own nonprofit as a class project—complete with grant writing practice. 

These opportunities, paired with Butler’s Religious Leadership program, have provided just the versatility she needs to build her strengths and step into her calling with confidence. 

“I’ve had a great experience at Butler, so I’m both sad and excited to graduate,” Campbell said. “But I’m glad that I’m sad to leave. Because I’ve enjoyed this community so much.”