Alumni Spotlight

STEFAN BALCIUNAS

Why did you choose to become a Memphis Fellow? How did you hear about the Fellows?
Through a conversation I had with Rick Kuhlman (Director of the Knoxville Fellows Program), I was encouraged to strongly consider the Fellows Program and Memphis was one of the programs he recommended. I’d like to say that I chose Memphis, but really it was the Lord who changed my course and used several people to direct, lead, and affirm me in my decision to pursue the Memphis Fellows. A few things that specifically lead me to choose Memphis: the program was well established with phenomenal leadership; the program partnered with a Bible believing, Bible teaching church and I knew truth was going to be proclaimed and taught; Memphis has a strong medical community and there was a high potential that I could find work in the medical field; Memphis had a physical therapy program through UTHSC if I was to stay in Memphis; the program partnered with the Christian Psychological Counseling Center; Memphis was a very diverse city with a large number of refugees.

Did you have any preconceived notions about the program that were different in reality?
Before starting the Fellows program, one thing I was hesitant about was my age. It took me five years to complete my undergraduate degree and I was already old for my grade. I then worked one year after college prior to starting the Fellows so I was worried that I wouldn’t fit in with the other participants who might be coming straight from college, but that was not the case at all.

What was the most rewarding part of being a Memphis Fellow?
One of the unique things about becoming a Memphis Fellow is that they do a good job of welcoming you into the city. Very early on we took a tour throughout the whole city simply getting introduced. We learned about the history and talked about the broken and hard things that have marked this city. We researched neighborhoods and learned more about the people who live in them. We did not just talk about them though. We interacted with people in this city and had opportunities to connect and engage with people who are often talked about as statistics. These are real people with real stories. While there are a lot of hard and broken things in Memphis, God is moving in this city and it was incredible to see and be a part of something so much bigger than myself.

How would you summarize your Fellows experience in one sentence?
My Fellows experience was a year of: phenomenal growth and personal healing; time and space to process more of my story; experiencing the depths of God’s love for me possibly more than ever before; being welcomed in by strangers who became family; tremendous (and also really hard) experiences. It was a year that will forever be a part of my story. 

How did working in your work placement during Fellows jumpstart or prepare you for your career afterwards?
During my time in the Fellows Program, I worked at an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinic which has proven to be so beneficial. It afforded me opportunities to learn under the expertise of amazing clinicians and gain a wealth of experience and knowledge along the way. It was also affirming in my decision to continue to pursue physical therapy as a career. Currently, I am in my second year working towards my doctorate in physical therapy and I do not think I could have had a better work placement.

What was your favorite weekly activity?
One of my favorite weekly activities was round table. Each week looked different, but it was always a safe space surrounded by the other fellows. Some days involved cooking and serving, while others involved being served; some involved talking about the Lord and what he is doing in our lives, while others involved hanging out making s’mores or playing charades (my personal fav). No matter what the evening held, it was always a special time together.

What advice would you give to prospective students interested in applying?
Do it. Hands down one of the best things I have ever done. Why not spend a year investing in yourself alongside a Christian community, connected to the local Church that will help apply the Gospel to your life as well as help you reorient your view of work?
To quote an article I once read, “Your 20-something version of yourself has a surprising resemblance to your teen self, doesn’t it? That will be true of your 30-something self too. The older you get the more you will realize that wherever you go in life, there you are. Time doesn’t automatically correct your character. If you want to grow, you are going to have to be intentional about it. What you struggle with now, unchecked and unresolved, will be the same thing you struggle with in your next decade of life.”

In retrospect, what are you most thankful for from your time as a Fellow?
I am thankful for the time and space it created in my life to pause, process, heal, and dream; for the ways in which it created a safe space for me to be known in community and grow alongside other believers; for the courses we took that challenged me to think deeply about different topics; for the guest speakers who shared openly, encouraged, equipped, or challenged me in the way I live my life; for the bible courses which pushed me to know and treasure God’s Word; for my host family who took me in as their own; for my fellow Fellows who walked with me through all of it; for the many people in Memphis who impacted my life beyond words – some of whom will be lifelong friends and mentors. My time in Memphis was very transformative in shaping who I am today and I am incredibly thankful for my time there.