In 2022 the Miller Summer Youth Institute welcomed six college interns into the SYI family. Representing five different colleges and universities across three different states, the interns were joined by SYI staff for a five-week, virtual internship experience that created space for all to explore two essential questions: “Who is God calling me to be?” and “What is God calling me to do?”
Welcoming a New Director
New SYI Director Dr. Tanner Capps helped lead a bi-weekly seminar course on Douglas Ottati’s newest book, Living Belief. Meanwhile, three SYI alums and current seminarians—Simeon Rogers, Steff Johnson, and Kiah Cheatum—helped facilitate small group conversation and community. Doing so over Zoom is certainly not easy. But as one intern, Jayneil Latham, shared, the small group time was “a great experience to be able to talk about God and life in a safe space with fellow believers.”
Research Projects Facilitated Learning
Each student also completed a personal research project on a topic of their choice. One student’s project investigated how their hometown houses of worship utilize their physical land space in relation to the community. Another explored how knowledge of everyday biblical items such as oil lamps and woven textiles increases one’s understanding of Scripture. Bobbi Haynes took on practices of “waiting well on God”, including creating a rule of life for the duration of the internship and journaling each day on her experience. She shared: “SYI gave me the space and encouragement to explore this topic through firsthand experience . . . I have experienced immense spiritual growth through this internship.”
The cohort met one final time for each intern to present their projects and offer reflections on their experience in the program. It was a fitting celebration to acknowledge the time and energy everyone poured into making this summer of SYI possible!
The Rev. 
Chris Taylor ’19 is an admissions counselor and the SYI program director at PTS.