Daynan Crull
“I went in expecting theological training, which I received, but I was surprised by the deep impact of my brothers and sisters.”
I love cities and objectively speaking, New York City is the greatest city in the world. I currently work as a data scientist and get to work with 3 things I love: data (bonus: mostly related to cities!), science, and people who love data and science. I was born in Los Angeles, raised in Colorado, and moved to the city after college. It felt like home right away and has remained that way since. NYC is an amazing laboratory of weirdness and innovation and creativity. While it frustrates me in the ways it frustrates everyone, I’m at home here.
I didn’t really know much about Redeemer’s Center for Faith & Work at the time I applied and even less about Gotham. I was referred to Gotham by a friend, who later went through it herself. My first impression was that it was an intriguing way to learn more applied theology. I was interested in deepening my understanding of theology in a “meaty” way not available outside seminary, while applying it to my career at a formative and transitional time for me.
When I applied to Gotham, I was unemployed and feeling like a failure coming from a recent career venture. It didn’t seem like I was the right audience for this program seeking “leaders” hitting their strides in their careers. More practically, I was hesitant to apply because of the time commitment. I needed to find a j-o-b first. Thankfully, I had people in my life — my parents, grandparents and friends — who saw through my perception of failure and recognized this as a great opportunity to strengthen my understanding of what I believe.
The amazing fellowship with my cohort is one of the things that stands out the most about my experience. I went in expecting theological training, which I received, but I was surprised by the deep impact of my brothers and sisters. Gotham also profoundly shaped how I see myself and my work. It strengthened my framework for dealing with success and failure and how God uses both to help us engage with our community. I also now find myself approaching my work with more humility and more hope.