Jenna Stoia
Idealist. Pacifist. Activist. 

As Jenna Stoia prepares to walk across the stage to receive her Bible and Religion degree this May, her future may be unsure, but her dream is clear. She is a young woman devoted to the ideals of social justice, and she has the heart to travel to any place where people are hungry for hope. She desires to see people of different faiths work with each other instead of war with each other. Her unique and steadfast spirit stems from her experiences with her church, family, and school—but most of all from her faith in a God who creates beauty in the midst of chaos.Her spiritual journey began with her family and church back in Urbana, Illinois, the place she lovingly calls home. She came from a relatively small non-denominational church with big thoughts about the idea of social justice. Her mother, Jean, also encouraged her to think of others when they would take trips to donate items to a local charity. When she came to AU, more opportunities opened up for her to explore what she had been taught by her church and parents. Originally a Christian Ministries major, she participated in AUCME as a student leader, preaching at churches and leading a worship team. She also visited New York and Washington D.C. as a part of an urban ministries class, where she got to see first hand the conditions of the inner city. “We have a lot of problems in the world,” Stoia said, “A heart for social justice isn’t going to solve all the problems in the world, but it’s definitely part of what Jesus called us to do… He hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors and saw a spark of beauty in them.” But something else was also brewing in Stoia that would push her to another level in her walk. She decided to switch to a Bible and Religion major and focus on the more academic side of her faith. Her heart had found its calling, but she missed the rigors of study that had also been a part of her faith in Urbana.

Her interest in understanding the Bible started at her church and with her parents. Both encouraged her to think for herself on theological issues. Her father, Ray, was an English teacher and taught her to think critically about the Bible text. She and her parents disagreed on different interpretations of Scripture, but they encouraged her to form her own opinions. This showed her that people could disagree but still get along—still love each other. Her openness to other ideas came in the form of culture shock when she started to attend AU. Her non-denominational background sometimes clashed with her new friends from denominational churches. Stoia sought to understand other peoples’ faith—especially ones which were very different from her own. “To me, being a good steward of my faith means getting to know other people’s faith,” she explained. Her religious studies professors were wise and helpful guides for her as she grew in her understanding of her own faith. They taught her to “embrace the fact that we always come to Biblical interpretation from our own perspective.” Embracing her limitations and reaching out to others opened a door to more spiritual growth.

Stoia’s interest in others’ faiths isn’t strictly academic. She has learned much from Eastern religions, particularly Buddhism. Her brother is a Buddhist and helped kindle interest in its teachings. She has found much in Buddhism to strengthen her belief in social justice. The Buddhist word “karuna” describes her passion for the downtrodden. It means: “you see suffering and are so moved by compassion that you must slay it.” Her hope is that social causes can be a “springboard” for understanding between the faiths. “Social justice is such an important issue that people of different religions should be able to work together,” she explained. Stoia is dedicated to this vision—to helping bridge divides between Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. On campus she has worked with the activist group Advocacy and Awareness to help educate people on the injustice in the world. She has also participated in interfaith dialogues on campus with Jewish and Muslim speakers who come to discuss faith with AU students.

Stoia hopes to make her vision become her life’s mission. Her plans for after graduation aren’t yet set in stone. She has applied to work with the Congressional Hunger Center, a non-profit, bipartisan organization that trains leaders in the fight against hunger.  With the CHC, she would be working in the inner city and writing social justice policy. In the future, she plans to go to Graduate school at Naropa University in Colorado, the only Buddhist University in the United States. Naropa intrigued her because it encourages the desire to further overall understanding through different perspectives on faith. Stoia’s dreams are big—they have to be to match her even bigger drive to make a practical difference in this world. “People are beautiful and deserve dignity,” she said. This statement reveals what drives her idealism, her pacifism, and her activism: a God who creates beauty with dignity, who teaches his people “karuna” to bring peace to a chaotic world.