E93: But What ACTUALLY Happened?: Five Months Post-Graduation with Nolan Groninger

What ever happened to Nolan?

Back in May, we met Nolan Groninger, a Purdue University alumnus who was about to step into life after graduation. He had several questions and extremely high hopes for this new season. But what actually happened? Today we find out! Nolan rejoins the podcast for an update on reality versus expectations and how he's met God in extremely unexpected ways.

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Creators & Guests

Host

Jon Steele

Jon Steele, a 2011 InterVarsity alumnus from Minnesota State Mankato, lives in Mankato, MN with his wife Kaitlynn and their two daughters. He’s been on staff with InterVarsity since 2012 and has been hosting After IV since its debut in 2020. He is also the producer and primary editor for the podcast. Jon enjoys gaming, reading, and leading worship at his church.

Guest

Nolan Groninger

Nolan Groninger is a Greek InterVarsity alumnus from Purdue University.

What is After IV?

Hey, InterVarsity alumni! This is After IV, your podcast for navigating life after graduation. This is both an exciting and potentially tricky transition you’re making and you might feel a little unsure about the coming weeks and months. We’re here to provide you with expert advice, practical skills, and plenty of encouragement as you learn how to keep saying "Yes!" to Jesus in your new context. This is After IV, and this podcast is for you, alumni.

After IV
E93: But What ACTUALLY Happened?: Five Months Post-Graduation with Nolan Groninger
 
Podcast Intro – (Upbeat acoustic guitar music)

Jon Steele  0:09  
Hey everyone. I'm Jon Steele. And this is After IV: a podcast for InterVarsity alumni. Life after college is hard. And even a great experience with your InterVarsity chapter doesn't shield you from the challenges of transition. As we hear stories from real alumni learning how to make it in their post-InterVarsity reality, my hope is that this podcast will offer some encouragement, a few laughs and even some hope for the future. This is After IV, and these are your stories.

Welcome

And we're back back back again from our break with a new batch of episodes for you. And we've got a lot of great stuff coming your way over the next couple of months here. We've got some alumni stories, we've got some more helpful tools, we're going to do a little celebrating. And we also have some exciting news to share. Now I'm not going to let you know what that is quite yet. So stay tuned. I promise it's going to be pretty cool more on each of those things coming in later episodes. But for today, we're gonna be hearing from a familiar voice someone that you may remember his name is Nolan, a Purdue University alumnus involved in Greek InterVarsity. He started following Jesus in college he got connected to Greek InterVarsity. After returning to campus from COVID lockdowns and he launched a Bible study In his fraternity house back in May, I got to chat with Nolan as he was just about to cross the threshold into life. After graduation, we talked about expectations. We talked about job possibilities. And we also touched on the ways that he wanted to keep connecting with Jesus and community after graduation. If you've listened to this podcast at all, you know that there's an interesting juxtaposition between expectations and reality. Nolan was stepping into a time full of expectation, but not knowing what reality was going to bring. Well, today, we get to follow up. It's been five months since we heard from Nolan and I'm really excited for him to share with you what his post graduation experiences have actually been like, there are some fantastic and encouraging stories coming your way. I'll let the cat out of the bag that much. So here's Nolan, this one's for you alumni. 

Musical Interlude

Interview

Jon Steele
Nolan, welcome back to the podcast.

Nolan Groninger  2:26  
Hey, Jon, it's good to be back on. Thanks for having me. When we started the first session that was back in March, I think a lot has happened. So I'm excited to talk about and get into it.

Jon Steele  2:37  
Sweet. I'm really looking forward to that too. Nolan, people have a whole other episode of yours that they can tune into to get to know you a little bit more. But just really quickly, can you give us a give us a brief introduction, as we jump in here.

Nolan Groninger  2:52  
My name is Nolan Groninger, I was born and raised in Warsaw, Indiana, and attended Purdue University, where I was part of Greek InterVarsity. And as a member of beta, theta pi. So most of my outreach was in fraternities and sororities, really found my faith at Purdue and really got plugged into a Christian community. And since then, I've moved to Indianapolis, and I've tried to find churches get plugged into here. And that's kind of where I think this podcast is gonna go on about that transition. So yes,

Jon Steele  3:23  
nice. Well, hey, as you said, the last time you and I connected was March, April. So it was right at the tail end of your senior year, you were getting ready to graduate. We were talking about what could happen next. So tell me how has the reality of life after graduation compared to the expectations that you had going into it?

Nolan Groninger  3:44  
Yeah, I was expecting more responsibility. I was expecting to have a tougher season. And I feel like that has lived up to the expectation. Okay. All right. The biggest shift that I've had in this past season is that I moved to Indianapolis, and I'm a small town boy. And the big city is kind of intimidating. Yeah. So I'm not really used to the fast pace and all the potholes and the parking garages. And I mean, there's just a lot to get used to. So I ended up coming to Indianapolis to pursue a master's program and work for a research lab through the IU School of Medicine. Okay. And that was really cool to see how God worked through that and gave me peace about it and kind of highlighted where he wanted me to be. I guess a little bit of background. I had received a job offer from a company in Warsaw. And I knew I was expecting to hear from the master's program. So I sent him an email that day and within 20 minutes, they responded, congratulations. Welcome to the program. Wow. We want you to come to IU. And so I was praying about it. And the year prior, I was scrolling through LinkedIn and I saw this article through high school of medicine that was highlighting a physician who is on the Indianapolis Business Journal top 40 under 40 People Okay, his name is Ken Lim. I was reading through it and he talks about his testimony. He talks about his his journey with God, who lived in England, and went to Cambridge. And then he came to Harvard. And he was working at Harvard as a professor, and then got recruited to IU in about 2019. So I was like, Well, this is really cool story. He's this great physician. He's a great businessman, and he loves the Lord. Oh, a week later, one of my pastors in Indianapolis came up to Purdue, it was like, hey, Nolan, I want you to meet this guy. He led worship at my church this past week. And it was what I drove to Indy, like three days later to meet him, and introduce myself. And I said, Ken, what's, what's it take to join you in your research lab? And he said, you just have to love Jesus. Okay, and I was like, Yeah, but I don't have any research experience. I don't have any biology experience. I'm an engineer. And he goes, that's okay. We'll make it work. You just have to love Jesus. So I've had that relationship kindled, since my junior year of college, and I called him as soon as I got accepted to the master's program. I said, Great. Welcome to the IU. Let's get you on. Let's get you a job. Let's get you plugged in and want you to come work for me. So that I felt like was just a really cool confirmation from the Lord, like, Hey, I've had this plan strategized for you, before you even knew it was going to be like a decision seriously, I really felt like I had confirmation that that was a path that I could go down.

Jon Steele  6:33  
Wow, that's amazing. You end up saying like, Alright, I'm moving to Indy. I'm joining this program, joining this research lab getting a job working with this person that I've really admired for the last year. I mean, it's one of those situations that you look at that and it feels like man, Nolan, everything just kind of fell into place for you. Has it continued to feel that way of like, things are just vibing for me here? Or has it been like, oh, no, this is there's plenty of challenges that comes along with this new season as well.

Nolan Groninger  7:02  
Yeah, of course, there's plenty of challenges. And I think that was part of the expectation, like moving into a new city and moving into a new job that I'm really not qualified for. So I guess that's been the toughest part, can that brought me into to write research papers for the lab, and I'm in the clinical research side. So we're looking at how exercise testing benefits, kidney patients who are on dialysis. And so these patients are really sick, they don't have great life expectancies, once they go on dialysis. And so we're thinking maybe exercise testing is a way to kind of help diagnose these issues. And I don't have any understanding of the physiology, I didn't even know what dialysis was. And here I am trying to write like research papers about it. So that was a huge challenge for me was trying to walk into something that I didn't know how to do. And I spent a lot of time in the evenings just reading and reading and reading and reading more papers. So that I had somewhat of an understanding on how to perform my job. So that was the biggest challenge for me, it was I felt like, I just had to hide away for about two months, over the summer, just trying to understand my responsibility and my job so that I was functional. And that's, that's been the biggest area of growth, and really had to rely on the Lord to bless my understanding and to give me understanding so that I could write and speak intelligently, I guess,

Jon Steele  8:26  
yeah, that's interesting. So in this in this place, that feels like I am leading you into something that you are not qualified for. But this is where I'm bringing you. And then it's been this partnership of you putting in the hard work and relying on the Lord and I'm sure relying on like the the help and the grace of this person that has like invited you to be a part of their lab to do this work for it's been sort of this communal effort together of like, I'm going to bust my butt, I'm gonna work super hard to understand stuff that I have known nothing about in the past. And Lord, I'm relying on you to help me be able to really pull that together. And and thanks for providing somebody that's willing to walk through that with me on a day to day basis.

Nolan Groninger  9:09  
Yeah. And I think a lot of times we can get in the mindset, like, Lord, just lay out the red carpet, show me where you want me to go. But I feel like a lot of times when he doesn't do that, he just wants us to knock so that the door can be opened or he wants us to ask so that we can receive our wants to seek it out. And so I've tried to take that approach that if the Lord is not giving me a straightforward answer, then I need to just put in work and effort and energy, do my part so that he can open up opportunities. And so I have felt like as, as I'm putting in hard work and dedicating my time to what he has given me. I feel like he's blessed and unable to see how he's, he's actually moving when it doesn't seem clear at first.

Jon Steele  9:54  
Yeah, so often in life, it feels like there's this really interesting balance between working and waiting And so often they happen at the same time, and it seems like they shouldn't be able to, but that there is a certain amount of like, okay, this is the work that God has given me to do. I really don't understand how I'm supposed to accomplish it. But I know that there are ways for me to keep learning about it, and sharpening my skills and my abilities. Like I know I have these resources at my hand. So I'm going to do that. While I wait for God to continue clarifying why in the world. He brought me here and what it is that he's like, how he's going to help me accomplish this task that he's given me to do.

Nolan Groninger  10:31  
Yeah, yeah. I also had a cool story. When I was at Urbana, I was in the intercession room at Urbana, praying. And it was like a three hour prayer set. And when I got out, there was a guy that was leading the worship on keys, and he came up to me, and he was like, hey, Nolan. I've never met you before. But I was wondering if medical field is somewhere in your career path. And if you have anything that is, like an opportunity to go into medicine, because I just really feel like there's a call on your life to do something in medicine. And I was like, What's your name? Who are you know that. And so that was like, January. And so he, he's part of an organization called for 20, here in Indianapolis. And it's based on the verse first Corinthians 420, not to get it confused with anything else. So he was guy that trusted and knew he was a man of God. And, and so I was like, okay, like, the Lord has brought this promise to me that he's opening up the door for health care. And I need to stay true in that. And so there's a lot of days when I was thinking, Okay, I'm not qualified to be in this job. I'm not deserving to be in this job. I don't even know what I'm doing here, I have a lot of other easier paths, I kind of had to just hold on to the promises that God has given me throughout my life. And in this season, specifically, and I think that's kind of what has carried me through some of the challenging times is knowing that the Lord will deliver me out of it. So it's been really fun just to learn how, I guess not fun, but it's been a growth period, learn how to depend on the Lord each and every day.

Jon Steele  12:11  
That's, that's really cool. I love that it makes me think, you know, you have this like a gift from God of like, Hey, this is where I'm bringing you I'm affirming this, this is true, that you have and, and that even though you've been brought into places where it's it's led you to question your abilities to question your calling the question like, What is it? What did I actually hear right from the Lord, that true things stay true, even when it gets hard, and we can't always see like how this is supposed to happen, like the truth that God speaks into our life stays true, even when we're not not so sure about it. And I mean, that's just that's an amazing story of before even accepting this position that somebody comes is like, Hey, I know you don't know me, but like this is this is this is a word that I have for you,

Nolan Groninger  12:54  
that make for a good story. So it's fun to talk about share about, yeah, the interweaving of what has happened over the last few years.

Jon Steele  13:02  
So we're getting some insights and what it's been like to make decisions about your vocational path where God's leading you there. One of the things that we talked about in the spring was that you said that finding Christian community was going to be huge, because that was super important for you in college, that finding Greek InterVarsity that was transformational, and that you were like, I know that this is something that I need to keep pursuing in my new context. So what what has that process been like for you?

Nolan Groninger  13:29  
I was blessed to have pretty strong community here when I moved, connected with a pastor through Greek IV conference in Indianapolis. And so I already had a church that is plugged into nice, is named Adam talent. And he's a great guy and has really blessed me and poured into me. And I think it was in May, I found out that this for 20 Ministries, which had a presence on IUPUI campus was partnering with Adams church to host their Thursday night worship sets there. And so they're basically a group of 20 to 30 year olds that meet in and do worship and share scripture and just pray for each other on Thursday nights. And a lot of my friends from Purdue, there's probably five to 10 of us that moved to Indianapolis. Wow. We all started going to afford 20 gatherings on Thursday and went to this church on Sunday. So really had a strong community already in place. That again, the Lord had strategized and put before me, because he knew I was going to need to rely on that support. So definitely been blessed with that move in here to Indy.

Jon Steele  14:37  
I didn't even put that together in my mind that read conference has been happening in Indianapolis like forever and so that that would have been a place that you that you would have been getting connected to people once again before you're even there that God's like laying out the these opportunities in these connections for you and to have a gift that I would say is probably pretty uncommon to have a whole bunch of people that you were already in community with move to the same town afterwards and be like, we've got a jumpstart on, on community here. Like we're figuring this out together. And, wow, that that's an amazing gift. That's super encouraging. I'm thinking that a lot of people don't get to have that experience when they move into graduation. But it's nice to know that there is actually that possibility like that that does happen. And, and and whether whether or not it's with people that you know, that the the possibility of building connections and growing and community like you're a part of this church, there's other people there that you can meet and get connected to. There's this, this other this for 20 ministry on Thursdays that you're connecting with and, you know, worshiping together and digging into Scripture together and encouraging one another like that those things do exist, that even if you hadn't moved with 10 of your closest friends after graduation, that those ministries would have been there to receive you and to be able to get connected to and that it's a matter of kind of living with eyes open and saying yes to opportunities to connect to Christian community. So Nolan, you had said before that you wanted to pursue Christian community that was a high value, but that you also wanted to pursue silence and solitude with the Lord, that those were like the two big things. I wonder how is that gone for it? Whether or not it's gone? Well, no shame if it has been a challenge. But like, what has that process been like for you to dig into those in particular? Or maybe you found that there are other spiritual rhythms that the Lord has invited you into? But what is it been like developing new spiritual rhythms in this season of life?

Nolan Groninger  16:31  
Yeah. So I found myself just killing it in the solitude because I was I was going to work and then it's coming home. And I was like, Don't talk to me. Don't interact with me. I gotta read. I gotta learn. I gotta learn about the kidney. I mean, maybe I overpaid for that. The Lord. Yeah. But I think I've seen him moving in that space, especially when I am at work. And I'm like, Okay, well, I don't really know how to talk about this. Like, what what would you say? Like, how would you write this sentence? How would you write this paragraph? Like, how would you how did you create the body to work the way it's working? And how did you? How did you like create? How am I learning more about your creation? That Yeah. And so I think in a sense that silence and solitude has made an impact in my work day. And then I've recognized that, as I'm isolating myself outside of work, becoming too internal, and so I do need to get plugged into the community and find mentors to pour into me, find other people that I can pour into. So I still like my moments of silence and solitude, just with the Lord in the morning. I like to get up early and, and read Scripture and write down my thoughts in worship, to listen to worship music. So it's been been a good balance to learn how to give time to the Lord. And when I don't have a lot of time to just sit and pray for an hour or two hours, then I can trust that given him my time throughout the day, is a form of worship as well.

Jon Steele  18:03  
Absolutely. I love that Nolan, what I'm hearing is that you're recognizing the integration of your faith and the everyday parts of your life, that you aren't just growing and being shaped with the Lord in those times of quiet with him and reading scripture and praying and worshiping like, yes, that is happening there. Those are great, don't stop, nobody hear that. But that so much of so many of our waking hours are spent at work and interacting with our co workers or engaging with the material that that God has, like, brought us into the space to engage with, and that that the way that we do that the way that we think about it like that is also shaping and transforming us, that those those can be spiritual disciplines as well of, you know, everything that you do, do it as unto the Lord, you are asking the ultimate expert on the body, the One who created it, and knows it, so intimately have just like helped me understand this. And that in growing in your understanding of the human body, you are growing and your understanding of who God is, and the the things that he has created. And like I think that that's really cool that it seems to me that maybe even your understanding of like, what how do I engage with the Lord? What does it look like to have the spiritual disciplines that that's developing and being shaped of like, I'm doing my job every day and I'm meeting God as a result of doing my job.

Nolan Groninger  19:27  
Yeah, my my boss gave me a verse still today, I think it's cautions. 323 that says, do not work to serve man, but let's to serve God, and been like, understanding this dynamic that the like, The Lord wants us to do great things, and he wants us to achieve great things. And as we, as we do great things in this world, we gain credibility and we gain a voice and people are like, Well, how did you write a paper that well? How did you know to say this? How did you accomplish this? And we had to then as Christians, give the glory to God say Well, it's just because the Lord has blessed me. And it's just because the Lord is good. And he wanted this to happen. I guess I, when I first became a Christian, I thought I had to be a pastor, I had to go into ministry, just because there was no other choice. Like, if I wanted to be a Christian, then I had to be sharing the gospel with my friends and people every single day. And it was foolish to try and work for money or work in industry, because I wasn't given all my time and energy to God. But the season has really changed that dynamic. And I think we're in times now where it's hard to have a voice as a pastor in the secular world. But the people who are accomplishing great things in their industry have a voice and they have credibility, and they can talk about how the Lord has worked through them to do these things. And so it's been fun to just be like, say, an art Lord, let's, let's go do something today and let you have the glory. Like, I don't want anything, I just want to give you the quote,

Jon Steele  20:57  
it kind of it kind of makes me think of, you know, like the the resources that God gives us, like when we get when we get that paycheck for the work that we've done. Like God is entrusting his resources to us and saying, like, I'm giving this to you, because I trust you to do my work with it, you are going to honor me with this resource. And that's why I'm why I'm entrusting it to you. And that it makes me think that that's exactly the same thing that's happening in your work of like, other people could have written this paper. Other people could have made this this discovery. But Nolan, you're going to write this paper, because the glory that you could keep for yourself, you're gonna give it to me where it belongs. And so I'm entrusting this paper this discovery this, whatever it might be to you, because because I trust you to give glory where glory is due. And that's to me and not to yourself. Yeah, thanks for

Nolan Groninger  21:49  
summarizing my thoughts. You do, you're saying everything I'm trying to say. So it's fun to have this dialogue.

Jon Steele  21:59  
That's great. I'm glad that I'm hearing you correctly, and not just making stuff up. stuff up for myself. Man, that's super cool. I this is, this is such an encouraging story, to get to hear, Nolan. And now Now that you have, you know, a few months of new experiences under your belt, as you think about other other alumni like you who are living in their first year of life after graduation, what advice would you give to somebody else that's, that's in the same space that you're in right now.

Nolan Groninger  22:33  
I think the biggest thing is to just stop worrying. And I feel like that's hard to just just to say, and then to do, like, there's a lot that goes into that. But removing that sense of anxiety, removing that worry in life, because we're depending on the Lord is such a cool piece. And there's so much freedom in that. And I say that just because there's so many conversations I've had in the last year with some of my friends graduating, who were worried about the name of the company they're working for, they're worried about the price figure on their salary, or they're worried about the benefits package, and they're worried about the city they're gonna live in. And this is like a stress for a lot of people. But I, I feel like the answer to all that is just spending more time in the secret place with the Lord and knowing him more. And, you know, seeking Him above all things. And as we do that, we're like, it doesn't matter what tomorrow looks like, it doesn't matter what the next day look like. It doesn't matter if I retire by the time of 55. But I feel like people got caught up in thinking that this decision was going to dictate the next 4050 years of work. And in reality, it's just like the next few months or maybe a year or two. So there's not as much pressure on this decision as people make it seem. And I think the key to having a sound mind and the time is spending more time with the Lord, and just seeking his face and seeking His presence and trying to be obedient to what he is trying to share and tell you for that season.

Jon Steele  24:12  
I love that because as you spend that time you realize it's not it's not this decision that is dictating the next fill in the blank at time in your life. It is it's the Lord who's leading you into the space. And if I'm seeking his face, if I'm seeking His will for my life, then even if the next season is a really hard season, even if it is something that feels like oh, this just is not a good fit for my life. But I trust that like God is with me while I'm here, you know, in success and failure and whatever it might be, and that for the decades to come. And the moment just the moments to come that when God holds me tightly in his hand that he's good, he loves me and that he's gonna walk with me through all of the stuff

Nolan Groninger  24:58  
God is so good. It's so good. It is fun to see his goodness, it’s fun to try and step back and be like, Okay look like what are you doing today? What are you doing this season? And there's always reasons to be thankful. The Lord really is good. 

Jon Steele  25:11  
Absolutely. Absolutely. The Lord is good. That's a that's a great word for us to end on right there, Nolan, the Lord is good. Man. Little Nolan, thank you so much for for again, giving more of your time sharing your story. And I mean, just encouraging us this has been really encouraging for me to get to listen to, and and to just be reminded, like, Man, I want to have this attitude. I want to be more like Nolan when I grow up. So I appreciate that gift that you've given to me and to others who listen to this. And man, Nolan blessings as you continue to make your way through. And these things, these things that you're telling us right now, keep telling yourself those things, because at some point in the near future, you're going to hit a bump in the road. That's like, what, okay, I don't, this is a new thing. I don't know what to do with this hardship that I'm experiencing right now. And I want you to remember these words that you told all of us and tell yourself them in that season, and to be like, God has got me he's in control. He is leading me in my life here, even though I don't understand what's happening. So please continue to take your own super wise advice as you continue on in this in this season of life.

Nolan Groninger  26:25  
I appreciate those words. And I appreciate you giving me the chance to share and just talk about what the Lord has been doing. Because it's, it's a fun ride. And it's so much fun to bring people into it and see how other people are blessed as well. So yeah, thank you, Jon.

Musical Interlude

Wrap up

Jon Steele  26:42  
I mean, yeah, what else is there to say, but God is good, Nolan nailed it. And even though there's just no getting around the fact that life after graduation is a challenge, we can still anticipate seeing God's goodness and faithfulness at work in that season. Your story might not play out exactly like Nolan's but let his story remind you to be on the lookout for the ways that God is moving and providing and equipping you to do the work that he's given you, even if it's not the work that you expected, or feel prepared to do. Be on the lookout for the people that he's bringing into your life to walk through this time with you. Even if it's not the people that you asked for, or expected to find lean into the ways that God is providing and trust that it's enough and that it's the right thing at the right time. Nolan, thank you so much for coming back and sharing this follow up story. We're so excited for you and so encouraged to hear what God's doing and how he's using you to accomplish some pretty cool stuff and these early days of life after graduation. Hey, be sure to come back next week, especially if you heard Nolan's story and just could not identify because next week we're talking with Corinne, an alumna who made a major move after graduation and did not feel like everything was lined up for her. She struggled to find a church. She didn't bring friends with her, and it took months to feel like she was making any progress at all. If life after graduation has been a bit of a challenge, I think you'll feel seen and encouraged by Corinne and her post graduation experience thus far. So make sure you subscribe and turn on notifications so that you don't miss it. Thanks for joining us and I will see you in the after alumni.

Podcast Outro – (Upbeat acoustic guitar music)

Hey, thanks so much for joining us today, Alumni. If there was anything that you learned, really enjoyed, or that encouraged you from today's episode, would you send us a DM or tag us in a story? We'd love to hear about it. You can find us @afterivpod on Instagram and Facebook. And if you haven't already, take just a second to unlock your phone and subscribe to the podcast. If your platform lets you, leave us a rating and a review. And if you like what we're doing here, share us with your InterVarsity or other post-graduation friends. Thanks again for listening. And I will see you in the after, Alumni.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai