By After a decade in student government, leading her peers through middle school, high school, and college, Marrin Chapman is stepping down as ASCC President at the close of her senior year at Carroll College.
Chapman’s Carroll experience has been filled with poise, generosity, and a true heart of service. Patrick Harris , Chapman’s ASCC Advisor for the past four years, shared that Chapman’s time at Carroll has been a great gift.
“Marrin serves her fellow students with integrity and care,” Harris stated. “Her focus is always on doing the right thing with the goal of making Carroll a better place. She is one of the hardest workers I have ever met, and she puts her heart and soul into helping others.”
Chapman was born and raised in Montana City, and the Chapman family is an active part of the Helena community. Her parents both served in the Air Force, and now work to serve the local community and the state of Montana. This same work ethic and dedication are apparent in Marrin Chapman. She is driven and has a sincere attentiveness to the communities that she is a part of.
Catherine Mack, a senior Nursing student from Coeur D’alene, Idaho, shared that Chapman is an integral proponent of advocacy for campus.
“Marrin is one of the most involved students at Carroll College,” Mack stated. “She handles her many roles with incredible grace, and she truly cares about the well-being of her peers and the success of the college as an institution. She is an amazing advocate and leader.”
Chapman is double majoring in Biology and Catholic Studies. These disciplines came to a beautiful fruition and culmination in her senior thesis. This thesis is titled: Life Begins at Conception – Applying the Contemporary Understanding of Embryology to Basic Biophysics.
Researching and writing this paper were a labor of love for Chapman. To some, biology and Catholic studies may be an odd pairing. However, Chapman shared that studying the truth of the natural world can aid in understanding principles of the supernatural.
“There can’t be two truths,” Chapman stated. “It’s the principle of noncontradiction – two truths must elevate each other.”
When asked what some of her greatest accomplishments were in the last four years, Chapman shared two things. First, she had the opportunity to go to NASA’s Johnson Space Center to present research on zero-gravity and osteoarthritis with her internship colleagues. Secondly, Chapman shared she was very proud when she became ASCC President and got to advocate for the needs of students.
In the last 22 years of her life Chapman has accomplished a lot. Nonetheless, Chapman’s summary of her life thus far and definition of success are very simple. “ I made my own plans, but decided God’s were better,” Chapman shared. “I live life by candlelight and not a spotlight.”
“And success to me is to live in accordance with the Truth. I’ll know I’ve attained this when I have continual joy and gratitude in my heart regardless of the circumstance,” Chapman added.
After college, Chapman plans to work as an EMT in preparation for her Physician’s Assistant (PA) application. Currently, Chapman’s main goals are to get her Doctorate in PA, so that she can ultimately be a teacher.
“I just love learning so much,” Chapman shared. “There’s just something about it. I get a lot of joy from it.”
Coming to college is often an adjustment, and Chapman was no exception when she first began at Carroll. Higher education requires leaving your comfort zone, and in this setting Chapman also began to learn more about herself. Amidst the challenges, there was one piece of advice that helped form her experience and confidence.
“Being a people pleaser is selfish and it’s actually selfless to be who you are,” Chapman stated. “I think that I tend to over commit myself and when I heard this advice it really struck a chord with me.”
Chapman applied to get her Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) licensure from Aerie Backcountry Medicine in Missoula. This program will provide Chapman with both the basic and wilderness EMT certifications. Chapman also loves to ski, and the wilderness EMT credentials will allow her to work on ski patrol in the winter months.
“I like the idea of helping people in unexpected moments, ” Chapman said. “I have a strong calm amidst chaos.”
Post graduation, Chapman also has goals that are non academic or career related. In her time at Carroll, Chapman was able to go on Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi, Italy. This trip gave her a new perspective and dream for the years following college.
“I really want to travel and learn a new language,” said Chapman. “I am very interested in doing a cultural immersion program.”
When asked for a reflection on her time at Carroll, Chapman shared a heartwarming message about her time in the community.
“There’s something about Carroll and Helena that is so special,” Chapman stated. “Just take the peace of the All Saints Chapel…there’s just something so beautiful about the way that everyone here has totally different perspectives, but at the same time we are all able to participate in conversation. Carroll draws very compassionate people.”
“I don’t think that open conversation would be possible without our Faith,” Chapman added. “That is the most important thing at Carroll. I think genuinely the reason we (Carroll College) are the way we are, is because of our Catholic identity. That’s something I hope I continue to see, especially as an alumni.”
As her chapter at Carroll ends, Chapman is full of hope for the future. Leaving will be difficult, but the community will not dissipate upon graduation. In fact, through grace and people like Chapman, more students will see the merit of our college institution. It is for these students, who will continue the Saint’s legacy, that Chapman has final advice.
“Make memories,” Chapman said. “Yes, strive for excellence in grades and whatever else you commit yourself to, but don’t let the need for perfection or the fear of failure prevent you from doing things you wouldn’t do otherwise.”
“Put yourself out there. Invest in all of your relationships. Live the life that you would look back on and be proud to have lived.”
