Andrew Hartzler ’98

Professor of Accounting

“For me, my faith is an inseparable part of who I am. Faith is not about a set of tenets, a rigid set of rules, it is intricately connected to the design of who we are as human beings. The goodness of God is woven into the fabric of who we are. In the course of our lives that fabric gets torn and dirtied at times, but the imprint of God is there, always waiting to be revealed.

The essence of who God is to me is embodied in the kindness, compassion, joy and love we find in our human experience. When I enter the classroom, I am keenly aware of the fact that I am in the presence of other human beings who are simultaneously broken and beautiful. Each day I look for ways to share a transparent, raw, and authentic kindness, compassion and joy with these young people with whom I’ve crossed paths. As badly as I want each moment in the classroom to be joy filled, I recognize that we all go through dark times and struggle. It is when I see that darkness (stress, issues with family/friends, etc.) welling up in my students or in myself I name the light that faith is for me in those moments. I encourage them to pursue the light that the darkness can never extinguish.”