Making the Connection After College

Betsy Coyle’s Navigator story is a fairly common one. She met The Navigators as a college student. She joined a Bible study, developed deep friendships, and was discipled by one of the women on staff. “Those four years at Penn State were a huge part of my growth and my walk with the Lord,” she says.

But what about life after college? What if she didn’t find people willing to invest in her as she moved into the business world? Many people who relished their Navigator community in college have a hard time finding the same kind of support and accountability in their post-college years.

“My senior year, we had a group from Nav20s come talk to us about life after college,” she says. “One of the biggest pieces of advice they gave us was not to move to a big city by yourself. I was sitting there chuckling to myself because I had already accepted a job I was really excited about in Miami.”

Betsy knew what these people were saying was true, that she couldn’t thrive on her own. “I knew if I could find some Navigators in the area I’d be able to connect with them.”

“Connect” was just what she did. Before she moved to Miami, Betsy went to a Navigator website called NavConnect. There she discovered two Navigator staff couples in Miami—Cesar and Edie Vega, and Armando and Liset Diaz. She emailed them before she moved, and they immediately wrote her back.

“When I got to Miami I was able to connect with them and I felt so welcomed, so loved,” Betsy says. “Liset cooked for me, made me coffee, she made me feel right at home. I felt safe and loved. I knew this was an environment where I could do ministry and be fruitful.”

Betsy’s story is repeated across the country as people of all ages locate others in their area who share the Navigator passion to make disciples and live in caring communities. The NavConnect website, recently revised and updated, not only helps people find other local Navigators, it also lists events and offers resources.

One of the new features on the site is a list of area churches with a Navigator presence. This helps people get plugged in to a church, become involved in ministry, and find supportive community.

Betsy knows just how important those friendships can be. “Being able to connect with those staff couples as soon as I got to Miami was crucial,” she says. “Normally coming into a big city would be rather frightening and nerve wracking but I came in feeling very welcomed and loved. And connected. NavConnect-ed