Dharshana Aseervatham & Luca Croce
Dharshana Aseervatham and Luca Croce served as the Morling College Co-Senior Students in 2016. Dharshana is the Student Minister at St Anne’s Anglican Church, Strathfield. Luca is the Student Pastor at Wyong Baptist Church. Dharshana and Luca have been a part of the Morling College community for quite some years now. Luca came to Morling College as a student in our gap-year program, Plunge, after a good friend suggested that he’d really enjoy the program. During that year Luca felt a call to ministry and wanted to learn more. Dharshana had actually been on our mailing list for a good seven years (!) before the timing was right for her to come to College. Similarly to Luca, it was a friend who encouraged her to study here and now both of them are in their final year of study. For Dharshana and Luca the rest, as they say, is history.
We asked Dharshana and Luca what it was like to be senior student. Luca indicated that there were a few things which came to mind for him, but the main one was that he gets “to hang out with other students and answer their questions where I can. That, for me, is the highlight — I really enjoy talking with people and sharing stories”. Dharshana shared that “being senior student has been really, really different and really exciting compared with what I thought it would be. It’s a chance to connect more to the heartbeat of the College and to connect more with students and faculty — to be a part of the journey of God at work here.”
Dharshana is strongly invested in the community here at Morling: “I reckon it’s more important than classes in some ways because we’re actually making lifelong friendships and we’re finding the support networks that can be there for us both now and in the future. So, whether that’s through prayer groups, over lunch or coffee, or hanging out casually between classes — community really is the heart of this place and that’s why I’m so passionate about Morling.” And Luca had this message for future students: “First of all, come to College! You get to serve in ways you normally wouldn’t and you gain a whole lot of insight into all kinds of ministry practices. But, also, apply yourself. Your time at College is a season of your life where you give your all. Let the process change you as a person — not only your theological reflections but also your thoughts, the way you process emotions, let it shape your whole life.”
Dharshana agrees: “If there’s anyone who’s thinking about potentially getting a better understanding of the Bible or you want to be trained in pastoral ministry, I’d encourage you to come to Morling. Here at Morling people are getting a chance to develop their leadership skills, getting a chance to grow more in their knowledge of God, and their understanding of how he is at work. It’s a great place to come and learn with a diverse group of people. You’ll be stretched, and you’ll be better equipped to serve your church and your community.” And Luca added: “It’s a different experience, in many ways, for different people. It’s a great opportunity. We get to learn and grow together. It’s easy to serve this community because we’re all seeking to learn and follow after Christ.”
