All of you have seen this individual on campus, but how well do you know him? I will provide a series of clues, and you can try to guess who this article is about. 
Here are your clues:

• He is a father of two girls, Charis and Aletheia (respectively meaning “grace” or “gift,” and “truth” in Greek).
• He is from the Philadelphia area, but he has lived in six states and two countries. 
• He went to Philmont Christian Academy prior to attending Covenant College to study philosophy and education, as well as Covenant Theological Seminary.
• He works with Student Life.

Have you guessed it? The answer is: Adam Porcella, the Dean of Students.

As the Dean of Students, Dean Porcella oversees the department of Student Life, which strives to do everything possible to help students thrive at university. This means encouraging students, promoting social and academic engagement, and supporting them academically, spiritually, and emotionally. The department of Student Life is incredibly broad, including the Academic Resource Center, the Career Center, the Health Center, and the University Ministry Center. Dean Porcella’s role is to make sure the department runs smoothly and effectively, to contribute to the planning of chapel, to help train Resident Assistants, and to disciple and discipline students. He holds students accountable for the student code of conduct, investigates Title IX reports, and walks students through disciplinary process; however, he is glad that this is only a small portion of his job.

Dean Porcella describes Cairn as his “dream institution.” He cites the strong leadership, clear university vision, and a healthy work environment as reasons for his pleasure to be here. He genuinely enjoys the students here and the staff he works with. He also commented on the university’s faithfulness to where we’ve been and excitement for where we’re going, which makes Cairn “a really fun place to work.”

When asked what his favorite part of his job is, Dean Porcella said that he loves being a part of chapel and discipling students. He appreciates the encouragement of worshipping with the students and the university community as a whole, and he enjoys opportunities to sit with students and help them think through important decisions in life. He knows from experience that life is rarely a straight path, but that God is in control of it all. God has taken him from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, Georgia, Missouri, Indonesia, Montana, California, and back to Pennsylvania. He originally planned to be a theology professor, but God has brought him into several other positions as a Resident Assistant, a Resident Director, and the Director of Senior Retention at colleges around the U.S., until God brought him here as the Dean of Student Life. 

At the close of our interview, I asked Dean Porcella the following question: If you had the opportunity to say whatever you want to the student body, what would you like to say? He chose two answers for this very broad topic. First, while he has had numerous conversations with students about policies, rules, and rights, he said this: “What is most important to me is that students are making decisions that are wise and glorifying to God.” Of course students should know, think through, and follow the rules, but it is most important that we glorify God. Secondly, he wants students to know that while the next five to ten years of our lives will be tumultuous and frustrating at times, the Lord knows what He is doing. Trust in the Lord.

Dean Porcella’s love for God and for students showed through in our meeting. Cairn’s students should be happy to know that while he has not been with Cairn for very long, he intends to stay as long as Dr. Williams and Mr. Cawood will have him.

Did you guess right? Let us know in the comments below!