Kaitlyn Purdy ’17

Current city and job:

Durham, NC | Associate Director of Compliance, Duke University Athletics

What first interested you in your career?How did you discern your calling?

I always knew that I would work in sports since I grew up around them my whole life. During my time at Covenant, I did work-study to help pay for school. The last three years of work-study, I served as the assistant to the athletic director. Working with the athletic director gave me a love for college athletics, and I was mentored to be prepared for any opportunity that arose. In my sophomore year, Covenant officially added the sport management major which truly affirmed my calling to pursue a career within the sports world.

What has your career path looked like since graduating from Covenant?

After graduating from Covenant in 2017, I enrolled in a sports management graduate program. Upon completing that program in 2018, I applied for many jobs but ultimately was given an opportunity at Duke University as the compliance assistant. Over the past five years, I have served as the compliance assistant, compliance coordinator, and assistant director of compliance, to finally the associate director of compliance. The relationships that I've built with our department staff and coaches, not to mention all the free gear and tickets to sporting events, have been very rewarding.

Looking back now, how did Covenant prepare you for your career and your life?

Covenant and the athletics department prepared me for a career in a college setting where everyone wears different "hats" on a daily basis. I saw first-hand how others were willing to serve other programs and what being, living, and serving a community truly meant.
Covenant prepared me not only for my career, but my time at Covenant also prepared me to be a source of the gospel in a secular work setting where others may not believe in the same Gospel as I do–and that's okay. That doesn't make them any less deserving of grace or kindness. I appreciate the liberal arts education I received along with the friendships made through the community-centered atmosphere.

In what ways did Covenant impact your faith, and how does your faith inform your career?

Before Covenant, I didn't know anything about theology or what the "Presbyterian Church of America'' meant. I think the professors at Covenant did a wonderful job of teaching about other worldviews and educating students on what others think as opposed to just telling students "this is what to think". I believe this type of critical thinking has shown itself through my spiritual growth since I've graduated.
My faith serves as the lens through which I see the world around me. Everything I do, consciously or not, is done through my faith. Covenant helped me solidify that frame for my lens. My lens may need a new prescription every now and then, but that frame of reference of faith into which the lens fits is consistent.

What advice would you give students who are considering Covenant?

Do it! Then do everything you can to serve others well. Volunteer for all the opportunities to be a helping hand, and always be willing to step in if people need help.

I didn't truly realize how special my time at Covenant was until I went to a public school for my graduate degree. The care about who I was as a person that everyone showed me at Covenant was incomparable. Covenant was truly one of the best environments I could have lived in for those four years after high school.