The Freshman Journey

Rachel Van Der Merwe

Cinema and Media Arts, Production
Cape Town, South Africa & Knoxville, Tennessee

Rachel Van Der Merwe’s priorities were clear when she began applying for college. She wanted a school with high academics and an outstanding film program. After applying to some of the nation’s best universities, as well as being accepted to many of them, she decided the Torrey Honors Institute combined with the Cinema and Media Arts degree at Biola University was the right place for her.

“I don’t typically like Christian schools, because I feel like they tend to be too separated from the world…I was looking for a top class competitive school just because I wanted a really excellent education,” she said. “I really believe that there should more Christians in the world with doctorates and higher education levels…I want to be pushed.”

Although Van Der Merwe had not been focused on attending a Christian university and did not expect to find high academics at one, she found that Biola would push her just as much as some of the “ivy league” schools she applied to.

“I was looking for high academics and the Torrey Honors program offered that,” said Van Der Merwe, who was intrigued by the concept of reading the great books and the interdisciplinary general education. “I had a really strenuous high school, so I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be bored. The theology classes make a large difference as well (from other universities).”

Van Der Merwe, originally from Cape Town, South Africa, moved to Knoxville, Tennessee with her family when she was 13. Calling it “the move of all moves,” that was the time of her life when she began to take ownership of her faith.

“The floor was pulled out from underneath me,” said Van Der Merwe. During that time, she began to draw closer to God and made her relationship more personal and real with Him.

Her family moved because of the negative direction South Africa was moving towards. It was hard for Caucasians to get jobs and the crime rate continued to grow. Although it was hard to leave such a beautiful place that was home for so long, Van Der Merwe began to enjoy and really appreciate Tennessee. It was very different from the “diverse, stunningly beautiful” Cape Town.

Her home no longer had a wall and gate surrounding it, but instead grass. She describes Tennessee as “pristine.”

When her family moved to Tennessee, her mother decided to home school Van Der Merwe and her three siblings. At one point after they moved, her father had given her the task to film their family vacations.

“There is the sense in my family that if you are going to do something, then do it to the best of your ability,” said Van Der Merwe.

Therefore, she began to play with editing and looking to others for advice. Her mother gave her the option to substitute one of her papers for a documentary. She took the opportunity and after more experience and advice from community filmmakers, she created a business where she would make presentations and documentaries for her church.

“I feel as though God has called me to study film,” she said. “It’s a useful medium in the world today…it really attracts people’s attention and sends a strong message.”

As she prepared to attend Biola in California, Van Der Merwe was worried about moving again and the implications of that, however she has easily made friends and the transition has been smooth.

“It felt like this is a place I could be even though it was on the other side of the world to me,” said Van Der Merwe.

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