Guided by a conviction that formation happens in the ordinary rhythms of daily life, Jonathan Kurtz now helps shape the residential experience at Bushnell University. As the director of residence life and student services, Kurtz occupies a distinctive space at the intersection of mentorship, leadership development, and community care. In overseeing residence life, student leadership, campus dining, and security, he walks closely with students during some of the most formative and vulnerable seasons of their college years.
Kurtz’s path to Bushnell was not a straight line. “I never thought that I’d work somewhere like Bushnell,” he reflects. After earning his Master of Divinity from Multnomah Biblical Seminary, he entered pastoral ministry at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet over time, he sensed a growing desire to return to the kind of relational investment he had experienced as an undergraduate resident assistant. “I really enjoyed it, and I really wanted to come back to doing that kind of thing,” he says. When he discovered an opening in residence life at Bushnell, he applied and found a calling that combined his theological training with daily, lived community.
We caught up with Kurtz to discuss his journey from local church ministry to university leadership, his passion for walking with students through life beyond the classroom, and how residence life serves as a vital context for growth, formation, and discernment.
Living Where Students Live
In his role overseeing residence life and student services, no two days look the same. Kurtz provides leadership to comprehensive student life programs, supervises residence life staff, and collaborates across campus to support student engagement and retention. He also serves as co-coordinator of the University’s Critical Incident Response Team, helping ensure that students are cared for during moments of crisis.
Yet at the heart of the work is something less procedural and more personal. “One of my favorite things about what I get to do is getting to see students go from being the shy, nervous freshmen to the loud, confident seniors,” he shares. Residence life offers a unique vantage point: staff members encounter students not only as learners, but as whole people. “We get to see the side of students that is who they are outside the classroom… who they come home as and who they are growing to be as they go through their time here.”
That proximity means walking with students through a wide range of experiences. “We get to sit with students through everything from frustration over getting a grade they didn’t want, to heartbreak, to life change,” Kurtz explains. These moments often unfold in residence halls late at night or in quiet conversations between events. Being present in those spaces, he believes, is what distinguishes residence life from other forms of support. “Getting to do that while also living on campus and being part of this community is what makes residence life unique.”
Leadership, Purpose, and Formation
Kurtz finds some of his most meaningful work in helping students wrestle with life’s more difficult questions. “I find my purpose in getting to help students figure out some of the hard questions that they don’t know what to do with,” he says. Whether students are discerning a calling, navigating disappointment, or responding to circumstances that feel beyond their control, he sees his role as one of steady guidance. “Figuring out how they want to respond when hard things happen and who they want to be when things in their life don’t feel like they’re going the way they want them to” is part of that process.
An equally rewarding dimension of his work is watching students step into leadership. Kurtz has seen students move from simply attending campus events to creating them, from participating in community to cultivating it. “I find so much purpose in getting to see students develop as student leaders,” he reflects. The transformation from first-year participant to upperclassman mentor represents one of the clearest signs of growth.
That long-term investment extends beyond graduation. “My favorite thing is getting to see students go from being a student leader or just a person on campus to wherever they go in life,” whether that path leads into service at Bushnell or meaningful contribution in the wider community. “I love that I get to be a part of that process.”
Rooted in Community
Kurtz’s appreciation for community is reflected in the places he gravitates toward on and off campus. His favorite spot at Bushnell is a set of benches between the Morse Center and the Mill Race, particularly in the spring, when ducklings gather along the water. It is a quiet corner that mirrors his approach to student life: attentive, relational, and grounded in being present. Beyond campus, he enjoys Eugene’s coffee shops and bookstores, spaces that similarly foster reflection and conversation.
A Note for Students
For Kurtz, residence life is more than a professional responsibility; it is a lived expression of vocation. His background in ministry continues to shape his approach, but now in the context of shared meals, late-night conversations, and everyday encounters. “Part of why I stopped working in the church is that I felt like I was missing out on that part of ministry that is done just in the day-to-day life,” he explains. In residence life, he has found that rhythm once again.
Through leadership, mentorship, and consistent presence, Kurtz contributes to Bushnell University’s commitment to holistic, Christ-centered formation. By creating spaces where students can ask hard questions, deepen their sense of identity, and learn to serve others, his work reflects the University’s mission to cultivate wisdom, faith, and service.
Want to find out more about being a student at Bushnell University? Learn about the many aspects of residence life and connect with the admissions office to begin your journey.