By Vivian DiSalvo (Class of 2026)
What is your “why”?
On a Tuesday afternoon at the Tyson Alumni Center, students gathered to answer that very question. Sierra Garvin (’17), an experienced leadership facilitator and coach, was guiding students through the process of defining their purpose.
Garvin graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a major in management. She’s now the president of UT’s Young Alumni Council and Ex-Officio member of the Alumni Board. She owns a consulting firm, Imago Dei, where she serves as a skilled leadership facilitator and coach who helps individuals unlock their professional and personal potential.
As a speaker in the Alumni Board of Directors lecture series, Garvin gave students the tools to find the purpose behind their passions, a driving force that can shape their college experience and future. When alumni like her return to campus, they are able to elevate student success and help advance their futures.
“The alumni roundtable with Sierra gave me the chance to reflect on what my innermost values are and how to incorporate that into my endeavors after college,” says Elise Whaley, a sophomore studying marketing. “While looking for my ‘why,’ I also had the chance to ask my peers about what motivates them and learn a little more about their lives.”
To be a Volunteer is to serve everyone, including current students, humbly. Alumni impact students and the university by sharing wisdom, giving support, and showing encouragement for their future. Alumni involvement fosters a rich environment that makes UT the great university we all know and love.”
Sierra Garvin (’17)
Garvin’s goal was to help these students find their “why,” a concept she pulled from Simon Sinek’s Start with Why. In the book, Sinek outlines three themes: why, what, and how. While many people start with “what”—what they’re going to do post-graduation or what business they plan to start—Sinek encourages people to start with why.
“If you can start with figuring out your why for who you are and what you do, it will drive you much further than any five-year plan that you have,” says Garvin. “If you’re able to find that why, it will give you that drive to keep going.”
Garvin found that starting with your “why” and having a purpose behind your passions helps you pursue your goals more wholeheartedly and ensures you are spending your time in ways that align with your values.
She herself found her why as a sophomore at UT in a leadership studies class. She later helped to create the leadership studies minor curriculum at UT. Her “why” was to be a light for others, which helped her discern her purpose after college and allowed her to grow in her personal life.
“When you’re in college, it’s impossible to have it all figured out,” says Garvin. “But if you can figure out your ‘why,’ you can let it guide you through those decisions and be more intentional with how you use your time throughout college and life.”
Though there can be a big focus on the “whats” throughout college—what clubs you’ll join, what major you’ll choose, what events you’ll attend—starting with a “why” gives students a reason to pursue what they choose.
It creates a driving force, a bigger sense of commitment, and a concrete idea of what kind of growth students hope to achieve. Their “why” can dictate anything from what career they choose to what companies they want to work with to how they spend their weekends.
Leandro Webba-Jorge, a sophomore studying finance, is using his newly found “why” to transform his next few years at UT.
“Sierra Garvin changed my perspective on what it means to have a purpose,” says Webba-Jorge. “Instead of solely using one’s endeavors, or ‘whats,’ as the core driver for success, Garvin helped me realize the unequivocal importance of understanding the ‘why’ behind everything I do.”
The goal of the “why” is to help students, and all people, live purposefully instead of just doing things out of obligation. The “why” determines how to align the ways you spend your time with your values, allowing for a more fulfilling life experience, which Garvin can attest to.
As an alumna, she continues to share her “why” with students to help them thrive just as she has.
“To be a Volunteer is to serve everyone, including current students, humbly. Alumni impact students and the university by sharing wisdom, giving support, and showing encouragement for their future,” says Garvin. “Alumni involvement fosters a rich environment that makes UT the great university we all know and love.”
Garvin continues to be a light in her personal life, professional life, and at UT. Alumni like her who engage with students are accelerating the university, one student—and one “why”—at a time.
