Learning To Be Present: Ru Sheng Hiestand ’27

Ru Sheng Hiestand ’27 is the type of person who keeps his phone tucked away in his bag and moves the napkin dispenser aside so nothing separates him from his friends at the lunch table in Anderson Commons. Those practices were embedded in him during his time in the Vanguard gap-year program. Housed at HoneyRock, Wheaton’s Center for Leadership Development, the Vanguard program “offers emerging college students a year dedicated to spiritual formation, community building, leadership development, and vocational discernment.”

When Hiestand applied to Wheaton, he also applied for the Vanguard program, which recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. After being accepted to both, Hiestand decided to defer his enrollment to Wheaton and participate in Vanguard.

“It allowed me to do something new, slow down, and think about what kind of person I want to be and what ways I’m going to accomplish that,” Hiestand said. “Vanguard was the place where I really got to take ownership of the person I want to be.”

During his eight months in the Wisconsin Northwoods, Hiestand took classes such as Intro to Philosophy, Christian Community and Practice, Rock Climbing and Backpacking, in addition to working in two vocational assignments, one per semester: the kitchen and grounds crew. He and his peers also spent a significant amount of time in nature, including embarking on a weeklong backpacking trip. “One impactful part of Vanguard was seeing how outdoor experiences change how you see God and how you relate to Him simply through enjoying his creation and learning what it looks like to worship and enjoy him in that specific way,” said Hiestand.

The senior recognizes that his time in the gap-year program transformed his view of relationships. “I learned what it means to deepen relationships and navigate conflicts, and learned that I need to be present in the moment,” Hiestand recalled. “That’s something I treasure.”

Vanguard encourages students to adopt practices that foster this kind of behavior, which prompted Hiestand to leave his phone in the dorm on the weekends when he was a part of the program. “It’s about valuing people’s presence,” he said.

At Wheaton, Hiestand has aimed to translate all that he learned in his Vanguard community into his community on campus. This involves various habits, like him moving the napkin dispenser aside. “It’s like an invitation to whoever I’m with, showing them that I am fully present,” he explained.

This mindset has also guided him during his time working in residence life. After serving as a CLC (a Community Life Council member who works closely with the Resident Assistant) his sophomore year, Hiestand applied to be an RA (Resident Assistant) his junior year. “I think I naturally gravitate towards those kinds of roles where I can pour into people, love them, invest in them, and encourage them,” Hiestand said. “It’s the way I’m wired.”

It didn’t hurt that his peers were also asking him if he was going to be an RA. “That also played a part,” Hiestand said. “It’s good when other people see that in you and even expect that from you.”

As an RA, Hiestand invested in the young men on his floor. “It was an absolute privilege to get to know the guys, support them, love on them, and just be a presence in their lives.”

Serving in this way was not an easy task, as he made himself available to the roughly 39 students on his floor nearly 24/7. However, the sacrifice was worth it for Hiestand.

“It was one of the greatest joys of my life,” he said. “It was hard. I learned a lot about myself, what my form of leadership is, and different areas I need to grow in, but that was a privilege. I’m super grateful that I got to be close with a lot of them.”

In addition to shaping his perspective on relationships and community, Vanguard changed how Hiestand approaches life in general. “One of the biggest things the program has taught me is that life is a journey,” he said. “It's not like a 12-step program where you go from point A to point B to point C, but it's a journey. Sometimes you go a little bit off-trail, and there are ups and downs.  Doing life with God is an adventure. It’s all right to not have everything figured out. So, it prepared me well to approach life with this mentality.”

A significant part of Hiestand’s adventure will come to an end in the spring of 2027, when he graduates from Wheaton with a degree in International Relations, a minor in Christian Formation and Ministry, and a religion certificate. Looking back on his time on campus, Hiestand cites many ways being a Wheaton student has changed him. “Wheaton has taught me to live with gratitude and be content in the Lord even when things aren’t what you expect, how to love well, and how to be loved,” Hiestand said. “Also, my life is not my own. It’s not me that’s doing the work or producing the fruit that is seen. It’s the Lord.”