Q and A with Dr. Vincent Naman
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
Christian Union New York has teamed up with the ministry’s alumni engagement team to connect recent graduates and young professionals to mentors who work in the same field. Part of Christian Union’s mission is to transition college seniors into the workforce or graduate school well, linking them with a broad Christian network to support and sustain their faith while also networking professionally.
Dr. Vincent Naman, Dartmouth '82Anyone involved with CU Cities or who is a Christian Union alumni is invited to participate in the mentoring program. Mentors and mentees, paired largely based on common career paths, meet monthly to work through a leadership development curriculum that provides resources on topics like seeking God, developing a bold faith, and how to navigate the workplace as a believer.
Dr. Vincent Naman is among the dozens of accomplished and faithful mentors with whom Christian Union Cities collaborates. He is a board certified plastic surgeon at Chattahoochee Plastic Surgery in Columbus, Georgia. Naman grew up in New York City and attended Princeton University, where he majored in chemistry and graduated in 1982. From there, he attended the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, earning his MD. He trained in general surgery at New York Medical College and plastic surgery at the Mayo Clinic before settling into private practice. He is married to Dian (nee Binns), Columbia ’84, and has four children who graduated from Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, and Brown.
How did you learn about Christian Union?
My wife Dian and I learned about Christian Union from my son Luke who participated with CU at Dartmouth. We felt CU had a tremendously positive effect on his college years. We signed up for the magazine and began reading monthly about all that Christian Union was doing across the Ivy League. After attending a CU event in 2015, we learned much more about CU’s vision for our country and the world. Impressed, we sought more ways we could help. Although we are Ivy League alumni, my wife and I graduated long before Christian Union started.
How long have you been involved with Christian Union, and in what capacity?
I have been involved with Christian Union since 2011, as a subscriber to the magazine, later as a financial supporter, then on the board of CU Nova, and now through the mentorship program. I have participated in several of the Day and Night Great Experiments.
Why did you want to be a CU Cities mentor?
I was very happy for the opportunity to participate in the mentoring program. I think a mentor can help the difficult transition from college to grad school or to the workforce. Amongst the challenges that face new graduates is the relative isolation from a Christian network compared to what a CU undergrad might have enjoyed. It is my hope that my mentoring, counseling, and support along with my prayers can help with this transition.
I know the value that mentors had and have in my faith journey, and how much they have empowered me to accomplish for the Kingdom. While in many ways, I feel I am inadequate to be a powerful mentor, I pray and believe that God can work out His will, even through this “broken vessel.”
What has been the best part of participating in the mentoring program?
Getting to know my mentee has been the best part. He is so bright, resourceful, and well-grounded in his faith. He has inspired me in my faith journey and helped me understand the benefits of having a mentor.
How has being a mentor impacted your faith?
Being part of this program has allowed me to better understand how my faith, prayers, and Bible study impact my everyday life. It has also encouraged me to be a mentor to other young Christians with whom I may interact on a regular basis.
When I began the mentoring program, my mentee and I were both in the midst of reading the Bible in one year. We talked a lot about the benefits and challenges of this goal. My mentee challenged me to succeed at this goal. Following the growth of a young Christian has been rewarding. It was exciting to witness the process of applying and finding employment, working through the challenges of living your faith within a career, and finding community during a pandemic.
To stay up to date with important articles like this one regarding Christian Union's leadership development efforts in our cities and at some of our nation's most influential universities, please subscribe to our newsletter: Click here.
