Finding Purpose, One Dinner at a Time

At the University of Denver, conversations about purpose aren’t confined to classrooms or career fairs—they’re happening over dinner.

Hosted by Student Affairs, 4D Purpose Dinners are quarterly gatherings designed to help students explore what it means to build a meaningful life and career—a key dimension of DU’s 4D Experience. Started in the fall of 2024, the events have become sought-after opportunities for students to connect with professionals across disciplines and learn from their experiences of finding their purpose.

Held in Community Commons, the dinners typically bring together 45 to 65 undergraduate and graduate students with faculty and staff or, for the first time this spring, alumni. The format is simple but intentional: Each table is hosted by a professional who offers a brief introduction, then engages students in conversation before rotating to another group.

The idea evolved from an earlier program called “Professors, Plates, and Perspectives,” but Purpose Dinners were reimagined with a broader goal in mind. “This idea was born out of students who would come to us and say, ‘I already feel behind,’” says Audrey Townsend, PhD, director of 4D experiential learning. “They feel like if they miss an internship or an opportunity or don’t know what they’re going to do, they’ll be unsuccessful.”

In response, the 4D team brought together faculty and staff from across disciplines—law, business, education, human resources, campus safety, and more—to share their own nonlinear career journeys. The result is what Townsend describes as an “anti-networking event,” one that lowers pressure and prioritizes authenticity.

“We want students to be comfortable and come as they are,” she says. Conversations are often guided by a simple question, such as, “How did you find your purpose?”—but for the most part, they unfold organically.

That openness is central to the dinners’ impact. “Really, the goal is to lessen the anxiety around what students perceive as the prescribed track,” Townsend says. “It’s disrupting this idea that you are at point A as a student and point B is your dream career. It’s really [about the] twists and turns before you figure out where you need to be.”

Students find clarity and opportunity through conversation

When Maren Lynch, a third-year whose major is physiology in health and disease, attended a Purpose Dinner a year ago, she had just declared her major and was still feeling uncertain about what she wanted to do in the future.

She remembers speaking with one of her former chemistry professors and hearing about the steps he took in his own life—from the miliary to academia. “Seeing that kind of progression helped me realize there isn’t just one definition of success,” Lynch says. “The conversations made me think more deeply about my own path and helped me feel more grounded in myself. I realized it’s okay not to know exactly what I want to do with my degree.” 

Townsend says this kind of positive feedback is exactly what they hope for. On a recent post-dinner survey, more than 90% of participants agreed that the experience had given them a fresh perspective on their education or life. Many have attended more than one dinner, drawn by the chance to connect with people they might not otherwise meet. Those connections can be powerful—sometimes even leading to internships or research opportunities.

That was the case for Pluto Hassan, a third-year computer science major. Hassan was urged to attend his first purpose dinner last fall by Krystoff Kissoon, 4D assistant director of co-curricular innovation. Hassan works with the 4D education team and is a peer coordinator for the E-STEM (Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) program in the Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science. 

While Hassan was sitting at a table with anthropology professor Esteban Gomez, what began as a simple introduction quickly turned into a job offer. Hassan, who had been seeking more interdisciplinary experiences beyond the typical STEM “bubble,” is now preparing to begin work as a research assistant for Gomez, helping build a system to collect data from social media platforms and analyze engagement.

“It was all because I went to the Purpose Dinner and talked with professors outside my department,” Hassan says. “I didn’t think there would be an opportunity for me in anthropology doing something I’m really passionate about.”

Hassan was also inspired to spearhead a special E-STEM Purpose Dinner last month, an event that connected STEM alumni professionals with current STEM students. 

This spring’s Purpose Dinner on April 16 also expanded in scope to include alumni for the first time. Student Affairs partnered with the offices of advancement and alumni engagement to recruit eight graduates—in industries ranging from law and medicine to politics and communications—offering students a glimpse of life after DU from those who have lived it.

“We have so many notable alumni and so many folks in different fields, so it’s exciting to bring them in,” Townsend says. “It’s great to switch it up and see what the experience is like for both students and alumni.”

Registration for the Purpose Dinners takes place on Crimson Connect. Alumni who are interested in participating in a future dinner can email Audrey.Townsend@du.edu. 

4D Symposium to highlight purpose-driven learning

Every year, DU’s 4D Symposium brings together faculty, staff, and students to focus on the 4D Experience, the University’s holistic approach to higher education. The theme of this year’s event, on May 7-8, is A World of Purpose. Through sessions, panels, and interactive workshops, participants will learn and engage in dialogue around models and practices that advance intellectual purpose, growth, character, and well-being—the four dimensions of the 4D Experience—both in and out of the classroom as well as through research and scholarship. Members of the DU community can register for the event here.