Michelle on Meaning, Community, and Gen Z Anxiety / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 2, Episode 4

Send us Fan MailMichelle, a business professor whose research focuses on calling, purpose, and human flourishing, joined Edward’s week-long seminar on Gen Z at the 2025 Oxford Theology Summer School. In this conversation, she reflects on what the experience revealed to her about Gen Z’s hunger for meaning, the importance of authentic community, and the surprising places young people now turn when seeking order and purpose. Drawing on both her teaching and the seminar discussions, Michelle offers an honest look at the challenges today’s students face—and what educators and faith communities might need to reimagine in response.The Vibe Shift Podcast is part of The Gen Z Role Models Project, a study exploring how young people today make sense of religion, spirituality, and role models in a digital age. The new King’s Study is now open—anyone aged 18–28, from any background and location, can take part. And it’s easy to get started: https://bit.ly/GenZ2026Visit us at oxfordexemplars.org. Music: 'Find Yours Dreams' by Art Flower. CC0 1.0 Universal License. Copyright: The Vibe Shift, 2025.