Throughout the year, we feature Crandall alumni by sharing their stories. Spotlight stories keep us connected with our alum. It highlights what they have been doing since leaving Crandall and how their time at Crandall has influenced their lives during and after their studies.

Today’s Alumni Spotlight Story features Rachel DeVries, who graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies and in 2024 with a Bachelor of Education.

My name is Rachel DeVries (Knowles). My husband, Jordan, and I got married in June 2025 and live in Dieppe, NB.  I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (a minor in Worship Arts) in 2020. I decided to return to Crandall a few years later to study Education and graduated with a Bachelor of Education in Spring 2024.

My time at Crandall was extremely impactful. My Bachelor of Arts/Worship minor and leadership in Crandall’s chapel ministry refined my musical gifts, but more importantly, it deepened my understanding of the heart of worship and what it means to usher God’s people into His presence: the purpose for which they were created.

That foundation has prepared me to faithfully serve in several local churches (Sunny Brae Baptist Church, Lewisville Baptist Church) and has given me the confidence to write and release worship music rooted in Scripture and my own personal encounters with the Lord.

I have been blessed to be a part of Common Place Worship – a group of local worship leaders with the desire to write music intersecting worship and work (in partnership with Vennture & CBM). Our first album “Work Songs” was released in October 2025 while our second album is in the works. I also released a single called “Waiting” in February 2023 while I was studying at Crandall. 

At the same time, pursuing my education degree affirmed that the public school district is the place where God was going to use me. My education degree equipped me not only with practical teaching strategies, but with the patience, discernment, and compassion needed to lead well in diverse classrooms. I see my role as an educator as a calling—to reflect Christ in the way I love, serve, and advocate for my students each day.

Whether I am leading worship on a Sunday morning or teaching in my classroom during the week, my heart is the same: to honour and glorify God by stewarding the gifts He has given me and to create spaces where people feel seen and have the freedom to engage in true and proper worship.

I am blessed to have had many years of being encouraged in what God has called me to by Crandall professors. I am extremely grateful for the ways that Crandall prepared me for the opportunities that have come my way.