Growing up just west of Detroit, Michigan, Michael Horka always viewed his relationship with God as one that was kind, merciful, and inviting.
He was raised in a close-knit Catholic family and had relatives who served as religious leaders, including an aunt who later became a director of religious education.
While he was blessed with a strong foundation in faith, religious leadership itself never felt particularly compelling to him. That began to change as he entered college and young adulthood.
In college, he befriended a classmate whose genuine faith and joyful spirit made a lasting impression, prompting Horka to reflect more deeply on his own faith and how he wanted to honor it moving forward. After graduating, he felt drawn to share his relationship with God and spent five years doing ministry with young adults.
A reflective moment came later in Horka’s career when his uncle ran into a woman at work who recognized his last name. She asked if he knew a Michael Horka.
It turned out she had taught Michael in a religious education class two decades earlier. The following week, she brought his uncle something Horka had made in that class and gave it to him.
“This would strike anyone as sort of odd, right?” Horka said. “When I reflect on moments like this, it demonstrates the kindness and presence of God in our lives, preparing us to do things.”
After his early postgraduate years in ministry, Horka transitioned into academia, spending many years as a professor, most recently teaching American studies. During that time, he noticed that students were increasingly interested in discussing their lives outside the classroom. As the world became more complex, he saw students’ needs increasing as well, which led him to consider a return to ministry.
He spent time with Franciscans in the Midwest, doing ministry in a small community. While the experience felt close to what he was searching for, he sensed it was not quite the right fit.
That search ultimately led him to Briar Cliff. At The Cliff, he found what he describes as the best of both worlds. As Director of Campus Ministry, he is able to engage in ministry while also interacting with students in the classroom.
“Across the country, we often think about college as the place where young adults come to learn, grow, and participate in athletics,” Horka said. “What drew me to this role was the opportunity to better address students’ needs in the modern world and to support them both in and out of the classroom.”
One way Horka aims to support students is by helping them slow down in a world that rarely does. He recognizes that college students today face a constant level of pressure and stimulation. Students are expected to perform academically and athletically while remaining continuously connected through smartphones and social media.
Horka does not see this as a personal shortcoming, but rather as a structural reality of modern life. Over time, that level of stimulation can wear students down, leaving them feeling overwhelmed or disconnected from themselves and others.
Because of this, he places a strong emphasis on creating moments of quiet and intention. At Briar Cliff, he believes students benefit from having time and space to step away from phones, schedules, and expectations in order to reset.
At the same time, he believes this reset is most effective when paired with community. One challenge he observes among young adults today is not a lack of interaction but a lack of meaningful connection. Much of life unfolds online or within tightly scheduled routines, which can leave students feeling isolated even when surrounded by peers.
“Our poor little brains are so overstimulated,” Horka said. “One of the things our society is struggling with right now is just being together in person, not just online and not just scheduled.”
Service is another key part of how Horka approaches student development. He views serving others as something that benefits students just as much as those being served. While service can sometimes feel like an obligation for busy college students, he believes it is good for the body, soul, and spirit.
Through this approach, Horka is able to meet students where they are. He leads with presence rather than expectations, particularly when it comes to faith. His goal is not to push students in a specific direction, but to ensure they know someone is available to listen.
This often leads to conversations that extend beyond religion. He regularly checks in with students about how they are sleeping, eating, managing stress, and maintaining relationships. He believes students are best supported when they are seen as whole people rather than defined by a single aspect of their identity.
“It’s okay to be you,” Horka said. “Your feelings are valid, and whatever you’re feeling, God will embrace you in whatever state you’re in.”
That same mindset shapes his view of the role of campus ministry within the broader Briar Cliff community. Rather than functioning as a separate club or program, he sees it as something woven into campus life, visible through gatherings and events and sometimes working quietly behind the scenes.
As a Catholic Franciscan institution, Briar Cliff honors its traditional roots while remaining welcoming to students from a wide range of backgrounds. Horka believes those commitments go hand in hand, helping create a campus culture grounded in care, inclusion, and shared values.
He hopes that when students look back on their time at The Cliff, they remember it as a steady presence during an important chapter of their lives and a source of community, support, and perspective.
Some influences will be obvious. Others may go unnoticed at the time, quietly shaping how students care for themselves, serve others, and carry what they learned beyond The Cliff.
For Horka, that unseen work is just as meaningful. It reflects his belief that formation happens gradually through small moments of connection, reflection, and care, and stays with students long after graduation.