You may have heard a story like mine before, maybe it’s even similar to yours. I was raised by loving parents, went to a Catholic school, and went to church (almost) every Sunday, but I didn’t know Jesus personally. I had this perception that God was some distant creator or rule-maker who had bigger things to worry about than me. I wasn’t really convinced that He even knew me.
I started school at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with the intention of living a great story of success, academically on the path toward medical school, and athletically on UWO’s volleyball team. As I poured myself into these pursuits during the first few years of college, I ultimately found myself unhappy and searching for more. I had placed my worth and happiness in academics and athletics, until an injury during my Junior year showed me that these identities were fleeting. The Lord invited me to let go of my identity as a volleyball player, and to become more involved with my faith. I was invited into bible study by a FOCUS missionary and through our friendship I grew to better recognize my true identity as a daughter of God.
I began praying more, leading my own bible study, and investing my time into a small group of women. I saw how the lives of these women were changed from hearing the gospel, encountering Jesus in prayer, and coming to understand their identity as daughters of God. My heart was moved, and I wanted to do more. I put time into getting to know Jesus and the desires of his Sacred Heart. He revealed to me that He does know me, and desires to be the center of my life.
During my senior year of college, as I discerned the next steps in my life, I was once again invited by the Lord to let go of an area I had been placing my identity: as a pre-med student. After much discernment, God made it clear that He was not asking me to spend the years immediately after college providing physical healing through a career in medicine. Instead, He was inviting me to recognize the great need on college campuses for the spiritual healing that only He can provide. It is my greatest desire to lead students to our true physician, the source of love himself, and because of this desire, I became a FOCUS missionary.
Jesus Himself showed us the best method of reaching the world – by investing deeply in a few and sending them out to do the same with others. As a missionary, my greatest desire is to lead all students to Christ. My life has been transformed by Jesus and I want nothing more than to bring this joy to others. I am excited to invite students into deep, intimate, and personal relationships with Jesus through bible studies, one-on-one mentorship, mission trips, and on-campus outreach.