The past two weeks were fantastic and encouraging. Texas and Colorado were wonderful and the students we met were amazing and inspiring. The entire experience is so incredible that I find myself reflecting daily on my life and the events that led me to this trip, and then I count my blessings and thank God for it all.
If I were to sum up everything I've learned in my 21 years of life it would be this:
Whether subtle or blatant, God is always directing your steps in accordance with His will if you surrender control and let Him lead.
That is the jist of my story, not just what led me to this fabulous internship but my life as a whole. While no more needs to be said, I will elaborate a little more for those of you who do not know it, or only know parts of my story and wish to know more.
While evidence of God's direction appears throughout my life, I will focus on the incredible events of the last 4 years:
Going into my freshman year at Waynesburg I decided to play college soccer. It had always been a dream of mine but I was never particularly good in high school so I didn't think it was a possibility. Through a series of events, which I will cover in my next post, I decided to give it a shot. My goal was simply to make the team and have fun, I didn't expect much else. Surprisingly I had a really solid freshman season, got a lot of playing time, and even a reputation on campus as a decent athlete. That was new for me but I definitely enjoyed it and soccer quickly became a top priority in my life.
My sophomore year was not as good. Due to injuries, heart tests, and a coaching change, I earned a spot on the bench, for good. And that was really challenging for me, so challenging that unbeknownst to my family and friends, I started to look into transferring schools for a fresh start. But God had a different plan. That year I helped run our team fundraiser, Kick Pancreatic Cancer, and had to meet with Student Services to fill out some paperwork. While working with Pat, the topic of transferring schools randomly came up and I shared my plans with her (to this day I can't remember why). She told me that instead of transferring I was going to apply for the Vira I. Heinz scholarship. For those of you who know Pat, she is pretty hard to say no to. So I applied and was received a scholarship to travel to India that summer.
During my time in India I decided to intern with a local NGO instead of taking classes. Randomly I selected to work with rural water projects, thinking I might be able to help build some wells or something. My actual job was much cooler. I spent 4 weeks travelling through the desert to interview villagers about their lives without water and what the NGO was doing to help. I spoke to about 70 people and used their stories to write a report for the company to send to their partners in the English speaking world.
What I saw during those weeks will stay with me the rest of my life. Some images are beautiful but most are heart-wrenching. When you see that kind of poverty and hopelessness there is no going back, your life will never be the same. But what does that mean? My world was rocked but I still returned to school at the end of the summer, continued playing soccer and taking classes. But everyday I remembered what I saw and searched for the next step.
I thought that step was an internship, and I was partially right. I felt called to work with faith-based nonprofits who focused on international justice and sustainability, I even had personal connections in several of these organizations and I was optimistic about my prospects. But one after another every application was rejected without a single interview. Except one.
One day I was running late to a night class and almost tripped over a sign outside the campus bookstore. It was for something called the Thirst Project and they were looking for interns. The likelihood of someone from small-town Pennsylvania being selected by this national organization seemed unlikely but I figured it'd be fun to apply. I didn't really expect much to come out of it, and anyways my heart was set on working for one of those Christian nonprofits I applied to.
It's funny to look back and remember the series of events that brought me to where I am today. I remember four or five nights where I was an emotional wreck because the plans I had for my life were not working out. First soccer, then study abroad, and then every time a rejection letter came. Funny how I thought I knew where my life was going, funnier still that those dreams that were shattered are actually lesser accomplishments than where I find myself today.
This semester I have had the opportunity to live my dreams, to share my passions with students of all ages all across the country. The story above is the exact story that I tell to every audience, at every school, every day. But it is only the beginning, it is only a small part of the larger story. I am truly humbled that each day my story is told alongside those of millions of people suffering from the global water crisis. My story, as common and unremarkable as it is, has been able to connect with students and encourage them to action. What more can a girl ask for?
God, you never cease to amaze and humble me. So glad you know better and that you are in control.
If I were to sum up everything I've learned in my 21 years of life it would be this:
Whether subtle or blatant, God is always directing your steps in accordance with His will if you surrender control and let Him lead.
That is the jist of my story, not just what led me to this fabulous internship but my life as a whole. While no more needs to be said, I will elaborate a little more for those of you who do not know it, or only know parts of my story and wish to know more.
While evidence of God's direction appears throughout my life, I will focus on the incredible events of the last 4 years:
Going into my freshman year at Waynesburg I decided to play college soccer. It had always been a dream of mine but I was never particularly good in high school so I didn't think it was a possibility. Through a series of events, which I will cover in my next post, I decided to give it a shot. My goal was simply to make the team and have fun, I didn't expect much else. Surprisingly I had a really solid freshman season, got a lot of playing time, and even a reputation on campus as a decent athlete. That was new for me but I definitely enjoyed it and soccer quickly became a top priority in my life.
My sophomore year was not as good. Due to injuries, heart tests, and a coaching change, I earned a spot on the bench, for good. And that was really challenging for me, so challenging that unbeknownst to my family and friends, I started to look into transferring schools for a fresh start. But God had a different plan. That year I helped run our team fundraiser, Kick Pancreatic Cancer, and had to meet with Student Services to fill out some paperwork. While working with Pat, the topic of transferring schools randomly came up and I shared my plans with her (to this day I can't remember why). She told me that instead of transferring I was going to apply for the Vira I. Heinz scholarship. For those of you who know Pat, she is pretty hard to say no to. So I applied and was received a scholarship to travel to India that summer.
During my time in India I decided to intern with a local NGO instead of taking classes. Randomly I selected to work with rural water projects, thinking I might be able to help build some wells or something. My actual job was much cooler. I spent 4 weeks travelling through the desert to interview villagers about their lives without water and what the NGO was doing to help. I spoke to about 70 people and used their stories to write a report for the company to send to their partners in the English speaking world.
What I saw during those weeks will stay with me the rest of my life. Some images are beautiful but most are heart-wrenching. When you see that kind of poverty and hopelessness there is no going back, your life will never be the same. But what does that mean? My world was rocked but I still returned to school at the end of the summer, continued playing soccer and taking classes. But everyday I remembered what I saw and searched for the next step.
I thought that step was an internship, and I was partially right. I felt called to work with faith-based nonprofits who focused on international justice and sustainability, I even had personal connections in several of these organizations and I was optimistic about my prospects. But one after another every application was rejected without a single interview. Except one.
One day I was running late to a night class and almost tripped over a sign outside the campus bookstore. It was for something called the Thirst Project and they were looking for interns. The likelihood of someone from small-town Pennsylvania being selected by this national organization seemed unlikely but I figured it'd be fun to apply. I didn't really expect much to come out of it, and anyways my heart was set on working for one of those Christian nonprofits I applied to.
It's funny to look back and remember the series of events that brought me to where I am today. I remember four or five nights where I was an emotional wreck because the plans I had for my life were not working out. First soccer, then study abroad, and then every time a rejection letter came. Funny how I thought I knew where my life was going, funnier still that those dreams that were shattered are actually lesser accomplishments than where I find myself today.
This semester I have had the opportunity to live my dreams, to share my passions with students of all ages all across the country. The story above is the exact story that I tell to every audience, at every school, every day. But it is only the beginning, it is only a small part of the larger story. I am truly humbled that each day my story is told alongside those of millions of people suffering from the global water crisis. My story, as common and unremarkable as it is, has been able to connect with students and encourage them to action. What more can a girl ask for?
God, you never cease to amaze and humble me. So glad you know better and that you are in control.
