I have the privilege of serving the students and community at Dickinson State University in Dickinson, ND. As I begin my second year, our team is growing in exciting ways: my former teammate has stepped into the role of Team Director, and we are welcoming two first-year missionaries, including my fiancé, Joey Trainer! I’m excited to see how God will move through our team as we continue to build meaningful relationships and make a lasting impact on campus.

I grew up in a loving Catholic home where faith was woven into everyday life. My parents planted countless seeds that would later bear fruit: Sunday Mass, praying the Rosary together, and quiet moments spent with Jesus in our parish. I knew about God, but it wasn’t until college that I truly came to know Him personally.

During my first week at the University of Northern Iowa, I encountered the Catholic Student Center and met a FOCUS missionary after Mass. I was amazed to see so many young people living their faith with joy and authenticity, and my heart was immediately drawn in.

Just one week later, my life changed forever. My dad became severely ill with COVID-19 and, after suffering a stroke, we said goodbye to him much sooner than we ever imagined. Before he passed away, he left us with two simple words that have stayed with me ever since: “Keep the faith.”

In the midst of my grief, I found myself returning to Mass and lingering in the chapel long after everyone else had left. I brought my questions, my anger, and my sorrow to the Lord, and instead of answers, He gave me something even greater: His presence. I discovered that Jesus was not distant from my suffering. He was with me in it.

Through the accompaniment of FOCUS missionaries, retreats, and prayer, I came to know Jesus as a loving Father who walks with us through both joy and sorrow. That encounter changed everything. I no longer simply knew about God, I knew Him personally.

Over the years, the Lord has continued to ask me to trust Him in new ways. One of those invitations has been saying “yes” to mission while living with chronic nerve pain and the uncertainty that comes with an ongoing diagnosis. I don’t always know what tomorrow will look like, but I have learned that God does not ask for certainty, He asks for trust. In my weakness, He has shown me His faithfulness again and again.

Because others walked with me during the hardest season of my life, I now have the privilege of walking alongside students as they navigate their own joys, questions, and struggles. My prayer is that every student I encounter will come to know that they are deeply loved by God and that they never have to suffer alone.

Jesus changed my life through the faithful “yes” of others. Now, I have the joy of offering my own “yes” so that someone else can encounter Him too. If even one soul comes to know the love of Christ, it is worth everything.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19).

God never intended us to do mission alone.

The reason I am able to say “yes” to serving as a FOCUS missionary is because of faithful mission partners who say “yes” alongside me. Through your prayers, generosity, and encouragement, we become part of something far greater than ourselves.

Together, we have the privilege of walking alongside college students during one of the most transformative seasons of their lives. We get to accompany them through their questions, struggles, joys, and hopes, and invite them into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Someone once walked with me through one of the hardest seasons of my life and helped me encounter Jesus in a deeply personal way. Now, I have the joy of doing the same for others.

Your partnership makes that possible.

Every conversation over coffee, every Bible study, every moment of prayer, and every invitation to Mass is possible because we are serving together.

If you feel called to join this mission, I would love the opportunity to connect with you, share more about what God is doing on campus, and invite you to become part of this story.

It would be an honor to partner with you.