We encounter God in an intimate relationship through daily prayer, the sacraments and the Scriptures.
SEE MORESEE LESS 
Emily Curlett
“I always say that hockey is not a sport, it is an art form. It is like a chess game at lightning speed.”
-Sr. Helena Burns
I took my ‘chess game’ to the battle for souls on mission!
Where I serve
After a lifetime of pursing sports, God called me out of pro hockey to serve college student-athletes at The University of Northern Iowa!
My team at Northern Iowa (left to right): Eric, Teressa, & little Anastasia, Allison, Rosie, and Jake & Hannah!
My Story
Like most athletes, sports were my entire identity since I was a kid. In college, I progressively had more success, made more friends, and led more non-profit events, but I also became more a product of college athlete culture over time. Although I accomplished what I was told would make me happy, no amount of points, grades, likes, or titles could fix my perfectionism, anxiety, and lack of self-worth outside of sport. At the end of my junior year, I hit a rock bottom— it was there that God met me, and I chose to start asking God for answers instead of searching in all other places.
God used the next few years to shift my identity from what I produced and how I performed on the ice, to who created me and what I was created for. He taught me through success, failure, suffering, and injuries to be open to the plan that he had for me. It was after a back injury, being cut from my ‘dream job’, and a lot of humble prayer that I said yes to God’s call into something bigger than the familiarity and comfort of being a hockey player: And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; come, follow me.” (Mark 10: 21).
Colleges are filled with lost students who like me, will go looking for fulfillment in all of the wrong places, all the while never freely performing at their best. My mission is to mentor athletes by walking with them through success, suffering, and everything in between to show them the unconditional love of God and the freedom of an identity rooted not in sport, but in the truth of Jesus Christ.
A previous missionary & best friend– Katie Kampen– and I at an Ohio State Men’s hockey game the year that heavily influenced me to become a missionary!
Four of my disciples, Victoria, Hannah, Denise, Makenzie & I visiting Hannah’s hometown!
A group of our students who came to watch my Men’s league championship this spring!
Your Impact
By walking away from sport and answering the call to FOCUS, I am metaphorically and literally ‘selling all I have’ in choosing to rely on the spiritual and financial support of mission partners to send me on mission.
I would be honored to be supported on mission by you. If you are open to partnering with me, please let me know the best way to contact you and schedule an appointment with you to share more of my testimony and mission. I will serve my mission partners by:
1. Praying for you and for your special intentions at mass and during my daily prayer.
2. Stewarding my gifts prudently to serve and call student-athletes higher in and out of sport.
3. Update you on the friendships, growth, and glories of what God is doing at UNI!
Give Now
If you have any questions or need help setting up your gift, please contact us at [email protected].
Find other missionaries
FOCUS brings the joy of the Gospel to colleges and parishes across the United States (and beyond)!
Know, Love and Serve God
Build Virtuous Friendships
By building genuine friendships, we meet students on a deeper level.
Teach Others to Share Christ
We teach students how to share the gospel, who in turn teach other students how to pass it on.
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