I graduated from Catholic University of America in the Brookland neighborhood of DC this past May, and now I have the privilege of serving at George Washington University in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of DC. When I committed to FOCUS, I definitely expected to be moving more than five miles, but I’m super excited that God’s blessed me with another year in DC. I’m super hyped to meet all the students and determine which is the superior District university 🙂

Below is our incredible team for the next year! (Leo, me, Lizzy and Catherine)

I was 21 years old before I ever considered leaving the Catholic church. 

I grew up in a really incredible Catholic family, but the summer after my junior year of college, I began to drift from my faith. At the end of the summer, I had a situation come up which forced me to personally reckon with the Church’s teaching on sexuality. Living a life of integrity had always been important to me, and I knew that being a Catholic meant more than attending Sunday mass: I would either choose to live in full communion with Church teaching or I would leave behind the faith I had known since birth. 

I was grappling with this decision as I returned for my senior year of college. Due to a prior commitment, I spent the first few days back at school going to daily Adoration. I don’t really have words for what happened to me during those holy hours: the Lord shattered so much hurt and distrust I had been harboring against Him and against others; and He ignited in my heart a desire to love and serve Him no matter the cost. 

As I fell in love with the Lord in the Eucharist, I realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life sharing with others the goodness of relationship with Him, so I sought out post-college missionary programs. Through the process of applying to FOCUS, I became deeply inspired by the conviction and zeal for souls which the organization and its missionaries demonstrated in their every action, and I knew that I wanted to work with them.

When I accepted a position as a FOCUS missionary, I committed to relying on the spiritual and financial support of mission partners to help me carry out this great work. I’m incredibly excited to get to share the Gospel with college students, and I’d love to have the chance to share more and tell you why I believe there’s no better investment you could make. If you’re interested in partnering with me, let me know how I can contact you to schedule an appointment: my email is [email protected] and my phone number is 703-479-1196. God Bless!