I serve at the University of Southern California

I grew up as a Catholic who, on paper, was doing the right things: going to church on Sunday, volunteering, and generally being a good person. However, all of this was done with a lukewarm faith. Upon reaching college I reached a place where for the first time in my life, no one was making sure I was going to church or attending faith formation. This coupled with the typical environment of our university system caused me to drift from God.

That was until I met a FOCUS missionary who invited me into a bible study and the broader Catholic community at the UMD Newman Center. These missionaries and students of this community had such an inspirational joy and devotion to the Lord that I was drawn to dig into my faith.

I chose to join FOCUS as a campus missionary because I realized that it would be the most meaningful endeavor of my life if I could impact even one student on campus the way my missionary impacted me.

By partnering with me to bring this work to a college campus, you are offering a hand to students at one of the most challenging to navigate and pivotal points in their lives.

I’ve watched many of my friends and peers drift away from their faith during college—and it’s heartbreaking. It hurts to think they may never come to know the joy, freedom, and purpose that come from a relationship with God.

That’s why I’m so grateful for any spiritual or financial support you may choose to offer. Your generosity helps bring the hope of the Gospel to students who may never hear it otherwise.

I spent my first year as a FOCUS missionary at the University of Colorado, and it proved to be the most rewarding year of my life. Each day was marked by hours of prayer, leading Bible studies, and intentionally pursuing students who were least likely to encounter the Gospel.

The area where I witnessed the most profound impact was through our small-group discipleship program. Over the past year, I had the privilege of leading seven men in this group. Through this time, the Lord met each of them in deeply personal ways—and their lives were forever changed. Six of these men are now preparing to lead their own Bible studies during the 2025–26 school year. Even more exciting, two of them will also take on the responsibility of leading a new group of men in discipleship. As for the seventh, he’ll soon be joining the military—so we’ll give him a pass until after basic training!

I wish you could see firsthand the dramatic impact your financial and prayerful support is making. These students are radically surrendering their lives to God in a place often referred to as where faith goes to die. Thank you for everything you’ve done to help change the eternal trajectory of these students’ souls.