God has called me to be a missionary at the University of Colorado! I have lived in Kansas my whole life but I am excited for this new adventure as I head west for another year to serve the students at CU Boulder.

Pictured above: Colorado missionaries on placement day 2022

Throughout the first 21 years of my life, I wore the identity of Catholic on my sleeve without truly knowing what that meant. In my eyes, being Catholic meant going to mass every once in a while and asking God for help in a state of emergency or despair. By the time I got to the University of Kansas as a freshman, the whole Catholic thing was not even close to being on my radar. I spent the first few years of college convincing myself that my identity was going to be found through which sorority I was in, who I hung out with, what I wore, and which parties I was going to. I thought this lifestyle would provide me with endless joy and a status that I would be proud of by the time I would graduate from KU. I found that week after week of spending my life in the same settings and endlessly searching for ways to find my identity in different things, I was left unsatisfied with an ache in my heart for something more.

On the first day of my junior year of college, I was walking to a media ethics course and ran into the FOCUS Missionaries at KU that I had briefly gotten to know throughout my sophomore year. Jessica, a second year missionary at the time and one of the boldest women I know, looked me in the eyes and asked the question Maggie, are you ready for your life to be transformed this year? Shocked by this question, I truly did not know how to respond to her other than giving her a small yes to join her upperclassmen women s bible study. This group of women consisted of all sorority girls from KU and instantly became a place of rest for me and a safe space to be authentically myself. During this bible study, I was able to learn about the history of salvation, the covenants that God created with us over time, the importance of the sacraments, and lastly, how all of this connects back to me and my own identity as a beloved daughter of God.

Learning all of these things for the first time allowed me to realize that I can have a beautiful and joyful life by saying yes to the truths of the gospel, and putting Jesus at the center of my life. Not only this, but through knowing the importance of salvation history instilled the urgency of going back to the sacraments of the Church which has brought me more joy than I ever thought possible. Jesus gently revealed to me that my identity was not going to be found through my sorority or what I wear, but that I am a daughter of God first and that is all that matters. Living out this identity has changed my life forever and it is my goal to share that with the rest of the world. Every single one of us desires to be seen, chosen, cared for and loved and I have experienced all of this and more with a life of Jesus at the center of it all.

This journey has not been easy, but Jesus has truly given me the best people to go on this adventure with. I knew I was never alone because of the vested interest that one of my closest friends and fellow FOCUS missionaries took to me throughout college. She was the guide that I needed throughout this journey and one of the best encouragers when I wanted to start sharing the gospel with everyone around me. 

As a missionary, my greatest desire is to lead all students to Christ. My life has been transformed by Jesus and I want nothing more than to bring this joy to others and introduce them to the life-changing message of the Gospel. In His ministry on earth, Jesus humbled Himself to meet us on our level, taking on our humanity, and spent most of His time investing deeply in a few. I hope to follow Jesus example by meeting the women at CU Boulder where they are at and showing them their true identities as beloved daughters of God.

Pictured above: snapshots from my first year as a missionary at the University of Colorado

When I answered the call to join FOCUS, I made the decision to rely on the spiritual and financial support of mission partners to help me through this mission. I’ve been blessed with the most amazing people who have journeyed with me as I serve on campus. If you are interested in partnering with me, please let me know of the best way to reach you and I will schedule an appointment. I’d be honored to share this mission with you.