The United States Army Academy of West Point

#goarmybeatnavy

I grew up a cradle Catholic, going to Catholic school from first grade until my senior year of high school. I was very involved in my high school youth ministry at my church St. Martin de Porres in Yorba Linda. I attended community college and then transferred to San Diego State University. There I was able to get involved in the Newman Center community and even receive the title as Co-President of the leadership team there. I was very hesitant to apply for FOCUS as I had been preparing to join the Navy and pursue officer candidate school to commission as a SEAL/SWCC. My missionary Carly persuaded me to apply, and I was set up to go to interview weekend in November this past year. I was apprehensive about this pursuit at first, but after a phone call with my sister where she said to me, “You have a gift for mission… if you do not take the opportunity FOCUS could give you, you are wasting an opportunity”. This sentence changed my mind set and opened me up to the possibility of becoming a missionary and am now happy to say that I am a missionary who did not waste this opportunity.