Going up north! The Lord has called me to serve at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire for the next year! Stay tuned for whether small-town Ohio girl will survive Wisconsin winters (Spoiler: She WILL because God is with her!).

I am a recent graduate from Miami University (not Florida, the one in Oxford, Ohio;) While I was raised Catholic (praise God, thanks mom and dad!), it wasn’t until college that I began to intentionally pursue my faith. Before that, I based my identity solely on academics, athletics, and friendships. I mean, does that not sound like a pretty good foundation?

However, after meeting Christ, I realized that I had been settling for mediocrity while He was calling me to the adventure of a lifetime: relationship with Him. He recognized my desire for friendship and used it to bring me to Himself. What an intentional, gentle Father He is. From my first day at Miami University, He introduced me to the Miami Catholic Newman Center (Go Redhawks!) where I was surrounded by the craziest people. They prayed daily, went on “rosary walks,” and not only enjoyed going to mass but went every Sunday and during the week… like I said: crazy! While that word many times carries a negative connotation, I soon came to understand it as “crazy amazing, beautiful, and lovely.”

When a FOCUS missionary on my campus (and dear friend) invited me to apply, I knew God was calling me to be a missionary. What better way to be formed more deeply in my faith and share His transformative friendship with others? I learned from experience how pivotal the college years are. However, I also learned that “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37). Thus, I am excited and so blessed to serve Him and His Church on college mission, encountering and walking with students as they grow in relationship with Christ.

As St. Paul said in a letter to his mission partners, “I thank my God in every prayer of mine because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1: 3-5). Truly, you are partners in this mission with me, and I thank God every day for your “yes.” I am overjoyed to bring you with me to help students enter relationship with Christ!

I would love to share more about this mission and how you can make a difference. You can reach me at (513) 432-5223 or [email protected].