Growing up I was terrified of math. My math teacher in high school demonstrated a poor grasp of the material and was fearful about teaching me and my peers. Due to years of built-up fear, I had low motivation to work through math problems by the time I reached college. I heard about Khan Academy, and that was my saving grace. When I passed remedial math in college, I was convinced it was a fluke. I had zero confidence and I still had to face my ultimate fear: calculus. My neighbor was a high school algebra teacher. She took me under her wing and offered to tutor me for free. I was so grateful for her mentorship that I worked harder than ever. She was the first to tell me I was good at math. I remember sitting in the cozy, sunshine-filled office of her home. She had the kindest voice and smile. She gave me confidence. I eventually progressed to the point where I could handle several problems in a row without any assistance. I thrived on her words of affirmation! Her kind words and positive attitude kept me going. Of course, I encountered setbacks. There were days when I had panic attacks over math and felt like throwing up. Sometimes everything I had learned seemed to fall out of my head. I got paralyzed doing calculus problems on my own. But that was just learned fear. That wasn’t me. One day, I started learning about derivatives and everything clicked in a way I’ve never experienced before. It felt like the secret to the universe was held in these smooth little equations that flew so quickly together. They were addictive! I looked up extra derivative problems to solve because they were so fun! I never found any other subject to be as addictive and dopamine-inducing as math. Once numbers made sense to me, I felt unstoppable. I got a B in that class. It was an incredible achievement and I am proud that I made it through, even though I didn’t make a perfect grade. Because of my experience with math, I’m passionate about studying topics that are considered “hard.” Math is beautiful. Math taught me I can overcome challenges. I learned resiliency and belief in myself. I found freedom in a subject that used to cause me panic and anxiety. I love math!

I first started rock climbing when I was a little kid. While my friend balked at being harnessed and belayed in order to climb, I relished it. I stepped into the harness and an attendant buckled me in. I trusted the process. I was so excited! The first time you rock climb is an unforgettable memory. I remember how proud of getting to the top I was. And how sore I was after! I find freedom in climbing. I love to push my body to do more than I could last time. Each climbing session has its own struggles. Sometimes my body doesn't do what I want it to do. Sometimes I get tired earlier than I expected. I've learned to have grace with myself and take strategic breaks to contemplate how far I've come. It motivates me to continue further. The Christian lifestyle is very much an endurance trial. The apostle Paul is constantly likening the Christian life to an Olympic event: run the race, finish strong, and keep enduring until the end. Paul exhorts us to be wise in how we use our bodies and minds and calls us to work our minds in strenuous ways so that we continue to overcome the fear and timidity that we so often fall prey to. When you first start rock climbing, it's easy to think it's all about physique, strength, and bulging muscles. But you quickly tire if all you have are fashionably thick muscles. It’s the climbers who are focused on endurance who make it the farthest. The ones who are flexible enough to pivot and approach the route from new angles. The ones who are nimble. Often they don't appear to be the strongest. They are simply the ones who hold their body weight and don’t give up. You must be strategic about training, prep time, route, and resting places to make it to the top. I didn't realize how much of a mind game it is until I watched Alex Hunnold climb El Capitan in the documentary "Free Solo." I don't share his dream of scaling a literal mountain, but I am driven to scale the mountain of challenges in my life: balancing my mental health, paying for college, and becoming the educator I aspire to be. I seek to overcome my fears about not having enough money to make my education goals a reality and push forward to show my current and future students how to pursue an Olympic life for Christ. If I receive this scholarship, it will make a huge difference in paying for my full load of courses this semester. It’s amazing how similar a disciplined, athletic lifestyle is to the life that Paul prescribes for each believer of Christ. He teaches us to be self-controlled people of moderation and discipline. Controlling our own bodies is the key to physical freedom. But controlling our thoughts, I believe, is the key to peace. Someone who can control their thoughts not only overcomes depression but finds peace of mind. Someone who controls what they believe will be able to shape their future and have the agility, the nimbleness, and the flexibility to scale whatever mountain they encounter. They are prepared to climb their own El Capitan!

I have been confused, in awe, overwhelmed, delighted, and amazed during my traveling exploits. When leaving home you must submit to the spirit of “Adventure.” However, adventure tends to arrive masked in hardship! I have read countless stories of the hardships encountered by historical figures during travel. I can only imagine how devastating prisoner of war memories are when they take on the unfamiliar hue of a foreign country, or the overwhelming obstacles traversed by early immigrants. But travel isn’t always terror or displacement. For many, it is a sacred pilgrimage, a religious rite. Perhaps it’s a lighthearted adventure with friends during a gap year. Or it can be full of hope and anticipation when a grown adoptee travels back to their home country to embrace the culture they were removed from. For me, travel has always been exciting, though risky. My travels across the U.S., Norway, and Europe have been rife with stressful detours, existential crises, and majestic beauty. My favorite traveling memories are the ones where I developed a deep respect for the land's beauty or gained a heightened spiritual connection to the people. The most spiritually transformative experience with another culture happened to me in Paris, France. The funny thing is that France isn’t a particularly religious country. Over half of the population declines to affiliate themselves with any religious group. While I was there, no one I spoke with mentioned anything about God, or prayer. But my experience of God imbued the entire trip. The first day we arrived, my sister and I wandered through a cemetery. It was gorgeous and heartbreaking. I experienced the weight of each of the seemingly ancient tombstones. There were several memorials for children; their short span of years engraved upon the rock brought tears to my eyes. Life is so short for some. There was acid rain damage and dark mold spores on the older tombstones and crypts. The experience was other-worldly. It felt like a place that would be inhabited by angels and demons alike. It made me contemplate the reality of life. Birth and death and everything in between. I have been an introvert since I was a girl. I've struggled to extrovert myself and talk to people. Many times, when I’m offered the opportunity to travel, I am scared. But I do it because I’ve never done it before. My thought is, “why not?” I want to immerse myself in something new. I want to see through someone else’s eyes. I want to walk in the footsteps of someone far removed from me by time, if not by temperament. I believe that underneath all the different colors and customs that we have, we are the same. We all have a beating heart, desire to be loved, and question our purpose in life. When traveling, I feel less removed from individuals. I feel a desire to connect, to open up, and to share a piece of me that might continue to be shared even after I am gone.

I have volunteered in many ways throughout my life: with organizations that fed meals to underprivileged schoolchildren, tutored low-income elementary-aged students, supported young women and men escaping the sex trafficking and slavery industry, cleaned litter from public places, cared for children at churches, and sorted books at my local library. I love volunteering. I've always longed for a career that would give me the same fulfillment I experienced when volunteering. My husband and I are devout Christians who are becoming more and more equipped to act on the great commission and spread the gospel to the world. My husband inspires me through his example of sacrificial service at our local church. He works full-time in ministry and volunteers over the weekends, all while taking a full load of classes each semester. Because of his Christ-like example, I push myself to do more. I work part-time in children’s ministry, teaching Bible school to elementary-aged students. I have been called by God to tutor underprivileged children. I acted out of obedience, not knowing that He would give me a love for this volunteer work. He gave me a passion for teaching them! He gave me delight, drive, and patience for them. I realized that teaching is my dream career, and I am driven to use my bachelor's degree to impact the lives of the students I teach. My degree is in biblical studies. I am focused on learning the most I can learn from the holy Scriptures to evangelize to the children in my care. I am passionate about being THAT teacher who is on fire for the Lord and births that same zeal in her students’ hearts. God’s law is the best law and I want to lovingly teach children how to follow His rules and why they are important. Children need to learn rules from kind and compassionate authority figures. If there is no relationship, then rules just create rebellion. I experienced this as a child. The authority figures I knew didn’t train me with love and kindness, so I learned that authority shouldn’t be trusted. But I have since matured. I have seen the goodness of God and realized that God’s law comes with His love. The two are never separated. Children need to learn that God’s law comes with the eternal blessing of God’s love. That is the best reason to learn about Him and follow Him. Everyone needs love, and Jesus will welcome everyone who loves Him and trusts Him. Rebellion is disgusting to the Lord. But a cheerful, well-disciplined child who follows His ways blesses the Lord. This ultimately leads to great joy and contentment for the child. Sharing the truth and love of God with children is my calling. Through my work, both volunteering and as an employee, they will learn principles for living that will challenge their assumptions, engage their genius, and motivate them to succeed. That is how I will change the world.

My faith in God is paramount. My husband and I are devout Christians who are becoming more and more equipped to act on the great commission and spread the gospel to the world. My husband inspires me through his example of sacrificial service at our local church. He works full-time in the prayer and hospital visitation ministry and volunteers over the weekends, all while taking a full load of classes each semester. Because of him, I hear about miracles happening every day. Because of his Christ-like example, I push myself to do more. God is surely at work in our hospitals, our churches, and our prayers. I work part-time in children’s ministry, teaching Bible school to elementary-aged students. Before this, I was called by God to tutor underprivileged children. I acted out of obedience, not knowing that He would give me a love for this volunteer work. He gave me a passion for teaching them! He gave me delight, drive, and patience for them. I realized that teaching is my dream career and I am driven to use my bachelor's degree to impact the lives of the students I teach. My degree is in biblical studies. I am focused on learning the most I can learn from the holy Scriptures to evangelize to the children in my care. I want to teach righteous living to them and encourage them to make decisions that please God and ascribe dignity to their person. Waiting for marriage, no drug use, and fleeing from sexual perversion are just some values that I wish to instill in these kids. Our culture is making great progress with technology, especially in medicine and science, but sadly, there has been much perversion that has become easily accessible along with these benefits. Children are now more at risk than ever. I wish to safeguard their innocence and protect them from malevolent individuals who would steal their innocence. I am passionate about being THAT teacher who is on fire for the Lord and births that same zeal in her students’ hearts. God’s law is the best law and I want to lovingly teach children how to follow His rules and why they are important. Children need to learn rules from kind and compassionate authority figures. If there is no relationship, then rules just create rebellion. I experienced this as a child. The authority figures I knew didn’t train me with love and kindness, so I learned that authority shouldn’t be trusted. But I have since matured. I have seen the goodness of God and realized that God’s law comes with His love. The two are never separated. Children need to learn that God’s law comes with the eternal blessing of God’s love. That is the best reason to learn about Him and follow Him. Everyone needs love, and Jesus will welcome everyone who loves Him and trusts Him. Rebellion is disgusting to the Lord. But a cheerful, well-disciplined child who follows His ways blesses the Lord. This ultimately leads to great joy and contentment for the child. Sharing the truth and love of God with children is my calling, and how I will change the world.

Hi there, my name is Abigail Guerra. I am a current student at the College of Biblical Studies in Houston, Texas. I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies. Thank you so much for making this scholarship available to Christian women pursuing Christ and evangelizing to their community! My heart is for evangelization, most especially with children and women. I started volunteering as a tutor for underprivileged children this Spring, out of obedience to the Lord, and found myself amazed at what God has done. He has birthed in me a love for teaching! Possibly the most hated profession of our time, and God has called me to it! I remember growing up my family always warned me away from education. They said I would be treated like dirt and the children were monsters now. I used to believe it! But God has completely changed my perspective and lovingly set me on this path to minister to the children in my community. I’m applying for this scholarship because I believe in evangelization and the miraculous way that God uses believers to bless other believers. Evangelization is the most faith-filled act of love that Christians can make. No other pursuit grows us so deeply in discipline, selflessness, purpose, and people skills. There is no other endeavor that presents so great a challenge as sharing the gospel with unbelievers in a truthful yet loving way. My husband never spoke those exact words to me, but in essence, he taught me this. My husband works full-time in ministry at our local church and is a full-time student. His goal is to become a pastor. I recently got hired to work at the same church in the children’s ministry. As you can imagine, with two church incomes, college is still difficult to pay for. Even to attend a modest school like CBS is out of our budget. Despite our financial concerns, we have prayed about it extensively and think God is calling me to continue my education. I believe He is calling me to work in the field of education and to use my time in The Word to become better equipped to spread the good news with the kids! For now, I am happy to work with elementary kids and talk about the Bible stories they learn on Sunday. However, I am passionate about literacy and shaping the minds of our youth using biblical principles. In the future will pursue working in private Christian schools as a teacher. But perhaps most importantly, I will strive to be a steadfast Christian advocate and mentor for the next generation.

I've chosen to study Biblical Studies with the primary goal of obedience to God and the secondary goal of service to His church and the world. Christians who pay attention to the gospels recognize how life-changing sound theology is when shared by a passionate, loving person. Human souls are facing eternity somewhere. Will they join Jesus in paradise, or will they follow the devil to hell? It's a life-or-death situation. I want to be more prepared to evangelize with all the passion and love for humanity that my heart can contain. I've been spurred on to study the Bible more effectively due to my experience volunteering with Loving Kids. With this group, I get to tutor underprivileged kids in reading in a poverty-stricken area of Houston. The Texas Department of Corrections adjusts its prison capacity based on the statewide number of children who can't read up to the third-grade level. What my volunteering team and I do helps kids develop the life skills they need to communicate effectively with others, stay out of prison, and succeed! It is my passion to serve; it is my privilege to be part of the success stories of our students. I plan to continue volunteering in education throughout my undergraduate work and pursue a vocation in education once I have finished my Bachelor's degree. Volunteering with Loving Kids has changed my life. I never before realized how much I love teaching. I was always told that it was a terrible profession and that modern children are awful little monsters. But I have found that modern children present modern difficulties. What I mean by this is simply that they are children: small adults who have an overwhelming amount of physical energy that needs an outlet, and also don't have the emotional regulation tools to manage life just yet. Working with them is not completely seamless or completely easy, but it is worth it. I have a great deal of patience for children and find them precious and delightful. I don't overlook behavioral problems, but I see the potential in each child and seek to be a wise and supportive mentor to them all.

I get to tutor underprivileged kids in reading in a poverty-stricken area of Houston. The Texas Department of Corrections adjusts their prison capacity based on the statewide number of children who can't read up to the third grade level. What my volunteering team and I do literally helps kids develop the life skills they need in order to communicate effectively with others, stay out of prison, and find success! We change lives every day. The look on my second graders' faces when they learn a new word brings me so much joy. One on one tutoring, as well as group tutoring, brings the kids so much confidence. They get attention, they get seen, they receive encouragement, and they learn determination. They learn that they are valuable. They learn that their situation is NOT hopeless. We teach them that nothing is impossible through hard work and a good attitude. Volunteering with Loving Kids has changed my life. I never before realized how much I love teaching. I was always told that it was a terrible profession and that modern children are awful little monsters. I have heard so many horror stories and watched a lot of videos on YouTube about why people are leaving the profession. But I have found that modern children present modern difficulties. What I mean by this is simply that they are children: small adults who have an overwhelming amount of physical energy that needs an outlet, and also don't have the emotional regulation tools to manage life just yet. Working with them is not completely seamless or completely easy, but it is worth it. I have worked with children who were severely hyperactive and children who were quiet as a mouse. They all have so much to offer the world! They just need guidance, discipline, and someone who believes in them. From what I have seen, children will learn to trust you and behave well for you when they have one on one time with you, when they see that you care about their feelings, and when you make it clear that your time and effort as a tutor is to be respected. That is what I have learned from generation Alpha. I try to implement that understanding and patient attitude into everything I do now. I never knew I would love teaching children this much. It has inspired me to volunteer with my church, Second Baptist off Woodway, in the Children's Ministry. I help with check-in on Sunday mornings and help leaders facilitate grade level Bible studies. I volunteer with the 4th grade. It is my passion to serve; it is my privilege to be part of the success stories of our students. I plan to continue volunteering in education throughout my undergraduate work and pursue a vocation in education once I have finished my Bachelor's degree.