From being on the transplant floor at the hospital as a child with my mom, to working on that same floor years later as a CNA, to now preparing to enter the field of Child Life and support kids like I once was—I can clearly see the Lord’s hand guiding every step. His work in my life began early and has remained steady and intentional ever since. I was born into a Christian home and gave my life to the Lord at age six. My dad is a pastor at a Baptist church in southern Maine, where he still serves today. In 2014, I married my husband, who was a touring worship artist at the time. Together, we traveled the country, leading worship at churches, festivals, and youth camps - carrying a shared heart to usher people into the presence of God. During those years, we also launched a coffee company called Temple Veil Coffee. In partnership with the Abundant Life Foundation in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we help former opioid farmers transition to growing coffee. Many of these individuals have come to know Jesus, and the profits from the coffee support the rescue and restoration of children trapped in human trafficking. These children are brought into safe homes where they’re introduced to the love of Christ, attend school, and learn life skills. We’ve prayed with and witnessed lives transformed, churches planted, and children returning to be lights in their own communities. In 2024, my husband became the worship pastor at Calvary Chapel Salt Lake, and I joined the team at Primary Children’s Hospital. Though we travel less now, we still lead worship together during the summers. We’ve planted roots here in Salt Lake and are currently beginning the foster care process - something we hope to see grow into a church-wide ministry across Utah. The Lord continues to use my background in ways I never expected. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Family Studies and Child Development and am currently pursuing a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Studies through the University of Arizona. I work as a Child Life Assistant at Primary Children’s Hospital and am now working toward becoming a Certified Child Life Specialist. The final step is completing a 600-hour, full-time 4 month internship - unpaid - offered twice a year at my hospital. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to walk forward in this calling without the weight of financial strain. I trust the Lord to continue providing, just as He always has. My passion for this field was born out of my own childhood. While my dad led our church, my mom was in and out of hospitals, facing surgeries and eventually organ transplants. My dad worked multiple jobs to cover life flight and medical bills, and I often cared for my mom at the hospital and at home. It was a heavy burden for a child, but I still remember the kindness of the nurses who made sure I had food and even placed us in a hospital room where we could see the college baseball games from the window. Now, as I prepare to step into the field of Child Life, I often think about how much it would’ve meant to have someone meet me where I was - explain what was happening on my level, sit with me, play, or simply be present. That kind of presence reminds me of Jesus, who always drew near to the hurting, the vulnerable, and the overlooked. This work isn’t easy, but I know my strength comes from the One who called me. As a Child Life Specialist, my mission is simple: to be present. I will listen with intention, play with purpose, and speak with compassion. I will pray with families, support my team, and remain faithful to the calling on my life. Ministry isn’t just something I do—it’s who I am. Salt Lake City can be a hard place to serve, but I believe the love of Jesus shines brightest in the darkest places. With that mindset, I will bring light into hospital rooms - through laughter, prayer, and genuine care. I will walk with families through fear and uncertainty, offering them peace, kindness, and the unshakable hope of Christ.

To the family and friends of Pastor Thomas Rorie Jr., Thank you for your support and for this incredible opportunity. From being on the transplant floor at the hospital as a child with my mom, to working on that same floor years later as a CNA, to now preparing to enter the field of Child Life and support kids like I once was - I can clearly see the Lord’s hand guiding every step. His work in my life began at a young age and has remained steady and intentional ever since. I was born into a Christian home and gave my life to the Lord at the age of six. My dad is a pastor at a Baptist church in southern Maine, where he still serves today. I attended a Christian school in my early years before transitioning to public school. During high school, I started a Bible study at my public school, and later began another at my college - which is still going strong today. Some might describe my testimony as “boring,” but a pastor once told me that a boring testimony is a beautiful one - a testament to God’s faithfulness and the steady goodness of walking with Him. I married my husband in 2014. At the time, he was a touring worship artist, leading worship at churches, festivals, jails, and youth camps - traveling coast to coast with a heart to usher people into the presence of God and the throne room of grace. When we got married, I joined him on the road. Together, we started a coffee company called Temple Veil Coffee. Through a partnership with Abundant Life Foundation in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we help former opioid farmers transition to growing coffee. Many of them were introduced to Jesus, and the profits from the coffee continue to go toward rescuing children found in human trafficking. These children are brought into safe homes, where they encounter the love of Christ, attend school, and learn life skills. We have prayed for and witnessed healing and restoration, not just for the children, but also for their communities. We've seen lives transformed, villages renewed, churches planted, and children return to be a light to their families and in their communities. Throughout the years, we’ve continued to travel, sharing the love of Jesus through worship and coffee. In 2024, my husband became the worship pastor at Calvary Chapel Salt Lake, and I accepted a position at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. Here, I continue to share the love and grace of Jesus with families facing hardship. Although we travel less now, we still spend several weeks each summer on the road, leading worship together. Our focus has shifted as we now call Salt Lake our home. We are both working and have begun the journey into foster care, with the goal of presenting it to the church as a church-wide ministry across the state of Utah. The Lord continues to use my degree in ways I never dreamed of - in areas like foster care, for example. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Family Studies and Child Development and am now working toward becoming a Certified Child Life Specialist. I am currently earning my Master of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Arizona online. I currently work as a Child Life Assistant, and to become a Certified Child Life Specialist, I must complete a 600-hour internship, full-time for 16 weeks. This internship is offered two times a year at the hospital where I work and is unpaid. Four months without income will be financially challenging, as my husband and I both currently work to meet our financial needs. The internship is the final step in this process before I can certify and take a position as a specialist. Receiving this scholarship would be an incredible blessing, allowing me to move forward in this calling without the weight of financial strain. The Lord has provided for me each step of the way, and I know He will continue to do so. My own childhood shaped my desire to serve in this field. While my dad pastored the church, my mom was in and out of the hospital - facing illness, enduring surgeries, and eventually undergoing organ transplants. My dad worked extra jobs to cover life flight and medical bills, while I spent many hours by my mom’s side in the hospital. At home, I often acted as her primary caregiver. It was a heavy burden to carry as a child, but I still remember the kindness of the nurses who cared for both of us in the hospital - making sure I ate and even giving us a hospital room with a view of the college baseball games down below. Looking back, I see how the Lord gently led me to where I am now. Child Life is still a relatively new field, but one I believe is deeply necessary. I often think about how meaningful it would’ve been to have someone explain things on my developmental level, sit beside me, play, or just be present. That kind of presence reminds me of Jesus - who always drew near to the hurting, the overlooked, and the vulnerable. This profession is not easy emotionally, but I know my strength comes from the One who placed me here. As a Child Life Specialist, my mission is simple: to be present. I will listen with intention, play with purpose, and speak with compassion. I will pray with families, support my team, and remain faithful to the calling God has placed on my life. For me, ministry isn’t just something I do - it’s who I am. Salt Lake City is not always an easy place to minister, but I believe the love of Jesus shines brightest in the darkest places. With that mindset, I will bring light into hospital rooms - through laughter, prayer, and genuine care. I will walk with families through fear and uncertainty, offering them peace, kindness, and the unshakable hope of Jesus.

First, I would like to say thank you to Bruce and Kathy Bevan for their kind generosity. I am a non-traditional student at Weber State University. I am married, 29 years old, and am completing a bachelor's degree in Family Studies and Child Development with the goal of becoming a certified child life specialist in the medical field. Throughout my college career, I have taken eighteen credits each semester because at Weber State University, twelve to eighteen credits is the same price. While taking eighteen credits has been hard, it has taught me how to be intentional, dedicated, and disciplined. While pursuing my degree, I also work full-time at Primary Children's Hospital as a patient care tech on the Same Day Surgery unit. Being full-time at both school as well as work has taught me how to be flexible, adaptable, and resilient. Along with working full-time and attending school full-time, I have also been fulfilling school requirements by completing three hours of volunteering a week as well as twelve hours as an intern at a practicum site a week. I volunteer at Kid's Clubhouse at Primary Children's Outpatient and am an intern at the Family Crisis Center in Ogden. Being busy has taught me that I need community and others around me. While I have a lot on my plate, I have learned to be grateful that I have a job that I truly love. I am thankful for my educators, my co-workers, and my family. I have learned that no matter how busy I am, I want each and every person I encounter to feel like they are the only one that matters in that moment. I've learned how to use my time wisely, how to pay attention to detail, how to communicate effectively, and how to prioritize the tasks at hand. Most of all, I have learned that I succeed when I help others succeed. The path hasn't been easy, but I have seen each hardship as a stepping stone to my journey of becoming a child life specialist. Each experience has allowed me to connect with others and network to expand my professional development. I recently applied for a child life internship at Primary Children's Hospital, which is a forty-hour-a-week, semester-long unpaid internship. I look forward to continuing my work at Primary Children's, my education at Weber State, and my professional and personal development by embracing those around me.

Looking back, the adversity I faced throughout my childhood prepared me to be the best child life specialist I can be. I am now using my own experiences to help other children understand the trauma around them and using my newly gained knowledge to normalize the hospital environment in the best way I can. With every passing memory, I can see the stepping stones that were laid out before me to get where I am now. As a young eight-year old girl, I became very familiar with the hospital environment. My mother received a kidney transplant, a pancreas transplant, and then experienced many life-threatening complications up until I was 16 years old. Because my dad had to pay my mother's life-flight bill, he took on many jobs to make ends meet. This left me to be the main caregiver of my mother. At the age of 12, I was responsible for counting out her 52 pills, helping her get to the bathroom, and tending to all of her needs. While in the hospital, I went on rounds with nurses, I helped myself to the snacks in the nutrition room, and I sat quietly and read the only magazine available, Reader's Digest. As a child, I didn't know what was going on. I was scared, upset, and constantly in survival mode. Once I graduated, I entered nursing school because I felt that I was gifted in that area. Shortly after, I took a job at Primary Children's Hospital in Utah as a CNA. It was then that I witnessed the work of a child life specialist. I saw them helping children cope, normalizing the hospital environment, and decreasing the stress and trauma that children were facing. They spoke using developmentally appropriate words so that every child could understand what was happening. It was in that moment that I decided to change my major at Weber State University to Family Studies with a minor in Child Development so that I could make an impact on children just like me. The character that I have gained because of the adversity I faced is what motivates me and makes me passionate about what I get to do. I have two semesters remaining and have also applied for a child life internship at Primary Children's Hospital where I work. I believe that the child life community is the most selfless community I have ever known. I am honored to be a part of it and thank you for this opportunity.