My whole body was blue from a lack of oxygen. I was three years old, 16 pounds, and had an unrepaired heart when I was rescued by a loving Christian couple. My adoptive mother bought me two pearl bracelets, one to fit me then and the other to fit as an adult.
My parents are wonderful people who adopted me, gave me the health care I needed, the love of family, and, most importantly, a Christian foundation. However, my health would not be fully restored after one surgery. I would eventually have a total of seven surgeries. As a child, I resented having so many health issues. I look back and see that God used this to shape my character and to trust Him with my physical health.
In kindergarten, in a childlike manner, I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior and was baptized that summer. It was not until 8th grade, after a classmate of mine had died from cancer, that I understood the depth of having a relationship with God. Ava was diagnosed in 7th grade. At that time, another boy at our school was also diagnosed with cancer, and he survived. So I assumed God would give her a miracle too. Three months before the end of 8th grade, I was told she only had a few months left to live. After Ava died, I was shattered, questioning God’s goodness and why there was so much suffering. Looking back, God showed me the Christian walk requires full dependence on Him, and the suffering God allows is never meaningless. God uses suffering to shape our character and to draw us closer to Him. The doctrine of the hidden and revealed will of God has also helped me come to terms with the fact that there are some things He will not reveal this side of heaven, yet He turns what was meant for evil for good.
Over the years, because of my health problems and learning disabilities, I have struggled in school. However, along the way, I have had many teachers who have encouraged me and helped me discover my passions. In third grade, I still remember my teacher saying how she was proud of me for completing the reading challenge. I soon discovered reading was not a mundane school assignment but a chance to escape into fantastical worlds. Throughout my time in high school, I have questioned aspects of my faith and doctrines. Bible teachers have encouraged me to wrestle with my questions, given me tools, and ultimately urged me to seek God through prayer. While doubt is not always good, God has used it to draw me closer to Him.
I believe I have been called to teach teenagers the Bible, whether in a church or school setting, because Christ gives purpose, hope, and moral direction for one’s life. However, having a career in education or church ministry will not provide significant financial support. My parents, who have three other children, including one with severe special needs, cannot contribute as much as they would like because my dad has been out of work for over three years, but as Christians, we believe that money is not the purpose of our lives. Our purpose is to glorify God in all we do. Yet wisdom in where I invest my money and time is essential. Receiving the Pastor Thomas Rorie Jr. Christian Values Scholarship would help me subsidize my education and make my dream of teaching possible.
I want to pursue a career working with teenagers because adolescence is one of the most challenging yet formative years of life. some of the hardest but most formative years. Yet, I have had the blessing of wonderful teachers who have poured into my life, and I want to walk alongside the next generation through their joys and sorrows. Reflecting on my childhood, I see how God has used suffering and challenges to instill resilience, compassion, a love of learning, and humility in me. I have been poured into; now it is my turn to pour into the next generation. The pearl bracelet my adoptive mom gave me no longer fits—I have grown into the bigger bracelet.