My grandma's life was no easy; she was victim to poverty, grief, and domestic abuse. But, talking with her, you would never know it. There was never a kinder or more caring woman, nor one more devoted to her family and to her faith. She taught me strength, resilience, and hope. Narrative has the power to do that, to inspire, and in the truths found in a good story, the reader can ultimately be pointed back to God. I hope to make a true, eternal impact with my storytelling by conveying God's truth (implicitly and explicitly) to a world drowning in lies. Through both creative and corporate writing, my goal is for readers to come away with a better understanding of God's character, omnipresence, and (above all) reality; using my gift for writing to encourage and point people towards Christ is both my privilege and obligation as a Christian. I have always felt called to writing, and I understand the impact that storytelling has to change perspectives and realize truths. My name is Jadyn Aldrich, and I am majoring in communications with a strategic emphasis and minoring in English, Honors, and Christian Studies. I have a passion for storytelling and creativity, and I would love to incorporate this into my career post-graduation. One way I have investigated doing this is through working as a corporate writer for a non-profit organization, where I could help express and contribute to a mission that matters and aligns with my Christian values. This kind of persuasive writing is important and life-changing when even one person responds. I believe that in my future career I really can make a difference through not being afraid to share what matters. But more than corporate writing, I plan to pursue both creative fiction and creative non-fiction, both of which I have gotten the chance to explore through coursework in my undergraduate studies. I want my work to be reflective of hope and of the reality of the Gospel. Especially in creative fiction, I love to draw on biblical themes which illuminate our need for a Saviour. This past year, I had the chance to write a fictitious short story serving as an adaptation of the story of The Fall, and I would love to continue to write creative stories drawing from and pointing towards the Bible. As for creative non-fiction, this past year I got to write my grandma's incredible story for a project which won "People's Choice Award" at Crown College's Academic Showcase of Excellence. But even this story is not "just about my grandma," as I originally thought. Mankind is created in the image of God, and every person is revealing of some facet of God's nature and has a story worth telling. My grandmother's story is one of faith, and, ultimately, of Jesus, because without Him there would be nothing to tell. No story of hope, resilience, or unconditional love would exist without Christ's redemptive work on the cross, and thus this ultimate narrative pervades into each of our lives. It is the greatest story, the one that saved my life, and I want to keep retelling it and sharing its truth. I would love to tell the story of others who, like my grandma, demonstrate this. I hope that through my exploration of Christian themes in fiction and non-fiction, and through the reinforcement of Christian values as a corporate writer, that I can one day make a difference like Hilda Stahl, through inspiring hope and truth. There are stories all around us evidencing God's goodness, I only hope to recognize and tell them.