Without generous and consistent support, it would be impossible to sustain campus ministry work. Read on to learn more about my staff story.
The lead-up:
I am a Filipino American woman, born and raised in New Jersey. I grew up with a praying grandmother, who took me to a church where I encountered Jesus for the first time. Fast forward 4 years, and I got involved with the Cru movement at my college campus. As an upperclassman, I emceed at Jersey Cru events and served as the Rutgers Cru student president. I loved serving other students in a way that pointed them to the life-changing love of Jesus. Senior year, I was faced with a challenging decision: follow my carefully thought-out 10-year career plan or lean into the areas God was growing my heart for.
After graduating from Rutgers University in 2019 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in public health with a focus on health disparities, I interned with the Jersey Metro campus ministry team. My soul sang as I drove from campus to campus, meeting with students. Each woman I discipled had a different faith story and cultural background from the others. Each leadership team I worked with catered to students across a diversity of spiritual backgrounds and had unique ideas about how to do so. The work I did was challenging, life-giving, and unlike anything I ever saw myself doing.
The current reality:
My internship wrapped up at the beginning of the pandemic. Since then, I have joined the Jersey Metro team as a long-term staff member. Jersey is among the states with the lowest staff to student ratio in the country. With more than 60 college campuses in the state, there are thousands of students who do not have a full-time staff person to work with. As someone whose faith blossomed from one-on-one discipleship and team leadership training, I know the impact it has for those students to gain my time and resources that I connect them with. This is only possible because of the caring individuals and churches who have regularly partnered with me via their prayers and resources. I ask you to also partner with my ministry, and witness with me the magnificent ways God is changing college campuses across the state!