My journey to the Mankato Newman Center has taken a little more time than most but in hindsight God has been preparing me to serve him through this mission.  At the end of my freshman year of college, I had a deep reconversion to the faith. As I approached graduation, it was clear that God was calling me to find a job near my hometown of North Bend, Nebraska to be close to my Grandma Mildred (93 years old at the time) a woman of great strength and faith who, as she put it, “raised me from a pup”, to be there to help her live out her remaining years in her own home and also to help my family with the care of my Mother with advanced MS (Multiple Sclerosis). After my Grandma entered into enteral rest in June of 2016 at the young age of 96, God began working on my heart calling me towards becoming a FOCUS Missionary.  The choice to join FOCUS was a difficult one to make. I did not want to leave family or a community with such a great people and even better friends, but when seeking counsel from my mother whether this is the right path she said – “Now that your grandmother has passed, this is EXACTLY what she would want you to be doing” and that sealed the deal.

I first served the St. Thomas More Catholic Newman Center as a FOCUS Missionary for 3 years, then 2 years as the Director of Campus Ministry. Today, I serve the development team as the Mission Advancement Officer. In this role, I have had the privilege of working with our recent grads, alumni, and other community members to help build up a sustainable monthly giving program to support the Newman Center. 

 I am so excited to be a part of this mission to ignite a fiery love for Christ on college campuses! I humbly ask for your prayers for all of us at the Newman Center in Mankato, that we may bring Christ to the lives of the people we encounter in a deep and profound way. God Bless!  

“Jesus grant me the grace to desire that others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should”