Area of Study:  Therapeutic & Community Psychology
 Year:  2007 Graduate!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to be a Social Worker for families with children with special needs, providing therapy for the child and training parents on the best ways to work with their children.

What are you passionate about?  What interests do you have?

I am passionate about kids.  I love, love, love them - all ages, but especially infant to preschool-aged.  Kids (and adults, too) with special needs hold a huge place in my heart and have taught me more about life and the world than anyone else I have met.  I am very interested in psychology and our personalities as individuals; talking with people just fascinates me.  I like having deep conversations with people about religion, philosophy, and politics.  I really just am interested by learning about others at a genuine level.

Why did you choose Kyiv for a missions experience?

Eastern European history is very interesting to me and so I have always wanted to visit that part of the world.  I also thought it would be such a unique mission experience to visit a place that already knows the Lord, to see how similar we are as brothers and sisters in Christ despite our cultural differences.

What Bible verse or Christian truth has been really meaningful to you in the last year?

John 14:12 says "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." I have found this verse to be so inspiring for a few reasons. It is so easy to get discouraged when we think about how flawed we are and how perfect Christ is. However, this verse reminds us that we are to live and love as Christ, and that God is fully cheering us on in our pursuit of Christlike love. God desires this of us, He wants us to do great things for others out of love for Him.

What do you love to do when you have a full day or series of days off from school or work?

I enjoy going to the beach if the weather is nice. I also like taking my dog for long walks, which is really relaxing for me. I also like to watch movies or take a great book with me to a coffee shop. I love going to museums or downtown and just walking around. I also like to use that free time to catch up with friends and family since we’re all so busy during school and work!
 

If you could have a superhero strength what would you choose?

I would love to be able to fly so that I could travel and see all the beautiful people and places in the world without having to pay for airfare!!
 

What would you like to say to the folks in Ukraine?