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HELMdisciples.org > About HELM > Students tell their stories

Students tell their stories

HELM has asked college students from across the country to write about their faith during college. The variety of responses is tremendous. We now have more than 250 stories to choose from. Find one you like, and print it in your church newsletter, post it online, whatever you choose — We're happy to share.

Stories from the 2009-2010 academic year
Stories from the 2008-2009 academic year
Stories from the 2007-2008 academic year
Stories from the 2006-2007 academic year
Stories from the 2005-2006 academic year
Stories from the 2004-2005 academic year and "What I'm Doing This Summer"

HELM Leadership Fellows
Melissa Hall: Saying what's on your heart As Melissa Hall prepared to talk on what the church means to her, she worried about what to say. Should her talk cater to the audience, Barton College alumni and friends gathering at General Assembly? Or should she aim to speak honestly and openly about her own faith? A late-night prayer and silence, followed by an intense writing session, pulled the conflicting elements together as Melissa explained the importance of church in her life.
Paige Westerhausen: Maid of honor When Paige Westerhausen was asked to be the maid of honor at her sister's wedding, she didn't consider the speech she would have to give at the reception. She isn't a fan on giving speeches, and writing two drafts that flopped didn't boost her self-confidence. With a bit of help from her mother — and a dose of divine support — Paige stepped up to the microphone and nailed the speech.
Christina Cheon: Reflections on the first year Now that her freshman year is over, Christina Cheon is looking back at what she's learned so far. There were typical first-year lessons like how to do laundry, making sure she awoke on time, and study skills. More importantly, Christina recognizes that she learned a lot about her faith and how important a faith community can be.
Aly Gideon: Where is home? Aly Gideon is from many places. Aly's mother moved during her senior year in Oklahoma, and her family is scattered across the country while she studies at Chapman University in California. This summer, while working at a summer internship in Texas, Aly has found telling folks where home is a challenging task. Finding a familiar sky in a new setting helped her realize that anywhere can be home with God at her side.
Arrington Foster: Overworked Like many college students, Arrington Foster is overcommitted. Between acting, an RA job, and serving as a campus tour guide — and, of course, studying — this past spring found the TCU student spread too thin, and that had consequences. Arrington believes he's learned from that experience, though, and that he will find a balance in his senior year.
Charisse Knorr: Who are you? Charisse Knorr, a brand-new Chapman University graduate, is looking for a job. The first draft of her résumé, including everything she wants an employer to know about her, was four pages long. Editing it down to a manageable size was torture, but it's also helped Charisse contemplate who she truly is and how she portrays herself to others. She also believes it's God's way of telling her to slow down.
Christina Hunt: Planning for God vs. God planning for me Christina Hunt readily admits it: She's a control freak and a perfectionist, a mixed blessing. Recently she found herself writing an overly ambitious five-year plan, which triggered a "quarter-life crisis." Luckily, with the help of a mentor, she realized that God has a say in that five-year plan, too. While she still has her goals in mind, she's also keeping her mind open to the directions God leads her.
Caroline Hamilton: Get doing. "Don't just stand there, do something!" What causes us to spring into action? What turns a lazy day into an active day? What makes our fingers move? What does it take to quit talking about being faithful followers of Christ to actually making a difference in the world? Caroline Hamilton reflects on what it takes to stop planning and start doing. In our faith, she believes engaging the work of God is the ideal motivator.
Stephen Hall: Thought influences thought If life lacks love, hope, or faith, is life worth living? Stephen Hall contemplates the role our mindsets play in our lives and the lives of others. Keeping a positive frame of mind in difficult times is, of course, extremely challenging, but it can also change the outcome. When you look at life and the world around you, it will look differently depending on whether you seek the presence — or the absence — of love, hope, and faith.
David Stonebraker: Faith and foreign policy David Stonebraker looks at America's foreign policy, particularly the stance on Palestine and the general condemnation of nations that tolerate terrorist within their borders, and thinks back to the Bible's lessons on judgment, the descendants of Abraham, and the tragic accidental deaths of innocent civilians. How does our faith influence our view of the world?
Virginia White: Our church's challenge The death of Osama bin Laden inspired a wide range of reactions, from celebration to shame. One response in particular, slamming Christians as ignorant for expressing regrets for bin Laden's violent death, stuck with Virginia White. She's reflecting on her evolution as a Christian, first as a member of a community, then as a believer in a faith, and now as a young adult with a distinctly Christian worldview — and our church's role in proclaiming God's hope for a peaceful world.
Kiersten Hawes: Combining my passion with theory As a junior at Spelman College, Kiersten Hawes knows her vocational calling: Helping children with mental illnesses, focusing on research. Her upcoming summer internship will give her the opportunity to work with challenged children and practice research techniques that she will use in her profession. As she prepares to take another step in her plans to create a non-profit organization focused on impoverished, mentally ill children. Kiersten is truly grateful to have found her life's calling.
Alexis Westerhausen: A different wedding prayer The strains of "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" at a beautiful wedding fresh in the minds of the Culver-Stockton concert choir singers, they returned backstage to discover somebody had swiped more than $700 cash from the students' purses and wallets during the performance. As the grace of the performance and the ugliness of crime mixed, Alexis Westerhausen overcame the sense of violation and chose instead to pray for the thief. She also has a new perspective on how we help those in need.
Luke Ehrhardt: A new understanding of mission As his mission group rolled into the Honduran village of Veracruz, Luke Ehrhardt quickly realized his life would be changed drastically. As he worked alongside villagers who didn't speak his language, Luke still learned about them through their habits, their laughter, the joy of playing with local kids, and their compassion. He came home with a newer understanding of mission and a better understanding of how his education will help him help the world around him.
Sarah Cheon: Four years later Sarah Cheon's college career is winding down, and she realizes how much she has changed over four years. When she first arrived on campus, her goal was to impress people, to come off as someone who was very put together. Now she appreciates the lifelong friendships she has created. More importantly, she recognizes how much her faith has grown and how she's learned to share and use that faith to help others in their own faith journeys.
Courtney Waters: Grateful for the gift of education Four years ago, Courtney Waters had to be dragged "kicking and screaming" to even consider attending Rhodes College. Eventually she gave in, even though she wondered if it was the right place for her. Now, she's graduating and bound for a job teaching, a vocation she swore off a few years ago. With her education almost over and the rest of her life beginning, Courtney is thankful for her education — and for the mentors who helped her recognize the opportunity.
Tom Calvert-Rosenberger: Breathe, the world goes on Breathe. It's easy to forget we breathe at all, easy to forget to take time to breathe when we really need to. Breathing can fire us up, cool us off, or calm us down. A well-placed breath can spare others from undeserved anger, or give us hope that the next minute will be better than the last. Tom Calvert-Rosenberger believes every breath is a connection to God.
Cambria Findley-Grubb: Lunch with Elie Wiesel Sharing a meal with a Nobel Laureate proved a life-changing event for Cambria Findley-Grubb. A Peace Studies student at Chapman University, Cambria was blessed with to join an open Q-and-A with the noted Holocaust survivor and reconciliation advocate. Questions ranged from how to dispel hatred in the seemingly endless Palestinian/ Israeli conflict to how Wiesel would defend humanity to alien visitors to whether the sins of one generation should be borne by their descendents.
Jesse Stephenson: No burning bush Jesse Stephenson never felt pressured to decide what he was called to do in life; he figured he'd find out when the time was right. Through 3½ years of college, that call never came. Only when a friend pointed out how much Jesse enjoyed service work did he realize that a life of enjoying service — summer mission trips, volunteering during college, and his HELM Leadership Fellows covenant — preparing him to be called to serve others.
Seth Rash: From goodbye to hello Seth Rash has found himself saying goodbye quite a bit in the past few years. It started with a favorite music teacher moving to another town an hour away. Then his youth pastor resigned. Next was leaving family and friends back home and a short-lived breakup with his girlfriend. Now his home church's pastors are moving to a new congregation. Through all these goodbyes, Seth is grateful for the people that have impacted his life, and he's grateful that "goodbye" often leads to a new "hello."
Allie Lundblad: Sharing the same bathroom Allie Lundblad recently made a pilgrimage to Taizé, France, home of a monastic community known for its meditative worship and its communal day-to-day operations. Allie's job: Clean the bathroom. As she reflects on her experience, she sees bathroom cleaning as a metaphor for the world and our faith: We all share the same bathroom, keeping it clean is hard work, and hopefully our work will benefit others.
Alison Simon: Mardi Gras Alison Simon loves Mardi Gras, the day of indulgence preceding Lent, the season of sacrifice and waiting: waiting weeks for that treasured first cup of coffee, or waiting for Easter and the celebration of Resurrection. But Alison sees Lent as a season of hoping: hoping for that first cup of coffee, hoping for Easter. She's hoping that this year, her Lent will be less about waiting and more about celebrating hope.
Sabreena Rodriguez: Traveling Sabreena Rodriguez is studying this spring in Madrid, but she's finding her classroom extends far beyond the campus boundaries. Weekend travels to Paris and Morocco have opened her eyes to the differences between culture, and it's also helped break stereotypes as she sees desperation in Paris and wealth side-by-side with poverty in Marrakech. Sabreena's world is a much, much bigger place than it was when she stepped off the plane just a few weeks ago.
Henry Brewer-Calvert: Lifegiving Henry Brewer-Calvert is changing. With a new appreciation for community and a sense of connection with the rest of the world, Henry finds himself seeking out diversity and inter-faith understanding. A recent experience with a Virginia-based organization fighting prejudice and building diversity has rekindled his passion for building interfaith dialogue on the Lynchburg College campus. He's also imagining all the borders still to be crossed.
Melissa Hall: Why church matters A few Sundays ago, as Melissa Hall drove another student back to Barton College, she found herself explaining why she bothers going to church. For Melissa, it's easy to explain: Church strengthens her faith, a faith that changed her life and gives her life meaning. Two days later, the student called Melissa with another question, demonstrating Melissa's faith at work in the world: "How can I get a personal relationship with God?"
Paige Westerhausen: Finding God Paige Westerhausen has always been skeptical about God and her faith. But an experience at the HELM Leadership Fellows conference — a prayer for the strength to stay close with God and to learn how to express her faith in a positive way — helped Paige feel God in the room and shored up her faith. Now she can understand the concept of "finding God," and her faith is expressed in a new, exciting way.
Arrington Foster: Open doors and closed doors What is your dream in life? Arrington Foster's dream is to be a successful actor, and he's working toward that goal as a theater major at TCU. Recently he auditioned for a reality TV series inspired by "Glee." While he didn't make the cut, he doesn't feel too bad; he and his friends don't have the stormy temperament needed for reality shows. In retrospect, he realizes reality TV would have been a bad career move for an aspiring actor. He believes God closed one door to keep another door open.
Christina Cheon: Rekindling faith's fire Christina Cheon's experience isn't unique: The strong faith from early childhood faded as she grew up. She didn't know how to revive her faith, but she worked with younger members of her church to keep them from having the same fading faith. But at December's NAPAD youth gathering, a 12-year-old's testimony about an older sister losing her belief in God jolted Christina, reviving her faith at the beginning of a new year.
Alan Moore: Resolution 5:4 Alan Moore has sped through college in three years with a plan in mind: earn a degree in political science, teach a few years, then go to law school. That plan hasn't changed. What has changed, though, is Alan's comfort in what the future is bringing. As he makes decisions that will affect the rest of his life, he hopes to remember he is merely the servant and not the architect of his life's grand plan.
Aly Gideon: The purpose of prayer Why do we pray? Aly Gideon had wondered this for years, when her prayers requesting solutions to problems seemingly had gone unanswered. A prayer she heard while working at summer camp, though, changed the way she viewed prayer: Instead of asking God to solve problems, we should ask God to grant us the strength to overcome those problems. Along with a verse of Philippians, Aly's new view on prayer completely changed her prayer life.
Charisse Knorr: Fire For Charisse Knorr, fire is transformation. She connects fire with new times in her life, whether that's beginning a school year or a church camp moment when she felt closer to God than ever before. At November's HELM Leadership Fellows conference, rich in deep conversations about faith, fire was a constant presence — and an enabling presence. Without those fires, Charisse believes those conversations might not have happened. Where is the fire in your life?
Christina Hunt: Uncomfort zone Christina Hunt got off to a rough start at the University of Tennessee. Back home in Memphis, she had her inner circle of trustworthy friends and a community that knew who she was. At the other end of the Volunteer State, Christina was a nobody. She became a different person, at times angry and resentful. A visit from her father, and some wise advice to trust in God, helped Christina change her attitude, and that's made all the difference as her first semester comes to a close.
Caroline Hamilton: New things Advent — the time of year for eager but patient waiting for something new — is bringing its share of new things to Caroline Hamilton. Applying for graduate school, looking ahead to a final semester, and getting engaged have her looking forward. She shares that call for new things in an Advent song in which the world's humble and overlooked hope for something simple, something better. Their hope, and their expectation that their hopes will come to pass, is rooted in their faith in our beautiful God.
Alexis Westerhausen: Avoiding the unavoidable The fear of offending someone is so overwhelming in today's politically and religiously charged world that keeping your opinion to yourself makes life so much easier. But that's not an effective way to lead. Alexis Westerhausen joined other HELM Leadership Fellows last month in practicing civil conversation — and yes, it takes practice. The experience of sharing of her opinions, while listening to opinions different from hers, has open Alexis' mind to new ways to address and solve problems, a lesson we could all use from time to time.
Luke Ehrhardt: A life of faith At an age when many college students distance themselves from their families and churches, Luke Ehrhardt holds those connections close. His brother's cheerful spirit during recovery from a liver transplant, the leadership and kindness exemplified by his parents, and his congregation's unquestioned love and support, helps Luke recognize others who need help. Together, these have helped Luke create a strong relationship with God, too.
Sarah Cheon: A time for growing up College is all about learning, but not all learning takes place in the classroom. As Sarah Cheon's senior year begins, she looks back at how college has helped her mature from a "selfish, immature" freshman to a graduate with a wider perspective on the world. Seeing how that change has made her a better person helps ease her anxiety about the next change, heading out into the working world.
Virginia White: What does my routine say about me? If actions speak louder than words, Virginia White believes routines speak loudest of all. And that bothers her. As a collegian with a routine centered study and campus engagement, Virginia realizes growing her faith isn't a priority. She sees education as part of a journey to a life that includes a faithful focus and living out Jesus' call to serve others, but balancing that call with the short-term necessities of college life is a nagging concern she can't shake.
Kiersten Hawes: The power of affirmations Inner peace. Guidance. Healing. Prosperity. These four affirmations are changing the way Kiersten Hawes views each day. Overwhelmed by classes and extracurricular activities, Kiersten's grandmother sent her a book that taught her some simple ways to change her routine, focus on God from the moment she awoke, and provided hope at the end of long days. She believes mediation and prayer are the source of my strength this semester.
Dave Stonebraker: To think like God Dave Stonebraker recognizes the need to find another place when he needs to be close to God, be it a church or a park or a pond. David has also come to learn that prayer takes us to a new place and shows us a new way of thinking — God's thinking. When we strive to think like God, our worldly concerns fall away, our minds are transformed, and we can see and feel the renewal all around us.
Tom Calvert-Rosenberger: Always on the move Tom Calvert-Rosenberger can't explain why he decided to move from Indiana to Texas for college, or why he chose to study this semester in Italy when he'd taken five years of Spanish. In his faith, he sees Jesus, the wandering prophet always on the move, as a kindred spirit. Tom believes life and love and God are in the constant change, and that the most important constant in life is embracing life as it is.
Courtney Waters: Cluelessness to definition and back again As she enters her senior year in college, Courtney Waters is reflecting on her experiences as she changed from a confused freshman to a sophomore beginning to discern her vocational calling, and then more confusion as she tried to figure out how to make that calling a reality. While it's easy to label college students as "aimless" when they change majors as often as they change clothes, Courtney sees God at work in the chaos.
Seth Rash: Welcome to college For freshman Seth Rash, college in the Metroplex is a lot different than high school in a small Missouri town. Aside from all the distraction around the TCU campus, Seth has been careful about how he uses his free time, something he didn't have as an overcommitted high schooler. He's being careful about saving time for himself, and that includes concentrating on his relationship with God.
Cambria Findley-Grubb: Unbinding your heart Cambria Findley-Grubb's home church recognized it needed to change if it was going to thrive in a new era of ministry, but the idea of change created resistance and frustration. But like many Disciples congregations, the "Unbinding the Gospel" series helped the congregation's members forge deeper connections with God and each other. Now Cambria's congregation is transforming into an exciting place with creative ideas for ministry.
Jesse Stephenson: God provides This summer brought lots of challenges for Jesse Stephenson. He had to adapt to a new community far from home, and he needed to find a job in a county in which nearly one of five workers was unemployed. Luckily, two temp jobs helped him save up a few bucks — just in time to replace his car when its transmission died. Now that he's back at school, he looks back on the summer of 2010 and knows not only that God provided him with plenty, but that no challenge is too tough when God is with you.
Alison Simon: Not what it seems In a recurring dream, Alison Simon keeps traveling to the same French village, over and over, taking along different members of her family. But recently, the dream took a weird twist when her father pointed out Alison wasn't where she thought she, leaving her confused and disoriented Â both in the dream and in reality. Even when things are what they seem to be, she knows she's not alone.
Allie Lundblad: 10,000 hours until greatness As the school year begins, Allie Lundblad is setting goals. Some are mundane (save up for snow boots), while others set lofty goals. She recently learned the theory that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master a particular field. Doing the math, Allie realized she might be able to pull off mastering something, but what should she master?

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