On the first tour, I learned that a music professor fed the campus squirrels every day at lunch. What seemed like a random fact to others struck me as a sign of deep care—if a professor could love squirrels that much, surely they cared even more for their students. That was the first seed God planted in my heart.

On the second tour, I met a music professor wearing the cutest pair of heels. Something about her presence made me want to study under her. On the third tour, during my vocal audition, a staff member interrupted to snap a selfie with the professor and a visiting family member. I still wish I had photobombed their photo!

Those three tours—Squirrels, Shoes, and Selfies—all became part of my testimony. They led me to Vanguard University, where on my very first night, after my very first worship experience, a new friend shared the Gospel with me. That night, I accepted Jesus Christ into my life and heart.

A huge part of my spiritual development has come from an academic viewpoint because of the required theology courses at Vanguard. I learned how to look at Scripture through an academic lens for three and a half years during which I began learning about God. Yet during those same years, I was searching for something deeper—a spiritual mentor, a discipler who could walk with me and show me how to read God’s Word and spend time with Him.

In fact, I even tried bribing the friend who had shared the Gospel with me. I offered free pizza in exchange for teaching me how to read the Bible. The “lesson” lasted only a moment—she told me to open the Bible to any page and start reading, then walked away with the pizza.

Fast forward to 2021. I joined a women’s Bible study and became close to an older woman there. Hoping this might finally be the discipleship relationship I had been praying for, I asked if she would help me practice the spiritual disciplines together. At first, I was hopeful—but I was met with book recommendations instead of shared time. Even after I explained that I wanted to actually meet and practice the disciplines side by side, I felt as though she was indirectly telling me she was either not interested or simply too busy.

Unfortunately, over these past ten years, I have encountered far too many of these situations. Pastors and leaders have told me they would pray about taking me under their wing to help me grow in my relationship with Jesus, only to later avoid me in the church hallways. Strong believers I admired often offered me a book recommendation instead of an invitation to truly walk together.

After years of searching, I still longed for someone willing to come alongside me like Elijah did with Elisha—to teach me the ways of spiritual growth and to journey with me in faith. Yet Jesus calls us to “Go and make disciples, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded” (Matt. 28:19–20). I can’t help but wonder how many others are struggling just as I did.

My prayer is to create a space where we can come alongside one another, disciple each other, and grow together in our faith journeys.