From Student to Staff (By Carrin): When Emily came to McClatchy Campus Life she was a sophomore and had transferred from a high school in another city. She was bullied badly at her old school and Emily said, “I was told to kill myself because nobody would care if I was gone”. Emily attempted suicide and spent a week and a day in a psychiatric hospital.
For the next three years Emily attended Campus Life but mostly for the pizza and friends. She was energetic and often disruptive, one of those kids you love but makes your job just a little more difficult. I found out that she used to go to church with family but had actually been bullied there also, and walked away from her faith. At YFC summer camp her senior year Emily made a decision to follow Christ. She started attending church with me and was later baptized at my church.
Emily had a desire to volunteer with me at club but she was immature and not yet a good example for the students. I had her meet with me for a year of training and studying the bible. She has grown substantially; she volunteered for another year and then was hired as a YFC intern.
She now teaches a bible study every Saturday morning for our students. This week she was even researching the younger years of Jesus life so she could answer a question the girls asked her.
Here is an excerpt from when she spoke at summer camp this year:
“Carrin, my mentor, showed me that God knows my path, he knows what I’m going through, no matter what wrongdoing I did to others, he loved me. God loved the weird kid that I was. So what did God give me? An amazing support system, an amazing job and an amazing family.”
We are so proud of the young woman Emily has become and her growth over the last few years.