An Internship Changed My College Experience

Not the Typical College Experience

Going into college, I knew my college experience wouldn’t look like the “typical” college experience. I didn’t live in a dorm. I moved in with a family member who lived close to my college. I didn’t rush to be in a sorority. Because of these circumstances, It was incredibly hard to adjust to a new city and a new life. Making friends was difficult after being with the same people for the past 12 years of my life. I was completely lonely and scared.

After an extremely emotional and anxious first semester, I heard about this internship/volunteering opportunity called “2:52.” The internship was associated with Church of The Highlands and it consisted of a group of about 60 college kids. We gathered on Monday nights for Chapel to grow in their faith and in community and be poured into. Then, on Thursday nights, we had the student-focused church service called “ONE.” There, we could serve and pour out to other students who were looking for the same things we were: a community, faith, and Jesus. I took a leap of faith and signed up… I had no idea I would find everything I had been looking for in high school, and throughout my first semester of college, there.

During this Internship, I gained so much more than expected

The internship has molded me into a leader and taught me how to seek after Jesus on my own. It taught me to not rely on a church, a building, or people to shape my relationship with God. Rather, it’s a personal walk. I was able to serve my community and learn to be selfless by helping others. I made friends who were after the same things as me. I made friends from different backgrounds and states and who had different stories than me. I learned that you could find friends that truly cared about how you were doing and looked out for your best interest. In two semesters, I lead a small group and now am leading within the internship. I have come extremely far from where I started and now have the boldness and confidence to do things that I had always been afraid of before.

I found who I was without living a typical “crazy” college lifestyle. Now, I run next to people who are chasing the same things. We have all gone through things and pulled each other back towards Jesus when we’ve fallen. I found out that a relationship with Jesus doesn’t have to be pretty or perfect. It just has to be real. No matter your condition, He is always waiting to meet with you. God has a purpose and a plan for your life and the fun part of the journey is discovering what that is. This internship has grown me and shaped me a prepared me to be whatever God is calling me to be and that is life-changing.

Read about Jade’s internship experience at Marvel here!

emmacaroline

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