• Right after high school, the next logical step was college. I had JUST become a Christian and wanted was encouraged by my youth pastor, Bob MacRae, to go to Christian College. I don’t think I even knew what that meant. But, Bob drove a few of us seniors in his youth group to various regional colleges, including Taylor University in Indiana, Trinity College in Chicago, and Bethel College in St. Paul, MN. I knew that Taylor was a bit more prestigous than Trinity and Brad’s brother, Steve attended there. So, because of my good ACT score, I ended up getting accepted at Taylor. I remember getting that letter and feeling so happy and yet sad at the same time. I had become pretty attached to my friendship with Brad. He, too, had applied to Taylor, but, didn’t get the same Congratulatory letter that I did.
  
  The both of us DID get acceptance letters from Trinity, though. That was the obvious choice for him. I had to think long and hard about my dilemma. I wanted to go to the best school I could, but, I also wanted to go to a place that was closer to home and where my great new Christian friend, Brad was going to go.
  
  
  
• I consider my twenties as a time of setting myself up for future success.
  
• After graduating college, I went on to pursue my Masters at Trinity in the History of Christianity and Philosophy of Religion

— Moving to Minnesota

Moving from Rockford, IL to the northern suburbs of Chicago was one of the toughest decisions of my life. I was 18 and the thought of living beyond