I'm 21.
I'm 21 and a graduate.
I'm 21 and a graduate of the University of Michigan.
I'm 21 and a graduate of the University of Michigan with a Master's degree in Educational Studies: Leadership and Policy.
I'm 21 and a graduate of the University of Michigan with a Master's degree in Educational Studies: Leadership and Policy who is leaving academia and entering the mission field.
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My cousin flew out to Michigan last Tuesday and we drove the 600 miles home on Thursday. I finished graduate school on Tuesday and two days later, I was home in Delaware with a car packed to capacity and exhausted. I have a 99 Pontiac Grand Am, so I had to leave many belongings behind, but I considered it practice for the World Race.
I had approached my ten month journey in Michigan with a mission-minded mentality and I felt like God had sent me into this foreign circumstance to reach those who were far from God and to encourage those in the kingdom of God to get closer. I saw God move in mighty ways in my friends' lives and my family's lives and, of course, in my life and I am still trying to wrap my head around it all.
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I do not have any great pictures of me in graduation garb. I did not walk across the stage and receive a handshake from the dean. I did not have a lot of friends to take awesome pictures with and a whole lot of fun stories of the good ol' college days. Graduate school was very much like a job for me. People clock in and clock out; the relationships were amicable, but shallow; the experience had a huge impact on my life, but it is not a warm and fuzzy year; and there was a lot of stress.
I want to make it super clear that I am so super grateful to have gone to grad school and even more so to go to grad school so far away because I grew up so much in one year that it doesn't even make sense. The Lord allowed me to accumulate so much knowledge that ironically, I now realize that I barely know anything. It's been a humbling journey. I attended nice churches and spent time with some great people, but it was abundantly clear to me that covenant relationship with family and church community is irreplaceable and incomparable. Also, it was abundantly clear that even if we have a short time with people or in a certain place, we can still make an incredible impact.
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Grad school is gone (for now) and I just thank the Lord. It was a good season. It was tough. It was challenging. It grew me. It made me look at me and say, "Oooh, I've got a lot to work on." I learned to cherish my close relationships and at the same time let them go and know that God is taking care of them. I am still experimenting in the kitchen and my future family is going to be grateful in a few years that I got this practice time in 🙂 Goodbye to my small group, goodbye to Washtenaw County Young Life, goodbye wonderful bus system, goodbye Kroger, goodbye U-M libraries, goodbye beautiful Michigan scenery and air, goodbye Huron High School, goodbye Tanyata, goodbye Juhyun, goodbye research job, goodbye Sasha, goodbye Jasper, goodbye Scio Church Road, goodbye Whole Foods, goodbye room, goodbye Midwest weather alerts, goodbye to all those who say "pop" instead of "soda"; goodbye to all those who don't know what Wawa is; goodbye calm Sundays, goodbye uneventful weekends, goodbye Big House, goodbye Lucy, goodbye analytic memos, goodbye highbrowed dialect.
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This is the most that I have processed my grad school experience so far because being home means a slew of family and friend events that do not foster great reflection time, but hopefully I will be able to really grasp a little more of what God did because He's awesome and I just want to see what He was up to all this time. I didn't want to go to grad school this past year, but I went and I am so grateful that I was obedient. Similarly, I didn't want to go on the World Race this year, but I was obedient and now I am so excited to see what He is going to do. God is incredible and I still get over how much He has done in my life in such a short time.
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I'm 21.
I'm 21 and a graduate.
I'm 21 and a graduate of the University of Michigan.
I'm 21 and a graduate of the University of Michigan who is not going back to school for the first time ever.
I'm 21 and a graduate of the University of Michigan who is not going back to school for the first time ever, but is instead leaving everything behind to follow Christ to the ends of the earth.
Bless His Holy Name.
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Training camp for the World Race is in 11 days. I need $11,000 more for this trip. I am going to 11 countries in 11 months. I am loving the 11's. Click support me to give online or cut out the processing fee and mail a check with BULLRACHELLE in the info line to
Adventures in Missions
PO Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
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