I grew up in a Catholic household, but I rarely went to church, and I never really opened the Bible.

Part of me believed it had been written by man and could have been changed over time. I developed a mindset centered around becoming the best version of myself. I pushed myself to improve constantly, to be seen as someone who had it all together, almost perfect in the eyes of others. I always believed in Jesus Christ, however, I also believed that my worth and future depended on my own efforts and achievements.

During my junior year of undergrad, I got caught up in “deeds of the flesh” or what the world calls “fun.” Slowly, things in my life started to fall apart. I went from being recognized as a top student in my program to struggling just to pass a class. At the same time, I was dealing with personal and work-related stress back home. It all began to take a toll on me, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. By senior year, I managed to recover my GPA enough to apply to graduate programs, but one by one, the rejections came in. It felt like everything I had worked toward had fallen apart, and I was left questioning what it had all been for. Then something unexpected happened, I was offered an opportunity to earn my master’s degree at UCF, and I already knew that was God opening a door I couldn’t have opened myself.