I grew up in Wheaton, Illinois, which is where I first heard about the Eagles through a camp in 2014. I grew up loving soccer and started playing at three years old. I went on to play for 15 years, quitting right before my senior season. Soccer was always rocky ground for me. It caused a lot of hurt in my life and was definitely put on the throne for a while. But God, through His lovingkindness, showed me that His way is so much better, and putting my worth and identity in Him brings fullness of joy and abundance of life!

I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home, which ultimately led me to attend California Baptist University to pursue a degree in Exercise Science and Christian Behavioral Sciences. It was here, through a mission trip to New Orleans, that I believe the Gospel reached my heart for the first time. I grew up knowing and believing the Gospel was true, but I had never truly committed my life to Jesus or had a relationship with Him. It was on that trip that God so kindly opened my eyes to my lostness and revealed the pieces of my life that I still had yet to surrender. Ever since then, Jesus has lit a fire in my heart and I wouldn’t have it any other way! I went from apathetic, dispassionate and broken to experiencing the fullness of joy that Jesus promises. I have been saved and now get to walk in the freedom of Christ. It is a huge gift to me that I get to serve the Lord with my life, and I am so grateful to Him that He has created a space like the Eagles where my passions for soccer, people, and Him all get to collide!

In the fall of 2023, I remember clearly having a moment with God where He revealed to me that He had been calling me into vocational ministry, and I was saying no. I then surrendered my own plan for my life and gave Him control. Not quite wanting to give up on my path of sports medicine and athletic training, I started brainstorming ways to bridge the two. Almost immediately, God reminded me of the singular Eagles soccer camp I had done in 2014 and the rest is history. Two Chicago Summer Academy’s later, I have learned that I love soccer a good deal, but love Jesus a whole lot more. I feel beyond blessed that I get to join my three greatest passions — Jesus, people, and soccer — and use that to serve the Kingdom. Seriously, what a gift! I firmly believe in a good God who takes broken people and turns their lives around. He did it for me, and I’ve seen Him do it for others. I think the environment of soccer has a lot of broken people, both coaches and players, and in the midst of all of the mess, MAI stands as a vessel for the glory of God to break through. I’ve been given the greatest news with the power to save — who am I to keep it to myself?

I have the joy of serving as a Coach in SoCal’s Urban and Youth programming! In this role, I will be responsible for building programs and partnerships within the West Fullerton community. On the field as a coach, I get to build relationships with players and families, guiding them towards greater relationships with Christ, the local church, and the Eagles, while continuing to cultivate these relationships off the field and in the community.