Hi Megan! We’re so excited to share with our blog readers what you’ve been up to since you graduated from Oaks Christian Online. When did you graduate and what came next for you?
So honored to be a part of this blog! I graduated in 2017 (I feel old now) and attended undergrad at a small private university called Otterbein University in Westerville Ohio where I majored in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a focus in Pre-Medical Studies. I recently just graduated from Otterbein (feeling more old) and am now on a gap year between medical school and undergrad working as a research assistant at Ohio State University in their Laryngeal Cancer Research facility at the James.
Since graduating from high school, what are some challenges you have faced and how have you navigated them?
From high school a lot has happened. My calling was really revealed to go specifically to medical school which I didn’t really feel comfortable with (I was originally thinking nursing) because I didn’t think I was good enough. Well, I would have been right, but it’s not by my might, it is by the Lord’s alone that I am on this journey.
That said, the biggest trial I have most recently had and never saw coming, was losing my dad January 25, 2021 to COVID-19. This is still a challenge I am navigating. The Lord is gracious and kind, as my dad was one of my best friends and biggest supporters on this path to medical school, but it is a day-by-day process that has solely depended upon me relying on what is biblically true, and not how I feel.
More recently you committed to a year of missions work through Cru (Campus Crusade). Can you tell us a little bit about what brought you into this work and what kinds of things you’ll be doing this year?
This was a very God directed and not in my plans whatsoever commitment, but I could not be more excited! While at Otterbein I was a student/servant leader at Otterbein’s Cru organization and was actively immersed in their events. After I lost my dad in January, the Lord led me to serve with Cru while attending a conference. I am on staff part time, and primarily disciple a lot of our student leaders, evangelize to incoming students seeking to find meaning in their life, help lead mission teams, and help orchestrate major central Ohio Cru events and opportunities (some of my favorite being summer missions, and fall retreat)!
More broadly, ever since your high school years you’ve sensed a calling both to medicine and to mission work. How do you see these two things weaving together now and perhaps in the future? Can you also talk about your life verse (Luke 1:38) and how that scripture came to have such an impact on your identity and purpose?
Yes! So, while at university the Lord allowed me to already start combining the two. I currently join on annual surgical team short term trips to third world countries (most frequently the Dominican Republic) with Children of the Nations where I assist with surgical operations and various services of medical care to some of the poorest (materialistically) but spiritually the most rich, and proper hearted. For me in my future the Lord has called me to become a physician and continue these short-term mission trips, and maybe one day sit on a Christian nonprofit organization that orchestrates these sorts of missions. The Lord really illuminated this vision to me as I have over my journey with Christ studied the Gospels and seen that Jesus never went to the physically ill and just said “go your sins are forgiven” and completely ignored their physical problem. Yes, He did forgive their sins which is of upmost importance, but when you are blind and longing to see that isn’t necessarily your first problem in your mind. Instead, Jesus sees our earthly heart and has compassion; He not only gives us the greatest healing of spiritual forgiveness, but He also provides physical healing. He allows the blind to see and the lame to walk; He is the great physician. And knowing this, He has called me to medicine to administer physical healing, and when providing that, point them to the One that can heal them spiritually.
This connects immensely with my life verse Luke 1:38: “Mary said, I am the Lord’s Servant may His words be fulfilled by my actions”. I was given this verse early in my high school years, and it has stuck since—little did I know it was the epitome of life’s purpose, my actions, what I do in my life. In this moment I was completely surrendered to the Lord, and whatever Word He spoke regarding what my life was to accomplish for His kingdom purpose alone, so be it. The verse really does dictate my life and my purpose, and it has definitely made me walk out on the waters and solely trust Jesus because I sink like a stone amidst this journey to becoming a physician, and just overall in this dark world, when I don’t focus on the author of my story.
What advice do you have for current Oaks Christian Online students about how to use these middle school and high school years well?
There’s a lot of advice I could give; I think one is to cling to Jesus now, don’t let Your time with Him be secondary. Make Him a priority now more than ever, because life only gets busier and much harder and when you aren’t strictly disciplined in something like this, it is very, very hard to get it into your schedule when you’re adulting. I would also say: be different, be countercultural. Your time worrying about fitting in will end up being regretted; be different, discover who God made you to be, your unique self, encounter Him— I mean truly encounter Him—let Him rapture you. That you will never regret.
Lastly, you will get into college please don’t worry about it. Work hard, but if you are petrified of not being good enough to get in, you are. Finally, take advantage of the amazing faculty and staff you have been given at OC Online. They are incredible. When I went to college, I didn’t miss a beat because these teachers prepared me so well; they care about you, they love you, and you are so blessed to have them. I will be forever grateful to the Lord for allowing me to attend here.
Finally, would you be willing to offer a written prayer for our current full-time students?
It would be an honor:
Dear Jesus,
I come before you in absolute humility and gratitude and just thank you for the opportunity to share what you’ve done in my life. I am truly the least of these, yet you chose me. And in the same way you have chosen each and every one of these students here at OC Online. Lord God I pray that you would just penetrate and rapture their hearts, that they would not only know about you, but that they would know you and dive headfirst into all that you have in store for them Lord, because it is beyond their wildest dreams. Lord God amidst all this chaos and darkness in the world I pray that you give them peace, discernment, and tunnel vision. Give them peace knowing that you are in control, and You have a plan for future and a hope, for this world and for each and every one of them individually. Give them discernment to see what is true and what is from You, and tunnel vision to look solely on and to you amidst the screams of the world. I pray for protection against the fiery darts of the enemy, and that this year would be fruitful in both their faith and the gift you have given of education.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
