Mentorship with Shani McKenzie

When I was given this bubble, I was so excited and grateful. I ended up being assigned to meet nine times. So far, we’ve met seven, and we've already

scheduled our last two, which will complete our mentorship by the time of my presentation. I knew this project would challenge me in many ways, one of which was sharing my personal experiences and testimonies, but that was exactly what I wanted: to push myself to become comfortable with sharing and being open. So it just made sense to have someone mentor me, and especially Shani McKenzie.

She was my first D-Group leader my freshman year, and she was truly one of the first women who spoke truth into my life, such as that our identity is secure and founded in Christ, taught me how to have a personal relationship with Jesus, she went out of her way to disciple me, and made me feel seen and loved.

This project wouldn’t have been possible without Shani; she has inspired me constantly in every way since my freshman year. My heart behind this project is to be the person Shani was to me, but for others. I feel so passionately and called to reach out to others, especially teens, to tell them that they are seen, that they aren’t alone with what they’ve experienced, that’s their hope that things can get better, that despite what we may go through we can experience pure joy and peace from the Lord that goes beyond our understanding and in totality, that our identity is found and secure in Him, that every other label will fail and will not last.

For our mentorship, Shani recommended the book Another Gospel? by Alisa Childers. This book had a lot of content, but it was all so good! Something that really stood out to me was how it’s important for us to lean into the questions that we have, even when they’re about the core of our beliefs. If we approach those questions with the right mindset to seek more knowledge, it doesn’t mean we are rejecting Christianity; we are just trying to learn what is actually true to deepen our faith in Him. These questions can strengthen our faith if we’re willing to search for true answers, not just ones we approve of.

I’ve learned so much through this mentorship and having her again as my D-Group leader this year. To be confident in what I know about my faith, to know how to confront others, and to realize that each time we share it, it could be just the thing someone is struggling with, and that it could stand out to them.