Co- teaching Freshman Girls

It’s been a huge blessing for me to co-teach the freshman girls with Rachel Foust. The girls’ responses to the book they’re doing for the second semester, Lies Young Women Believe by Dannah Gresh, have been so cool to hear their perspectives after I’ve already read and done this book in my freshman year. It’s also been so fun to get to know them even better and grow closer with each of them.

I have so far gone into the class four times and have one more left for my bubble. But I plan to continue coming in once a month for the rest of the year. One of my main focuses for this project is reaching younger teens and sharing my experiences and what I’ve learned. Being the person Shani was to me, someone who can speak truth into others' lives, let them feel seen, and loved, and let them know they aren’t alone. This bubble has been helping me learn how to share in ways that others can easily understand. I need to learn how to have enough confidence in myself when I share and open up.

So far, one of my favorite parts has been hearing the girls' responses to how they relate to the book and connecting the truths to our real-life experiences. It’s been encouraging to see them focus on the truths and try to reflect them in their own lives. This experience has taught me to connect more effectively with others and to listen and support them as they process their own life experiences. I really hope to keep growing in my confidence in the Lord, even when I don’t have any, and to keep supporting these girls as they see how loved and valued they truly are.