When I first stepped foot in Ventura, I had no idea what I was walking in to. But without fail, this program radically changed my life. I wasn't fortunate enough to come from a Christian home, but that didn't stop God from grabbing hold of my heart. When I got to California, it's almost as if God was saying "Finally, kid, you heard Me." I fell in love with this perfect beach town, my apartment of 7 girls who will all be in my wedding, every Pastor who poured countless hours into my life, and most importantly I fell more in love with my Savior.

"You can have as much of God as you want, how much you get is up to you". Those words were some of the first I heard three years ago when I left all I knew to come be a part of a program that would forever change my life. I had spent 18 years running from a God that loved me relentlessly; however, now I found myself at the start of a new adventure, one where I started chasing Him back. California Coast Bible College gave me an environment where I found who God really was, and in finding Him I found who I was really meant to be.

I was set on getting my bachelor's degree and never would have thought that I would do CCBC or any Bible college, but God put it on my heart to dedicate nine months completely to Him. He revealed to me that growing in my relationship with Him and as a leader would prepare me for whatever field I end up in, whether it be ministry or in the secular world. CCBC truly prepares you for life and shows you that walking with God daily is essential. Even if you know you aren't called to full time ministry, CCBC helps to set an amazing foundation for your life!

Coming into my first year, I knew I was somewhat in over my head but in a good way. I had come into my first year with a lot of brokenness and was so open for the healing process that God wanted to work through me. The community was everything that I needed and the structure of life and discipline was very crucial for me to have. The moments of being in a track called "outreach" really showed me how to look past myself and look at the beauty in others. Even encounters shaped my life. Coming into the year, I had different soul ties and was addicted to cigarettes, and today I stand firm to say I have full freedom over those things. My second year was different that’s for sure. It was teaching me how to put my leadership skills into practice. The main thing about my second year that shaped me was the missions trip to Africa. Hearing God promise to me that I would go to Africa and seeing it be fulfilled in a matter of just several weeks was miraculous. Truly California Coast Bible College is more than just a college degree, but it's a supernatural environment waiting to be tapped in to.

Morning prayer times, when in my first year I had asked previous graduates if they could give me one piece of advice what would it be? They told me to never miss prayer times no matter how tired or sick you felt. Now as a graduate of CCBC, I will say this is true. Prayer times for me were the most impactful. It was in these times when I got to experience and begin to live a life of worship, and tuning in to the Holy Spirit. It is because of times like this that now when I enter into life outside of these times, I know how to tap into this necessary lifeline, because it became something I needed on a daily basis.