I first heard of Logan from his roommate and best friend, Silas. Through story after story, Silas painted a picture of a stellar young man trying to figure out who he is and what he believes. After months of hearing about Logan, I tracked him down and scheduled a time to get lunch. As we chatted, I was taken back by how open he was with his journey in the faith.

Luke started at Oakland in the fall of 2019. Luke choose Oakland because of the opportunity to be a part of the swim and dive team. Luke, a diver, was excited to make his mark on the team and be a division one athlete! As Luke began the year, he was shy and hesitant to talk to others. Early in the semester, Luke was approached by a member of InterVarsity during an outreach event.

In my life, I’ve known a handful of people who truly embody a specific character trait. These people may reflect what it means to be joyful, optimistic, a people person, or humble, to name just a few. These traits have become a core part of who they are and how the world sees them. I believe that Haley is one of these people. Haley embodies what it means to be steadfast.

Silas and I met the day before his freshman year at Oakland University. From the moment we met, his charisma and insight impressed me; for a freshman to have any insight is a miracle in itself! As the semester started, Silas and I began to develop a relationship and started meeting periodically. Silas shared his desire to become his own person and discover who he wants to be. He knew he wanted to pursue the Lord but wasn’t sure how that fit in with the rest of his passions.

In the fall of 2019, Kayla began her journey at Oakland University. She was excited to start college and take her first step towards her dream job, becoming a physician’s assistant. As her first semester started Kayla was interested in getting involved in a campus ministry and found Younglife on Oaklands website. Kayla went to an outreach event sponsored by Younglife and fell in love with the community. Kayla became a regular at their large groups, joined a small group, and developed strong relationships with Younglife’s leadership.

Eric is a junior at Oakland University studying computer science. Eric and I met the day before his freshman year at Oakland University at LifeChurch Auburn Hills, a local church. As we shook hands, we quickly bonded over our mutual love for video games and scheduled a time to meet. I will never forget my first meeting with Eric because I was so impressed with Eric’s desire to make his faith his own.

With the start of the winter 2021 semester, Cultivate launched their winter course titled: running a ministry 101. The course was designed to equip ministry leaders with the skills needed to start or revamp their ministries. Vinny Conforti, A junior at Oakland University, attended the class with the hope of helping his church start a young adult ministry. Vinny’s dream started in the summer of 2020 when he started hosting small groups for his church at his house every Friday night.

Ariel is a senior at Oakland university studying secondary education. She is an incredible woman of character and leader. Ariel is working as Cultivate’s intern this year and is looking forward to making an impact on the lives of the students. This year as Cultivate’s intern Ariel will be mentoring a few young women, taking an active leadership role within a campus ministry and starting a branch of a ministry that she is passionate about.

Lexie will be a senior in the fall of 2020, studying elementary education. Lexie joined Cultivate in the fall of 2018 and has grown dramatically in the faith as she has gained confidence in herself, her relationship with God, and her ability to lead! Lexie has stepped into her various leadership positions at LifeChurch Auburn Hills and Younglife. Lexie entered as a freshman in 2017 with a major in dance. Dancing has always been one of Lexie’s passions, and she dreams of opening a dance studio one day.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Noah for the past couple of years. Noah is a junior at Oakland University studying Communication. He joined Cultivate in the winter of 2019 and has grown immensely in the faith since. Noah’s faith was young when he joined Cultivate, in fact he gave his life to Christ a week before joining. Despite being so young in the faith, Noah’s heart for the Lord and his desire to pursue God has helped Noah to mature greatly in the faith and as a leader.