A Peters Township student’s story of transformation and purpose
Before he ever thought about leading Campus Life students or walking others through faith questions, AJ was the one looking for answers.
“Before I got involved with Campus Life, I was going through a really tough season,” he shares. “I had grown up going to church, but I never really knew what it meant to have a real relationship with God. Faith felt like a routine rather than something personal.”
That “really tough season,” as AJ describes it, was marked by loneliness and anger—internal struggles that left him searching for something more.
Everything shifted during AJ’s senior year when his friend Matt invited him to Peters Twp. Campus Life. He didn’t know what to expect, but that first visit made a lasting impression.
“I immediately noticed something different,” AJ recalls. “The way people talked about God felt genuine, and the community was welcoming.” It became clear to him that they weren’t just learning about God—they were actually living in relationship with Him.
As AJ kept coming, he found more than just a good atmosphere—he found a new direction.
“I started building friendships that changed my life. Matt, my Campus Life Director Nate, and so many others walked alongside me and helped me see that following Jesus was not only possible—it was worth everything. Through those relationships, God became real to me. I began reading His Word not because I had to, but because I wanted to. I started praying and hearing God speak into my life. For the first time, I wasn’t just going through the motions—I was walking with Christ in a real, authentic way.”
That experience didn’t end with graduation. After high school, AJ joined the Campus Life young adult program, where his faith grew even deeper.
“I’ve grown in my understanding of God’s Word and found even more solid community to help me stay grounded.”
Today, AJ serves as a Campus Life leader in Peters Township—the very community where his own story began. And in a full-circle moment, he’s now leading alongside his friend Matt, the same one who first invited him in.
“I love being able to help students just like I was—searching for something real—find true hope and purpose in Jesus. Watching them experience the same life change I did remind me why I keep showing up.”