Fruit From Perseverance: Sarah’s Leadership Story

Sarah didn’t expect freshman year to be one of the hardest seasons of her life.

She found herself two hours from home — away from her loving parents, diverse church, and where she gained a successful high school academic record. Like most freshmen, Sarah was excited and a little nervous to begin college. But throughout her time on campus, God built her trust, showing her that even if she didn’t know how, he was going to produce fruit that would last.

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In the fall of 2022, Sarah started college at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin feeling lonely, stuck in a competitive mindset, and like she wasn’t enough. The hectic nature of the Biomedical Engineering program made her question her ability to be a good student and fit in with others. 

I'll never measure up to them, Sarah thought. They don't want to be my friend because I'm not as smart as them.

After attending an organization fair, Sarah sat in her dorm room reviewing all the information she had accumulated, and something drew her to fill out the InterVarsity contact card. She knew she needed to find Christian community.

More Than a Text

Just a couple of days after the org fair, an InterVarsity staff reached out. Sarah was immediately impressed since all the other groups she met sent mass emails rather than reaching out individually. A campus minister then met with her to talk about InterVarsity at Marquette.

In this meeting, Sarah felt cared for, and InterVarsity seemed like the community she longed for. After that, she showed up and never left.

An Unexpected Call

When Sarah arrived at InterVarsity’s fall conference later that semester, she was told she was in the leadership track with Joshua and Justice, her Bible study leaders at the time. She assumed there must have been a mistake. 

“I was confused! I was like, ‘I don't even know what I’m doing here’” Sarah said. Still, she trusted God had a reason for it. 

The rest of the weekend, Sarah reflected on how she saw many Latino clubs and Christian organizations for Marquette students, but none that combined both. As a first-generation Colombian American with a church background that celebrated diversity, she longed for a similar place on campus. 

“There wasn’t a clear space where Latinos could come together, support each other, and grow in our faith in a way that honored both our culture and our calling as followers of Jesus,” Sarah said. “I saw people –– me included –– struggling to stay connected to our faith, searching for meaning, and many who just needed a familia to walk this journey with.” 

Sarah took this as a call from God to start a Latino Bible study herself. 

Leading While Scared

Even though God’s call was clear, Sarah questioned if she could lead. 

“How in the world am I going to lead a Bible study when I feel like there's still growth I need to do within myself?” Sarah asked. 

After talking with her campus minister, Sarah learned she didn’t have to be perfect at reading her Bible, praying every day, or knowing all the answers to lead.  Instead, she could develop her faith while helping others do the same.  

So, Sarah launched a LaFe Bible study the next semester, while she was still just a freshman! 

She didn’t see fruit right away. While the larger chapter at Marquette grew, the LaFe Bible study had transient members and surface-level community for years. 

Still, with each passing semester, Sarah kept showing up and kept saying yes to God’s call, despite not seeing what she hoped for.

Persevering Through Discouragement

By the time she started her junior year, Sarah’s fervor began to wane. Her Bible study still lacked consistency, and her schoolwork became more difficult. What she thought was her final straw came when no students attended a retreat she planned, and she wondered if she misheard God’s call at fall conference all those years ago.

“It was very painful,” she said.              

Just as she was about to give up, however, Sarah realized something. Even though people weren’t coming to her Bible study, God still provided for her. Her fellow InterVarsity student leaders, staff, and a mentor she had since sophomore year continually helped her feel like she wasn’t alone. 

“I [saw] the importance of community and not being isolated,” Sarah said. “I'm surrounded by a group of people who care.” She decided to keep her commitment and finish leading her Bible study at least until the end of the school year. 

To Sarah’s surprise, she received an invitation to even more when her InterVarsity staff asked her to not just come back as a leader senior year, but to also become a Campus Intern, taking on more leadership in the chapter and experiencing what it would be like to be a campus minister. 

Seeing how the staff believed in her, Sarah concluded that maybe God was doing something new, despite her ongoing discouragement. She decided to hold onto that “sliver of hope” and agreed to intern. 

Finally Seeing Fruit

In the fall of 2025, the beginning of Sarah’s senior year, Marquette InterVarsity tabled and passed out flyers at the exact same organization fair where Sarah met InterVarsity three years prior. What’s more, the chapter came away with more contact cards than it had in years –– nearly 150!

This was the encouragement Sarah needed. “Maybe I need to have a little bit more faith,” she realized. 

While she still considered the first couple months of her small group to be a “flop,” God changed everything by October. 

First, a new freshman, eager to study Scripture in community started coming to Sarah’s Bible study. Then, two more students began coming consistently, sharing openly with Sarah and the rest of the group. These students even invited their friends. 

“It was different this time,” Sarah said. “Seeing their eagerness was really cool.”

The community Sarah always believed God called her to build had finally taken shape.

Firm Foundation

Now, as she prepares to graduate, Sarah reflects on her leadership journey, how much her InterVarsity leaders believed in her, and how God was faithful as she remained faithful. 

“Despite the fact that I'm more introverted, a little bit more reserved, I can also still be a leader,” she said. “InterVarsity shaped me in ways where I’ve become stronger.” 

Sarah looks forward to seeing all God continues to do through the LaFe Bible study after she’s gone, knowing now that his call and her persistence even through difficulty laid a strong foundation for future students. Having confidence in God even when it’s hard to see how he’s moving is a lesson she’ll take with her for years to come. 

“I just have to trust [God’s] plan even if it’s really scary,” she said. “He’s going to guide me along the way.”