“Before I Even Knew What I Would Need”—Alliah’s Story

When Alliah left Miami, Florida, for Flint, Michigan, she never expected to find a new community on a college campus. 

She had originally moved to attend the University of Michigan-Flint (UM-Flint) to study education. At the start of her program, she was so busy working and taking classes full-time that she never had the chance to learn about the groups that existed on campus. On top of that, Alliah is a mother to two children. 

“As soon as classes ended, I left,” she said. 

Surprisingly, all that changed when she went on a trip to Disney World. 

Her education department had invited students to spend a few days at Disney during the winter. Missing Florida's warm weather, Alliah decided to go. There, she ended up sharing a room with another student named Imari. 

As they got to know each other, Alliah shared that she was a Christian, and Imari, who was an InterVarsity leader in the UM-Flint chapter, invited her to check them out. Once they were back on campus, Alliah went to her first InterVarsity large group. The moment she entered the room, she felt at home. 

Right away, the community embraced her, making her feel safe and comfortable enough to share her life with them. She also didn't expect to meet so many students who were passionate about the gospel. 

As she got more involved in the group, Alliah fell in love with all the ways they did life — worshipping and studying Scripture, grabbing meals after large group, volunteering in their community, even going line dancing— all together and with Jesus at the center. 

“We start and end every meeting with prayer,” Alliah said. “Throughout it, we're talking, we're joyful, we're laughing. It's a full community. That's what God wants for us." 

She didn't know it then, but this community was coming into her life at exactly the right time. 

Faith for the Unforeseen 

Earlier this year, Alliah decided to quit her job as a permanent substitute teacher. To stay on track to graduate, she needed to take more credit hours, and quitting her job was the only way she’d have time to do that. She felt at peace with the decision, but she also knew it was risky. 

"I knew that the Lord wanted me to finish school," she said. "I can't tell you how I knew. I just knew. I felt it really deeply." 

Because Alliah isn’t a traditional student, this step required her to place her full trust in God to somehow provide for her and her family. 

"I said that I am living on prayer and hope that God will provide for me if this is what he has for me,” she said. 

Somehow, Alliah found a way for all her bills to be paid off for the year. And while she knew that this was a testament to God’s love and provision, her real trial came in February when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. 

"It almost made me backtrack," she said. “I was like, ‘Can I trust you, Lord?'" 

Watching her mother endure treatment after treatment was painful. But thanks to InterVarsity, she had friends to lean on. 

Because she already felt safe enough to be her full self with her InterVarsity community, she opened up to them about her mother’s diagnosis, and they surrounded her with love, prayer, and constant check-ins. Some students even shared their own stories of walking through cancer with loved ones. 

Loving and Leading Others 

“[God] aligned things for me ahead of time, before I even knew what I would need,” Alliah said. 

This experience not only made her grateful for the community God gave her, but it also inspired her to love others the same way she was being loved. 

“We don't know the small battles that people are going through at home," she said. “We need to be forgiving of each other. We need to be patient with each other. And we need to show God's love through any and everything that we do." 

Soon, Alliah was invited by her campus minister, Chad, to go through an apprenticeship program, which equips InterVarsity students to lead in their chapters. 

At first, she wasn't sure she was the right person. 

"I was a little hesitant about being a leader and speaking up," she said. "But I knew that was something the Lord was calling me to do. I felt it in my soul." 

Learning to get out of her comfort zone, be vocal, and share the gospel in a university environment — where not everyone is a Christian — was challenging for her. But ultimately, it’s been rewarding. Apprenticeship has given her the chance to continue to deepen her trust in God. 

Once she officially becomes a leader, she hopes to lead a small group for students whose lives have been impacted by cancer, whether personally or through a loved one. Just like her InterVarsity community surrounded her in what could have been a lonely and scary time, she wants others to know they aren’t alone. 

Through people like Imari, Chad, and her InterVarsity community, Alliah learned the power of being a light wherever we go. A simple invitation can change someone’s life, and we never know who God is drawing to our communities at exactly the moment they need it most.