From an early age, student-athlete Grace Dow has known that going through hardship can produce a strong faith in Jesus Christ.

 “I was in high school when I started to seek after God on a personal level on my own,” said Grace. “I went to FCA Summer Camps, and that environment opened my eyes to the love and power of the Holy Spirit.”

As she played basketball at Lafayette High School in Syracuse, N.Y., Grace came up against many struggles in her day-to-day life and started to rely on her relationship with the Lord to get her through.

“Going through that struggle actually pushed me to Scripture and to seek wisdom from my parents and other adults who had walked with God longer than myself,” Grace said. “I became more passionate about my faith.”

After graduation, Grace went on to play basketball for Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester, N.Y. Right before her freshman year began, she was introduced to FCA Campus Ambassador Adrienne Cali.

“I met Grace on campus where she was helping out at an athletic preview day,” Adrienne said. “We immediately connected over the ministry of FCA, and I was excited to get her involved in our team Huddles and morning Bible study.”

With her basketball practices, college workload and new friendships to tend to, she had a lot to juggle in those first collegiate years. Like most freshmen her age, Grace was shy about participating in FCA Huddles and group discussions.

“Most incoming freshmen are hesitant to join group discussions, and Grace was very timid at first,” Adrienne said. “But at the same time, the more Grace participated in our Huddles, the more I saw her leadership potential. So, I pursued her to be part of our leadership team, which involves training student-athletes to run FCA Huddles through our E3 Discipleship process.”

Grace started leadership training and an FCA summer internship program, in which she served for two years. She began regularly leading Huddles on campus and was instrumental in leading the All-Area Huddle and morning Bible studies. Through her growing experience in leading, Grace started seeing exponential growth in herself.

“The FCA internship was an amazing opportunity because not only was I growing in leadership and spiritual formation, but I was also learning valuable life skills that aren’t usually taught in a classroom,” Grace said. “I learned how to ask questions and how to really listen to others in a group setting. Those are important tools that I’ll continue to use throughout my life.”

“Allowing herself to open up to her teammates with confidence started to shape Grace as a leader,” said Adrienne. “What I’ve seen throughout the four years of her being with us has been a rising boldness in faith. By the time she reached her senior year, her relationship with Jesus was overflowing for others to see. She became someone I could rely on. She even became the student president of our on-campus FCA.”

In her senior year, Grace was also made captain of the university basketball team. It was both an honor and a challenge as the team went through the stress of a Division II season. As she worked through the intense schedule and team dynamics, Grace had to dig deeper in her walk with Christ.

“Being captain of our team grew my faith in the Lord in huge ways,” Grace said. “I had to learn how to function and be effective under pressure and tough circumstances. It was the first time in my life that I felt like I was under a trial. 

Grace kept one verse in her mind and meditated on it for the entire day to help her through all the hard stuff. She would pray, “God, I need You to get me through this practice. I need You to get me through this game.”

“I realized that the Holy Spirit was with me in those moments,” Grace said. “Those glimpses of God gave me the confidence to be bold in my faith.”

Grace graduated this past spring with an Adolescent Education and Social Studies degree. Her time spent working with kids at FCA Camps and leading her team in college revealed her gift and passion for teaching.

“Grace is the perfect example of walking in faith and becoming bold in leadership,” said Adrienne. “When we are involved in our local communities, we can all help one another grow to become the best versions of ourselves in Christ.”

-FCA-

Photos courtesy of Adrienne Cali