Hello, my name is Liberty Holtsclaw. During my first year at DePauw, I joined the YoungLife Club. I found a great community of Christian students and was introduced to a Worldwide Discipleship Association(WDA) representative, Shannon Hammond, who became a great mentor to me. She introduced me to WDA and all it does for the youth in Putnam County. She offered me the opportunity to participate in the WDA internship to help share the Word of God with youth in the community. As a WDA intern, I will help lead weekly bible studies, and attend monthly outreach events where we will provide games, food, and a message that will encourage the youth to invite their friends. Along with these events, I will get to meet one on one with young individuals and build deeper connections that will give me the space to share the Word of God with them. 

My hope is that this internship will help me grow spiritually and give me the confidence to help others grow spiritually. If I can help one person grow closer to God, then all of this will be worth it. I have been able to attend one of the monthly outreach events so far and I have noticed that most of the youth are boys. My goal is to get more girls interested in bible studies and club meetings. I want everyone to feel accepted in God’s kingdom and it can be intimidating for young girls when they are outnumbered by boys. I would like to at least even out the group so everyone feels welcome. Hopefully, my presence will inspire more girls to join.