Kourtney Krause
I take pride in calling myself a “Campus Life Kid.” Although I am now a sophomore in college, that title will forever remain with me. Nothing can ever take away the memories I made or the identity I found while a part of my Campus Life. I became involved in Campus Life during my 7th grade year and attended Campus Life until my senior year of high school. Campus Life quickly became my family when I first started struggling with many things. Although I came from a Christian home, Campus Life helped transform me and mold me into the Christian individual I am now. Campus Life and its students changed my life. I was forming my identity and trying to find out what it meant to be completely in love with Jesus. It was a place without judgment and a safe haven. In some of my darkest hours, my Campus Life family gave me the strength and courage I needed to keep pushing forward and not give up. As cliché as it sounds to many reading this small bio, without Campus Life, I really do not know where I would be today. I struggled with what the doctors called “flirting with the idea of an eating disorder,” relational hardships, a mother fighting breast cancer, and the constant reminders of my need to be a perfectionist. At one point during my freshman year of high school, I had almost given up and felt that I had no one. The ideas of suicide entered my mind and captivated my every thought. I felt so alone. Thinking back, one of the main people who brought me through and showed me Christ’s love, forgiveness and true redemption was my Campus Life leader, Stephanie Eggers. She dedicated herself and formed the deepest bond with me as if I was her only student. She shared her faith in more ways than one and never looked at me as if I was an outcast. Stephanie truly modeled her life to me about what it meant to be a Christian. She never criticized me or made me feel like I was inferior. Stephanie Eggers changed my life. God was so faithful to me by placing this woman in my life and I can only encourage students to attend Campus Life so they can form relationships with Campus Life leaders like Stephanie. Now I am attending Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, but this does not mean in any way that I have forgotten about Campus Life or Stephanie. Wheaton College is a Christian liberal arts school. It is an incredible environment. I am majoring in music education with a concentration in voice and am thinking about adding a minor in youth ministries. I have a deep passion to work with students and show them the love of Christ in the same way Stephanie had showed me several years ago. God willing, I hope to work in the inner cities proclaiming the gospel through a music organization I desire to begin. I decided to attend a Christian college because I wanted four more years to challenge myself and really grow in my faith. Campus life and Stephanie were instrumental in helping me make that decision. Jesus Christ has impacted my life so deeply and I cannot help but sing His praises. He has been a constant friend and counselor. He provided me with individuals to help me through my darkest days and gave me the strength to love those who could not love themselves. Jesus Christ has greatly blessed my life and I can only thank Him for how faithful He is. I encourage all those who are reading this to become apart of Campus Life if they aren’t already and I am so excited for those who are already. Youth For Christ’s Campus Life gave me direction in life. I am on the path I travel now because of this ministry. Praise to the Father, forever and ever! |  Kourtney (right) with CL Babylon Director Stephanie Eggers (left) |
