Jae Rodin is one of the kindest and most dedicated women I know with a desire to serve others and help anyone she meets. She is currently serving as a Life Leader in Juniper Hall for the second year in a row, and has recently switched her major from pre-med to nursing so she can get into the field and help people faster. She went on a mission trip to India over the summer, and saw how much medical attention children needed, which led to her decision to make the switch.
“It broke my heart and I wanted to get back out there sooner than later,” said Jae.
Jae decided to come to GCU because she really liked the Christian environment, especially the life groups and the small class sizes. Her freshman year, she had a wonderful Life Leader who helped her survive with crazy roommates while staying pointed in the right direction. Through this experience, she was inspired to apply to be a Life Leader herself and be as equally a positive influence as her first Life Leader. She has just applied for a third year as a Life Leader to continue to help those around her reach their potential and find peace in God.
When asked about her favorite part of being a life leader, Jae responded, “Honestly, just getting to see how each of the girls who comes to my life group grow and develop over the year. Being able to see how God’s working in their lives and helping them become stronger women in Christ.”
She shared that her biggest challenges as a Life Leader come in finding time for herself and peace among the energy that swirls around her constantly. Jae explained that she wants to pour out into others constantly and she enjoys getting invited to different events and connecting with other people. Because of all of the events that she enjoys being a part of, she sometimes struggles to find time to decompress on her own.
In our conversation, Jae radiated every time she talked about her time as a Life Leader or about her experiences in India. She hopes to travel with GCU again, either to India once again or with the medical mission team next year. Just in our brief conversation, it was clear how passionate she is about serving others and how much she loves working with the women of GCU as a Life Leader. To close, Jae told me about her favorite verse and how it has reminded her that “God doesn’t call us to be afraid of Him or the life He’s laid out for us… I can place all of my anxieties in God’s hands because He’s big enough to hold them.”
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18