When I was a junior in high school, I began the overwhelming process of figuring out where I wanted to go to college. I looked at universities all over California and out of state, public, private, big, small. I was determined to find the right school for me. By my senior year, I started narrowing down my options and praying constantly that God would lead me where I was meant to be.
At the same time, fear crept in. I read countless articles about people who had terrible college experiences or hated their roommates, and I became consumed by “what ifs.” What if I chose the wrong school? What if God didn’t lead me clearly? What if I was left to make this huge decision on my own when I didn’t even know what I wanted or what would be best for me?
Eventually, my decision came down to two schools: one about three hours from home that I had dreamed of attending for a long time, and another just 30 minutes away.
My mom is a scholarship genius. She helped both my sister and me apply for scholarships so we could afford college. By this point, I had earned about $25,000 in scholarships. Even so, with the financial aid I was receiving, that amount would only cover about five semesters at either school. I ended up putting my deposit down for the school closest to home, but something felt off. I couldn’t shake the feeling of being unsettled.
At the end of June 2023, a friend I met through my volleyball team invited me to a conference at Biola University, where her sister attended. I had never seriously considered Biola because it felt too close to home, but I agreed to go anyway. That day, we walked around campus and listened to different seminars, and for the first time in my entire college search, I felt an unexplainable peace, something I hadn’t felt at any other school.
When I got into my car afterward, I said out loud, “God, I’m going to Biola.”
Soon after, I signed up for a preview day, which allowed my friend and me to stay overnight in her sister’s dorm and attend a few classes. One of those classes was a Bible class, and I instantly fell in love. At that moment, I knew this was where I was supposed to be.
When I got home, I told my parents I needed to apply quickly because the deadline was only two weeks away. I submitted my application and was accepted within a few days! There was just one problem: Biola was more expensive than both of my other school options combined. There was no logical way I could afford it.
And this is where God showed up.
Back in eighth grade, I had won a $10,000 scholarship from the Anaheim Angels Baseball Foundation. During this season of decision-making, I received an email inviting me to apply for an additional scholarship. What I didn’t know was that the Angels Foundation offers scholarships not only to eighth graders, but also to high school seniors.
After three interviews, I found myself sitting at a table for the fourth interview with the owner of the Angels baseball team, his wife, and five other board members. Before walking into the room, I told my mom, “If I get this scholarship, I’m going to Biola.”
At the end of the interview, one of the board members looked at me and said, “Hannah, you are an Angels Scholar.”
I paused and said, “Wait, what does that mean? Did I win?”
He laughed and nodded. I could not believe this!
Moments later, my mom was invited into the room. As soon as she walked through the door, my first words were, “MOM, I’M GOING TO BIOLA!” We all cried out of joy and gratitude.
Now, I’m at Biola, and my entire college education is fully paid for.
I spent so much time worrying. I questioned how God would lead me and how He would provide. I made backup plans and tried to prepare for every possible outcome. But God gave me a path I never could have imagined.
Through this experience, I’ve learned what it truly means to trust God. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” I’ve seen this verse lived out in my own life.
I asked God to make Biola just a little cheaper than the other schools I was considering. In His kindness, He did far more than that. I never even imagined the possibility of a full-ride scholarship, but God knew all along.
I’ve learned that God often works when I stop trying to control everything and simply let Him lead. I’m a bit of a control freak and a “Class A worrier”, which makes trusting God with big decisions especially difficult for me. I want to plan and plan and plan. But often, God moves most powerfully when I step back and say, “God, open the doors.”
When I look back on this season of my life, I think, If only Hannah had known what God was going to do, she wouldn’t have been so anxious. Now, this story has become my altar of remembrance, the moment I look back on whenever fear tries to creep in. My God has provided abundantly and faithfully once before, and I know, without a doubt, that He will surely do it again.
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