Franchely

My name is Franchely, but my friends and family call me Chely. I am from Samana, Dominican Republic, but I live in La Romana with my husband and my baby. I have many fond memories of the simplicity of childhood where the cares of the world were unknown. I am one of seven children, and my only father figure was my grandfather; I have never met my biological father. My world was up-ended at age eleven when my grandfather was murdered. That evil made me open my eyes and I grew angry with the world and with God. I suffered immensely throughout my adolescence; there was a lot of domestic violence in my house, I carried hatred in my heart and did things to fill that void. I felt lost and alone.

I first connected with Young Life through sports and the volleyball academy I was a part of. Later, I went to camp where I heard about the love of God and His invitation for me to be a daughter. This was the message I had searched in vain for throughout my adolescence; this invitation changed everything and life that was once full of darkness became light as I grew in my faith.

As a Developing Global Leader, my vision is to complete my degree in psychology at Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo. I hope to be equipped to care for teens as they journey through depression and hardship and offer hope through the good news of Christ. I will be the first in my family for over two generations to graduate from university.