Shaira

My name is Shaira and I'm from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. My childhood was spent mostly with my older sister and brother, because my father would go away for long periods of time without us hearing from him, and my mother had to work to feed us. We had many difficulties, but even so, I cannot ignore how much my siblings took care of me and made me smile; they made me happy no matter what the problems were.

From the time I was little I always heard about Jesus, but I never felt close to him. In high school, I had a health condition that my parents were unaware of and when I got sick, I looked for God there. I believe God did the miracle of healing me, but I did not start to follow him. After a year passed, I went to Young Life camp and heard of God’s love and that He could transform my life. I decided to follow him, and that was what helped me change. Being a part of Young Life gave me the discipleship I needed, the attention and love that they gave me changed everything. Now I have the same desire to do that with young people who are in the same spiritual condition that I was in.

Now a Developing Global Leader, I am studying nursing at University Autonoma of Santo Domingo, and I will be the first in my family to graduate from university. My wish is to be able to have a foundation or carry out medical operations to help people. I also want to be able to continue growing and learning from my leaders. I hope to grow in my leadership skills and share what I receive with others.