Amaralina

My name is Amaralina and I am from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. My childhood was special. My mother oversaw my teaching, and she did it very well; I was a simple and fun girl. My family is made up of six members including my mother, father, and my three brothers, and although my parents have been separated for years, we are always together. We have gone through many adversities, one of which was when I fell into depression and poor nutrition. I struggled with feeling alone in my responsibilities to be a good student, do the housework, and take care of my younger siblings.

I have known about Jesus throughout my childhood, my maternal family even has a church; I grew up in the environment, but I did not have a relationship with Jesus. The catalyst for the change was when I fell into depression. Being a good student and a good daughter carried an unbearable weight, but from that moment, God began to work with me and confront my heart. He brought people into my life who helped me get out of that cycle and look at things in a different way and helped me to get closer to God. It was during this time that I got to know Young Life in depth and grew to have a healthy and genuine relationship with Jesus.

Now a Developing Global Leader, I am studying psychology at Federico Henríquez y Carbajal University. My vision for my education is to never stop learning and to continue growing professionally. I want to be a help for others, and eventually work as a school psychologist where I can be a safe place and speak words of hope to the next generation of kids.