Emilia Lorena

My name is Emilia. My friends call me Nina. I live with my mother, younger brother and aunt in Matagalpa, Nicaragua. My childhood was difficult. I grew up without a father, and my mother had to work full-time so I lived in another house. That family treated me poorly, including an attempted rape against me, so my mother took me back to her house. I started to feel alone after that and questioned my existence. I blamed my absent father for my mom not having time for me. At 15 years old, I found out that my father was my godfather and aunt’s ex-husband and that my cousin is my sister. I felt very betrayed and hurt by this new information. At the same time, I was invited to Young Life camp where I felt embraced, heard and saw the love of Jesus in my leaders.

My adolescence was hard, and I had many questions. I attended church with my family. However, I began my relationship with Jesus when I started going to church on my own and then at Young Life camp, after being invited by a friend. At camp, I learned I could have a relationship with Jesus. I am still involved in Young Life and am currently the Area Director in Matagalpa, overseeing four different clubs.

As a recipient of the Developing Global Leaders scholarship, I am studying engineering and computer science, with a focus on civil engineering, at Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria in Esteli, Nicaragua. Upon graduation, my ideal job would be to participate in an internship and eventually lead an engineering project that benefits the developing community needs around me.