My name is Natalia. My friends call me Naty. I live in a dorm with three other roommates from my university. I grew up in Oravita, Romania, in a Christian family. At some point during my childhood, my father began to have problems with alcohol. My relationship with him became more difficult in middle school and high school - he passed away three years ago. After his death, it became hard for me to open my heart.

My personal relationship with Jesus began at 19 years old when I joined Young Life. At my first camp, I arrived in a place that looked just like something my father would have loved. Through Young Life, I experienced what it feels like to be seen, heard, and loved, even in my doubt and pain. Something started to shift in my faith. Then, I was in a car accident, and our car did not have a single scratch. That’s when I realized that God had been there and  had protected us, and from that moment on, I began to trust and believe in Him. I am now a volunteer Young Life leader.

As a recipient of the DGL scholarship, I am studying Social Science, majoring in Psychology, at the West University of Timișoara. I will be the first in my family to graduate from university. After I graduate, I want to be a Trauma Psychotherapist. My greatest desire is to combine my personal healing journey with my calling to help others through theirs offering both clinical support and spiritual encouragement and Christ-centered love. I also want to stay deeply involved in Young Life because it has shaped my story in powerful ways. I hope to be a leader and mentor teens who are going through mental health challenges, grief, or trauma.