Ashtyn Jefferson

Contingent campus Staff

About Ashtyn

Hometown: Lima, OH

School: Graduated from Bowling Green State University in May 2023

I grew up going to church pretty often, but not every Sunday. I heard the Gospel but never really understood the truth or applied it to my life. Throughout middle school and the beginning for high school I went to youth groups because I thought it was the right thing to do but the messages weren't important or impactful in my life. I got to a point in high school where I decided that those things did nothing for me, and that I was an atheist, I believed there was no life after death and that God did not exist. My life began to look this way, as I began to live the party lifestyle which includes drinking, smoking, drugs and unhealthy relationships with boys. It was very depressing, and I consider this the saddest I have ever been. This continued into my freshman year of college. That year a girl named Julie lived in the same hallway as me. Julie was quick to form a friendship with me and began inviting me to Campus Outreach events and her bible study. I declined every time and was not interested in any ministry events. Julie continued to pursue me, bringing her friends around me, and hanging out with me a lot and generally just being a good friend. Second semester, her friend who was on staff with CO, Angie invited me on a spring break. I went on this trip because I thought that it sounded like fun, but I experienced something life changing. The people that I met were living lives completely different than mine. They did were not interested in the party lifestyle I was living they were all having more fun without that. They were all much happier than I was. I wondered what was causing this and quickly learned that it was the Lord. I went back to campus, and started attending Bible study with Angie and Julie, and through the word I accepted Christ that spring. Since giving my life to Jesus, not everything has been perfect. I have stumbled and gone through rough seasons of family troubles, difficult relationships, academic hardship and many other struggles throughout college but have been kept by God alone. I have continued to grow in my faith because of Him in prayer, discipline, evangelism, and leadership.