{"id":399,"date":"2016-10-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-10-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northcentral.edu\/blog\/gifts-that-change-the-world\/"},"modified":"2019-04-26T18:39:19","modified_gmt":"2019-04-26T18:39:19","slug":"gifts-that-change-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northcentral.edu\/blog\/gifts-that-change-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Gifts that can change the world"},"content":{"rendered":"
Gifts that can change the world<\/h2>\n
Yannin Dominguez moved the Midwest when she was 22 and started attending a church with several North Central alumni. \u201cEverybody around me would talk about North Central!\u201d she commented, drawn in by their enthusiasm.<\/p>\n
Prior to her move, Yannin went to college but withdrew due to finances. \u201cI had to quit school because it became very difficult for me to work two jobs and go to school.\u201d Originally from Mexico, Yannin was a legal immigrant, but her status excluded her from Federal financial aid programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I quit school, I gave up on my dreams,\u201d Yannin reflected. \u201cBut when I moved to Iowa and everyone would talk about this wonderful place where people not only believe in you but also invest in your dreams, I remember thinking, \u2018I need to get to know this place.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
But first she needed to pay the bills. She went to work at a job that demanded 10- to 12-hour days, and after two years, Yannin felt God asking her what she wanted to do with her life.<\/p>\n
During this time one of those North Central friends\u2014Yannin\u2019s best friend\u2014boldly told Yannin, \u201cNCU is a complete possibility. You just need to ask God.\u201d Yannin just wasn\u2019t ready.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe would invite me to Minneapolis and even showed me North Central,\u201d Yannin said. \u201cBut I would get sick to my stomach thinking about having two jobs and going to school again. My time was past; I just couldn\u2019t go back.\u201d<\/p>\n
A reality check<\/h2>\n
Due to unexpected circumstances, Yannin had to quit her job and started working as a waitress. \u201cThis was a reality check,\u201d she remarked. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to be an employee that was easily replaceable; I wanted to develop skills that would let me be an example for others.\u201d<\/p>\n
God opened a door for her to work in a high school with kids at risk to help them prepare for college. \u201cI was involved in all the logistics of [helping these kids] apply for college, and thought that was going to be my life,\u201d she shared. \u201cI loved it and was kind of living vicariously\u2026but ultimately ignoring what God was telling me to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yannin went to work one summer at Lake Geneva Christian Center, an Assemblies of God camp in Alexandria, Minn., and once again found herself surrounded by NCU alumni. \u201cThrough these people I became aware of the greatness of this organization and this community,\u201d she said. \u201cThe theme for camp that summer was \u2018Ask,\u2019 and they posed the question: \u2018If you don\u2019t ever ask, how is God going to give it to you?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
By this time, Yannin had actually applied to North Central and been accepted, watering a small seed of hope that it could somehow work out. She met with Financial Aid, but because of her status she didn\u2019t qualify for sufficient aid. \u201cI went home defeated and remember thinking, \u2018It\u2019s obvious He is not going to open the door,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cIt just couldn\u2019t be my dream anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
God had other plans<\/h2>\n
Several weeks later Yannin received an email from Financial Aid letting her know a new scholarship opportunity had become available, and encouraging her to apply for it. Again Yannin resisted, afraid to dream, and hesitant about going back to school after so many years. \u201cI said \u2018No.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Then there was another email\u2026 there is still time to apply but act soon. Yannin realized it was time for faith, not doubt. She applied for the scholarship and was granted the opportunity to attend NCU.<\/p>\n
With the dream of school now off the shelf and dusted, Yannin seized the opportunity start dreaming about her future. \u201cI realized I would love to create a school that provides bilingual skills for people who don\u2019t have other possibilities,\u201d she shared. \u201cNow I am pursuing a double major in business and education. Every day I wake up and can\u2019t believe I\u2019m doing this\u2014that I am able to go to school and not work full time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Relying on the Body of Christ<\/h2>\n
\u201cI am so appreciative for all the people who have been able to donate and give a little of what they have [to North Central],\u201d Yannin said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be where I am today, and I believe this is just the beginning.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to make sure people know that as they invest in our lives and our futures, they are not only investing in us, but also in the futures of many,\u201d she said, meaning the lives that are touched as NCU students fulfill their calling in the world. \u201cThe donors and people who believe in this generation truly have taught us to realize how important it is to rely on the Body of Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yannin is excited about her future and believes that North Central is the perfect place to prepare for it. \u201cComing to North Central has allowed me to believe that no matter what I do, I can make an impact. My professors pour into my mind with hearts of leadership and with hearts of pastors and shepherds.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that wherever I go, I will not only be the best business or education major, I will be a representative \u2014and ambassador\u2014of my professors, of Dr. Anderson, of all the people around me who have believed in me. I think that\u2019s going to change the world.\u201d<\/p>\n