Courage
As an Eagle Scout, Kaylee had always believed in service, integrity, and doing what’s right—even when it’s hard. But by the time she got to college, she didn’t believe those values had anything to do with church. After what she’d seen growing up, she was ready to leave religion behind and live out her beliefs on her own terms.
While Scouts gave her a faith-based foundation, she had also witnessed harm done in the name of Christianity—and she wanted no part of it. “I wanted to avoid religion. I wanted to cut ties with Christianity completely,” Kaylee remembers. “I figured I’d drift away and realize I’m agnostic.”
Arriving at UNCW only deepened her doubts. She was surprised by how divided the campus felt, and when she saw student groups chalking hateful messages on the sidewalks, it shook her. It confirmed what she already feared: she wouldn’t be part of any community that hurt others.
At the Involvement Carnival, a time when students can explore campus organizations, she was hesitant when her friends suggested checking out the campus ministries. But then she saw a table with “Jesus is a feminist” stickers and students who looked… different. Curious. Kind. Safe.
That table was Wingspan. And in that moment, something shifted. Kaylee realized she didn’t have to abandon her faith to live out her values. The more she showed up, the more she felt like herself. No expectations. No pressure. Just honest conversations, shared meals, and friendships that helped her breathe again. For the first time in a long time, faith wasn’t something she had to defend or hide from—it was something she could explore.
“I didn’t know you could feel this way and be Christian. I didn’t know this existed,” Kaylee says, her voice full of wonder. “Wingspan helped me see—you can hold progressive beliefs, have a strong faith, and still be a good person. A good Christian, even.”
With this new sense of freedom, Kaylee stepped out of her comfort zone and signed up for Wingspan’s service trip to El Salvador. Everything about it was new—her first plane ride, her first time leaving the country, her first glimpse into a world so different from her own. She experienced poverty up close, saw sacrifice in everyday lives, and as a public health major, she knew: this changed everything.
“It gave me empathy,” she reflected. “A real understanding of how people living in poverty have so few choices. It’s not about pulling yourself up—it’s about not having anything to pull from.”
Now, as her first year of college comes to a close, Kaylee can hardly believe how much has shifted. On her desk, there’s a bracelet made by a Salvadoran child she met during that trip—a small token that means everything: You are capable. You are loved. And God’s love will never give up on you.
What changed for Kaylee wasn’t just her view of Christianity—it was her belief that she could still belong to it. Because of Wingspan—and the space you help create—she discovered a community where her values and her faith could finally live together. Your generosity makes these unexpected moments of grace possible. Thank you for making room at the table for students like Kaylee.
