Hannah SOCM

Most high school students consider choosing a college one of the most stressful decisions of their young lives. But this was never the case for Hannah.

“I knew without a doubt that I wanted to attend Moody Bible Institute,” the Chicago native says.

From the outset of her college application process, Hannah believed Moody was the clear option for preparing her to represent Christ in the classroom as an elementary school teacher. After four transformative years as a student, the soon-to-be 2022 Moody graduate is deeply grateful to God for guiding her to Moody.

“There’s nothing better in my mind than to have the opportunity to study God’s Word for four whole years, to sit under some of the best Bible scholars in the world, and to have the privilege to discuss with professors and peers the tenets of our faith,” Hannah says. “Moody is also uniquely situated in the heart of Chicago, which gives opportunity for great practical application of ministry as we are studying and learning more about how to share and live out our faith.”

An Elementary Education major, Hannah completed her student teaching internship this spring at a Christian school in Arizona. The school’s leadership was so pleased with Hannah’s performance that they offered her a full-time position teaching kindergarten beginning in the 2022–2023 academic year, which Hannah happily accepted. Hannah credits the Bible education and ministry training she enjoyed at Moody for thoroughly equipping her for this opportunity.

“Something that has really been impressed on my heart is that all truth is God's truth, so it really needs to be taught through His perspective—a biblical perspective,” Hannah says. “When it's not, it allows for the possibility of truth to be compromised in a way that may be contrary to God's Word. So teaching children through a Christian worldview is vital for their correct understanding of God and His world.”

The Bible-focused instruction she benefited from at Moody became strongly cemented in her heart and mind through her participation in Moody’s Practical Christian Ministry (PCM) component. Hannah volunteered weekly in a PCM with a global youth ministry that shared God’s love and truth with inner-city teens across Chicago.

“I was able to put into practice what I was learning in the classroom in a real-world ministry setting,” Hannah says, “which would also help me gain even greater insight on areas to focus on in my studies as I trained to serve God wherever He calls me. I have also been heavily involved in children's ministry . . . None of these ministry opportunities would have been possible without the training I received at Moody.”

As she gets ready to follow God’s next chapter in her life, Hannah will never forget the generous prayerful and financial support that enabled her to attend Moody.

“This would not have been possible without the prayers and giving of so many of you who partner with Moody in this way,” she says. “I would not have been able to accept this type of lower-paying ministry position in a Christian elementary school if I had the regular amount of student debt when I graduated as most college students have.

“I know I can speak for all of us Moody students when I say from the bottom of my heart thank you to everyone who has supported us with your prayers and finances to make our training possible at Moody. Thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing us to be your hands and feet out in the world as we effort to get the gospel to every person!”

Moody’s biblically grounded education and ministry training prepare Hannah and her fellow students to Make Hope Known wherever God calls them. For Giving Day 2022, would you make a gift of any amount that enables our next generation to Make Hope Known—so that God can continue to transform the world through their service to Him?