Before I joined Youth Board, my faith was pretty strong.  I have been very involved with my church. I am part of the Boy Scouts and also the parish youth group. I am an altar server who received the Altar Server of the Year Award this past year.   

I have been involved in various service projects in the parish and also in the community, like helping out with the St. Gianna Molla Pregnancy Outreach Center and the Mother Teresa Home. We also have worked at St. Lawrence food pantry. I also play varsity football at my school.

I come from a very, very spiritual, positively dangerous family. We try our best to live our faith, not just by going to Mass and saying the rosary.

We also take in others in need. We have opened our home to various people, young and old, who just needed a place until they got back on their feet.

I joined the Youth Board and went to the Christian Leadership Institute. It has helped me grow in my faith with seeing and hearing about the faith of the other young people with me. I have learned a lot, and have grown, since I joined the Youth Board. Just about the time I started Youth Board, our family received the news that my mom has stage 3b breast cancer. It's been difficult, but being involved in Youth Board has helped me during this time. My mom's fight with breast cancer has helped me grow deeper in my relationship with God. Instead of seeing my mom get weaker, I see her getting stronger with all the prayers and support from everyone, and especially me. She still goes to work, smiles, cooks and does many of the things she normally does.   

It helps me when people from the Youth Board ask about my mom and tell me that they are praying for her. I see how important it is to have faith and to be positively dangerous. It helps me to see that nothing can stop me, and in any situation that you are in, there is a positive that we can get from it. It gives us the strength to act and do what is right in different situations. Even in the darkest days, God shows you the light along your way. Trust in God.