BYU-Pathway picked me up and launched me toward the future with confidence
But let’s rewind a bit.
After my mission, I returned home to Foggia, Italy, filled with hope for great things to come. I had been admitted to BYU-Idaho and looked forward to a bright future — then COVID-19 hit.
The Italian government announced a nationwide lockdown, anticipating only a few weeks of break. Needless to say, those “few weeks” turned into months, preventing me from pursuing my long-cherished plans.
After three months stuck at home, I was on the brink of insanity. The burden of depression dragged me down, leaving me hopeless, forgotten, and lost.
So, the morning the lockdown ended, I jumped out of bed, packed my stuff, and headed to Rome, yearning for a fresh start. In only a few months, I enrolled in a local university, got a job, and found a place to live.
And then COVID-19 hit — again.
I was just as unprepared for this second wave as I was for the first. With the new restrictions, managing work and studies became impossible, so I dropped out of school. As a new hire, I also feared losing my job, which would have forced me to return home and start over.
I again felt hopeless, forgotten, lost — an absolute failure.
That’s when the local institute director introduced me to BYU-Pathway Worldwide. At first, I doubted it would be helpful, but I enrolled, trusting the Lord’s divine design for my life. Although I wasn’t studying literature as I longed, learning about essay structures, communication, and growth mindset satisfied my intellectual curiosity and gave me purpose.
Plus, the fully online courses allowed me to travel while studying. After the COVID-19 restrictions eased, I explored the ins and outs of Rome, attended the Cumorah Academy in Prague, and visited my sister in Utah, USA, while completing my first courses. Meanwhile, as COVID-19 receded even more, my sister encouraged me to reapply to BYU-Idaho to attend on campus.
And that’s when the dots connected.
Once my application was accepted, I discovered I could transfer all the BYU-Pathway and institute credits I had earned. When I eventually attended classes at BYU-Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho, I also realized that learning essay structures and practicing basic math had effectively prepared me to excel in my writing and math assignments.
While I thought I was biding my time, the Lord had been testing my faith and preparing me for the future.
Next month, I will graduate with my bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis in professional writing and editing after completing an internship with BYU-Pathway, the very organization that rescued me three years ago. I acquired unique professional experience as a writer and editor, and I feel ready to tackle graduate school and the job market.
We all want control over our lives. Yet, as the saying goes, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him about your plans.” Though we may struggle with life’s unpredictability, the principle of faith is clear: trust God and wait long enough to see “His arm to be revealed.”