Last school year, 16 students decided to dedicate a year to Student Missions. This fall semester, they have returned to campus with stories, memories and dramatically changed lives. They were scattered throughout the globe—some going to the Pacific or South America, while others went to different parts of the United States.
Katie Davis, a community & international development master’s student, went to Cambodia for 10 months during the 2025-26 academic year. Located in Battambang, she worked at the Essential Life Center, a part of the Urban Centers of Influence (UCI), a General Conference-funded project to reach out to urban communities through various kinds of businesses and events focusing on holistic social contact. They have several of these stations located in different parts of the world with various kinds of ministries involved, but the one Katie served at had four businesses: a vegetarian restaurant, a music school, a fitness gym and an English school.
Katie was an English teacher, teaching classes for the advanced English students of many different ages, mostly at a fifth-grade level of English. Though she was the only student missionary there, Katie worked with other international young adult volunteers from places like Australia and the Philippines. One of the biggest challenges she faced, she said, was learning how to work with a team made of people from vastly different cultures. “You learn a lot of soft skills in the mission field that become useful for any career, no matter your major,” Katie shared, adding that those were some of the most valuable lessons she learned during that time.
While teaching in Cambodia, one of the people Katie met was an older Chinese teacher who really wanted to learn better English. Katie would invite her to the English club that the school hosted once a week so she could participate and practice her English skills. Since Katie also wanted to learn Chinese, the two started meeting outside of the school to language-exchange—one taught English, while the other taught some Chinese.
As they conversed, their meetings slowly evolved into Bible studies over time. The teacher’s grandparents were Christian, so she was familiar with Katie’s way of praying, which is very different from Buddhist prayers. Yet, she wanted to learn more and more about God and the Bible. They still keep in touch now that Katie is back in the United States; Katie prays that soon the teacher will give her heart to Christ.
In addition to her Bible study contact, some of her favorite memories in the mission field were helping in events at the UCI, outreaching in communities and villages, exploring the country and its culture, and using her social work degree by teaching village kids about mental health and social-emotional learning. Katie went to the field with an open mindset. She said, “I had nothing to teach them. I really wanted to learn from them.”
Over in the Pacific, on the island of Palau, Margaret Rogers, a junior studying social work and psychology, taught at Palau SDA Elementary School. She and several other American student missionaries got to work with full-time teachers from all over the world at the school, learning a lot about multicultural teamwork and communication. While some of her contemporaries preferred lecture or hands-on learning, Margaret aimed to create a discussion-based learning environment for her sixth-grade students. Her goal was to set up her students for success in areas where school systems often lack. While she was their teacher, she hoped to give them a foundation of “learning how to learn” so they would be set up for future schooling in high school and beyond.
“Our class got really close over the year, and we had lots of fun together,” Margaret reflected. In an impulsive and fun-seeking mood, they would play April Fool’s tricks on each other, which she said were some of her best memories. At the end of the year, she wrote letters to each one of the students and handed them out on the last day of school, while they all cried together at the thought of parting. Margaret felt that God worked to bring her to teach them at the right moment, and to help them feel seen and loved by God.
As she looked back, she said, “There is nothing I didn’t grow in. If you knew me before I went versus after, there is just a night and day difference in my identity. For the first time in my life, I tangibly understood God’s love for me. I understood the Creator and His endless love for me; I saw this in my children as I was also reading the Bible. And being in a country that is not first world, you can really depend on God more; you see prayers answered more clearly.”
When asked if they would recommend Student Missions, they said that they would 100% recommend it to everyone—not just the spiritually grounded, not just the education or theology majors and not just the outgoing social butterflies. Marco Sciarabba (sophomore, theology), another recent student missionary, shared, “I think we’re here for more than just the university and our careers… we are called for a purpose that is more than just grades. We also need these other experiences that help us grow and fulfill our purpose, and Student Missions are a great opportunity for that.”
If you would like to get involved in serving abroad or in the local community, the Acts in Missions (AIMs) Club is a great place to start. Taking the first step can be scary, but according to those who have done it, it’s more than worth it. Caitlin Adap (senior, education), another student missionary, offered her perspective: “That’s what I believe faith is about—intentionally taking a shaky step so that God has the opportunity to steady us.” So feel free to check these opportunities out; the Center for Faith Engagement office has all the information you need.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.