MIAMI— When Soph Shulse arrived at the University of Miami, she feared what many Christian students fear: being drawn away from the Christian faith. Well-known for its party culture, the campus could have been an obstacle to her spiritual growth. However, it became the place where her faith flourished.

“I was walking the line between the world and Jesus,” Soph said. “But God used UM to grow my faith in ways I never expected.”

At a Christian campus event early in her first semester, she heard a student leader say, “College isn’t just about not losing your faith; it’s about growing it.” That insight shifted her perspective, and soon she was fully engaged with Baptist Campus Ministries and CRU.

Andrew Fernandez, director of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at the University of Miami, explained, “Part of the mission statement at the Miami BCM is that it exists for college students to know Jesus and be known by His people. One of the ways we do this is through intentional relational discipleship in the campus ministry and at our local churches.”

Shulse’s story reflects that approach. “When Soph arrived as a freshman, she immediately connected with some of the ladies at the BCM who began to pour into her life,” Fernandez said. “She also got connected to Reality Church where they share the passion to reach and care for college students.”

As her involvement deepened, so did her conviction. In December, Shulse took a bold step and was baptized alongside her best friend. “I’d been baptized as a Catholic,” she said, “but this was different. It was about letting my old self die. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Fernandez added, “The Lord worked in Soph’s heart to bring her to the place of publicly professing her faith in Christ through believer’s baptism. Since then, Soph has had the opportunity to serve in the church, go on missions trips, and join the Miami BCM student leadership team.”

The baptism was more than symbolic. It marked a turning point—one that led her directly onto the mission field.

Over the spring semester, Shulse said “yes” to two mission trips: one to Panama with CRU’s Filter of Hope program, installing water filters and sharing the gospel; the other to the Dominican Republic with her church, Reality Miami, to support missionaries working across a variety of ministries, including women’s outreach, education and sports.

Despite being a new believer and a full-time pre-health student, she pressed forward. “I felt like a baby Christian,” she admitted. “But being in those environments showed me that obedience is more important than feeling ready. Just saying ‘yes’ to God—He shows up.”

The mission work wasn’t easy. It stretched her spiritually, emotionally and physically. “Serving while burned out from school wasn’t ideal,” she said. “But God used that time to refresh my soul in ways I didn’t expect.”

Back in South Carolina for summer break, Shulse continues living on mission. She shares her testimony to challenge cultural Christianity, telling friends that following Christ isn’t a Sunday routine—it’s a surrendered life.

Her encouragement to other students is simple: be available. “You don’t have to have it all figured out. Just say ‘yes.’ Like my pastor said, you’ll either look back and say, ‘I wish I had,’ or ‘I’m glad I did.’ And I want to live a life full of ‘glad I dids.’”