Christian Union: The Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 22

christian union universities
Leadership 101
Staffin ’19 Shares Biblical Insights in Essay
by tom campisi , managing editor
20
Alanna Staffin, a junior at Cornell, spent
was an extremely useful model for me as I build
the summer months touring the country
strong relationships with and mentor other girls in
with The Cadets, a ten-time world cham-
our ministry.”
pion drum and bugle corps.
In the essay, Staffin noted her evolution from a
In the classroom and on campus at Cornell, as
fearful, people pleaser to a leader who will not com-
she embodies a seeking God lifestyle, Staffin is bold-
promise: “A year ago, I would have been too afraid
ly sounding a clarion call and marching to the beat
even to speak about Christ in a public environment,
of a different drum.
but after experiencing God’s transforming grace in
“My life’s purpose,” she said, “is to lead others
my life, I am genuinely excited to share the model
to Christ by exemplify-
for leadership that in-
ing His character in all
spires me.”
that I do through living
Staffin, an animal
with the motto ‘Let
science major from
them see You in me.’ ”
Bridgewater, New Jer-
This spring, at the
sey, arrived at a cross-
urging of her academic
roads during the winter
advisor, she took a
break of freshman year
one-credit leadership
when broken trust in a
course. Students were
relationship helped her
asked to write speeches
see that her identity was
about their leadership
rooted in people and
point of view, combin-
not in a relationship
ing ideas from the
with a loving Savior.
course with previous
“I quickly realized
beliefs and experiences.
that I needed to place
Staffin’s essay reflected
my trust, my hope, and
Alanna Staffin testified about seeking to emulate Jesus
her personal growth as
ultimately my life in a
Christ in an essay she wrote for a leadership course at
a Christian and the ser- Cornell.
relationship that would
vant-leader model exem-
never fail. And that
plified by Jesus Christ.
moment is when I tru-
A key component of Staffin’s essay was the im-
ly encountered Christ,” she wrote.
portant role of a mentor, particularly Christian Union
“Alanna’s faith has taken off in the last year,” said
Ministry Fellow Anna Shea. Staffin and Shea met
Shea, who noted how Staffin would come to Bible
weekly to pray and discuss Scripture, and also stud-
course meetings prepared “with questions in the
ied a book by D.A. Carson, The God Who Is There:
margins of the readings she’d devoured that week.”
Finding Your Place in God’s Story.
“When the answers became clear, Alanna ex-
“Not only was Anna my mentor, but she was
pressed gratitude and wonder in the prayer with
one of my closest friends,” Staffin wrote. “The abil-
which we closed our meetings. Praying extempora-
ity to learn from her example, to ask her difficult
neously  was uncomfortable initially for her,
questions, and to pray together through tough times
but with a growing knowledge of the character
has strengthened my faith, confidence, knowledge,
of God came a passion for communing with Him in
and ability to relate to others greatly. Her mentorship
prayer. Prayer now characterizes Alanna so much