By Norm Miller, Louisiana College News
PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews)–Samantha Downey is a psychology major from Redondo Beach, California, and was heavily recruited to play collegiate softball. She chose to play for the Lady Wildcats because of the new challenge and a change of scene.
Meeting the members of the softball team allayed one apprehension Downey had: “I knew I’d be far from my family, but I’m still going to have family here.”
While playing softball, Downey sustained an injury that caused her to reevaluate why she came to Louisiana College.
Appreciating the close-knit environment and “homelike atmosphere” of Louisiana College, Downey said her initial visit to the campus inspired her. “I fell in love with LC because of the one-on-one connection students have with professors.”
“Before I came to LC, I had no relationship with God. I didn’t even know you could have a relationship with God,” she said. “My mom and dad believed in God but I never knew anything about that.”
“And I didn’t understand why things happened,” she said.
With a history of bad experiences with churches, Downey had difficulty even entering one. “But when I came here, my best friend — and she’s my roommate — she kind of introduced me to Christ. And the first day I went to her, I was like, I need a Bible.”
Today, Downey attends church with her college friends. “It’s easy because all of my friends have their lives centered around Christ. It’s just easy to be in that environment. Everyone I know is just helping me to learn more.”
Downey attended a camp sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and made her
“big decision,” she shared.
“It was just, it was amazing and empowering and you feel vulnerable, but like, vulnerable in a good way. And it was just that I saw everyone around me and I knew I wanted to be a part of that,” she recalled. “It was January 20 I think I decided that I wanted to start my walk with Christ, and it’s been amazing.”
“I had no idea that I would be brought to LC by God. Like, I didn’t think that was a thing. But I thought I was just coming for softball and I ended up getting hurt in softball and so that wasn’t really my outlet anymore,” she said.
“I was brought to LC because I was lost and I needed saving. God brought me here and I truly believe in my heart that I am here because I needed to have a relationship with God. I have that now, so I’m just continuing my walk with Christ every day.”
