I grew up in the back yard of Penn State University—literally. My house was about two miles from the infamous Beaver Stadium; and anytime I wanted a Starbucks coffee, I had to brave the one-way streets crowded full of students. As a freshman in high school, my mother told me she was convinced Penn State was not for me and that I wouldn’t follow in the family tradition. At first I was a little offended, assuming she didn’t think I could cut it on a Big Ten campus; but over the course of the next three years, I understood what she meant.

I had three or four really close friends and an armful of acquaintances within the walls of my high school, but Wednesday nights were what got me through the week. Youth group was my safe pace. The shy girl within had begun to vanish as I grew weekly in the Word, in community and in my gifts. I served on the worship team, as a student leader and on missions trips. Relationships went deep, and I was starting to catch a glimpse of the bigger picture somehow. Life expanded beyond State College, PA!

As the college hunt became impossible to put off any longer, I begrudgingly dragged my heels to a few college fairs and visits. I had finally come around to my mother’s opinion that Penn State was not for me, but I didn’t have any real direction to help  eliminate the other 50,000 options out there. So we began to pray. I have an incredible mother, who I have watched seek the Lord my entire life. We prayed that our “gut feelings” would align and that we would be in agreement as we looked at colleges for me.

Four hours away was a small, Christian school that had been highly recommended to me. We visited, but immediately we both felt a “no.” Needless to say the visit didn’t last too long. I was convinced I needed to be closer to home.

One afternoon I was reading CCM Magazine, and it had an insert focusing on Christian schools offering music degrees. It sparked something in both my mother and me, so we drove 13 hours away to visit a school called Greenville College in Illinois. Wouldn’t you know, we both felt like that was a “yes”! So much for being closer to home!

The three and a half years I spent at Greenville were a journey in maturity, character, service, community, integrity and so much more. One of the first life lessons I learned is that community a.) is a necessity and b.) has to be sought out. I had left everything I knew was safe in Pennsylvania and joined hundreds of strangers who had walked 18 years of life before our first conversation even happened.

The first few weeks were like never-ending summer camp, but after the thrill died down I remember having moments when I missed what I had built with my youth group, family and trusted friends back home. Church was now something I had to get out of bed for and make my own decision to go to. Personal devotions were out of my own discipline. I had to be intentional and take responsibility for my own spiritual growth. To be quite honest, at times I failed miserably, and at other times I ran ahead enthused and excited.

I went to Greenville to be a “rock star” and ended up changing my major about five times. God used my innocent and slightly ignorant passion to get me there though; I know it’s where He wanted me. He ended up rocking my world once I was there. It was a smaller school; but if you were looking for it, opportunity was big.

I traveled to Guatemala for three weeks, spent an entire semester in Africa, and got to perform on the main stage of Agape Music festival three times in four years—all the while learning what true community was through failures and successes, struggles and joys. I ended up walking in May of 2006 with an ITEP degree (Individually Tailored Education Plan) in Music, Communication and International Studies; but I really think I walked away with a degree in valuable life experience.

Twenty-three-year-old Stephanie Smith is turning heads with her May 13, 2008 debut album, Not Afraid by Stephanie Smith (Gotee Records).