Some of my very first memories happened here. Eighteen years ago, I was in the portables at Noah’s Ark Landing, learning about Jesus. I vividly remember the playground outside, singing and dancing to “Jesus, You’re My Superhero,” and getting goldfish and lemonade during class. 

I joined KidSing, where I helped lead worship for other elementary students during Lab 1 and Lab 2 gatherings. During those moments I discovered a passion for serving and using the gifts God gave me to encourage other people. 

I moved into Junior High Ministry, attending on both Sundays and Wednesdays. 

Wednesdays were small groups at my house led by Christian Nottingham and Mike Nicossia, while Sundays were larger gatherings at church. Then everything changed during COVID. Schedules shifted, ministry looked different, and eventually Pastor Jimmy stepped into leadership. When JHM started back up on Sunday nights, it was a strange and difficult season for so many people, but it became a season where I grew a lot in my faith and involvement at church. 

I discovered the production ministry. Christian taught me how to run lighting and graphics, and suddenly I found a whole new way to serve. 

I realized that ministry wasn’t only happening on the stage, it was happening behind the scenes in places people often don’t recognize. It was happening through individuals who were helping to run lights, create slides, and operate cameras. These were positions that were helping everything come together so people could encounter Jesus. That experience completely changed the way I viewed serving. By the time I moved into HSM, serving had become a huge part of my life. I joined student leadership for a couple of years, continued to serve in production and as a leader in kids preschool on Sunday mornings. I also stepped into being a digital content creator for HSM. I loved being able to use creativity and technology to help tell stories and create environments where students felt connected and welcomed. Summer Blast is another major part of my Hillside story. I attended Summer Blast every year from kindergarten through sixth grade, and those are some of my favorite childhood memories.

As I got older, I served during Summer Blast as well. For a couple of years, I was a group leader alongside my mom, getting to invest in kids the same way leaders had invested in me. Later, I moved into production there, too, serving as a camera operator and eventually running lights in the Worship Center. This year, I will be part of the Color Lead team, and I am so excited about it! Growing up, the Color Leads were always the people I looked up to. They were the ones doing backflips, hyping up the crowd, bringing energy to the room, and making Summer Blast unforgettable. To younger me, they were the coolest people ever. Now, getting the opportunity to step into that role feels incredibly full circle. I hope I will be someone the next generation of kids looks up to, the same way I once looked up to my leaders. Looking back, I see how much Hillside has shaped me through every stage of life. I went from being the kid sitting in the audience at church events to being one of those helping create experiences for the next generation.  

I went from looking up to leaders and volunteers to becoming one myself. And through every stage of life, Hillside has continually given me opportunities to grow, serve, and discover more about who God created me to be. 

For me, serving has become one of the biggest ways my relationship with Jesus has grown. It has taught me how to lead, how to care for others, how to work as part of a team, and to realize small acts of faithfulness can make a lasting impact.