ALUMNI


-RYAN DESJARDIN


FROM A NUMBER TO A NAME


Something was different as I walked onto the Jessup campus for the first time. I had just left the CSU I was attending to move back to the Sacramento area. I was moving home to lead the youth ministry of a local church where my family were members. The big state school that I was coming from was known for a culture much different than the community at WJU. I thank God that I was involved as a leader in YoungLife during my time there. I did not know much of anything about Jessup at that point. I just knew that finishing college was important to my family… and myself. Jessup was very quiet since it was right before the


fall semester. The only students on campus were athletes and we saw one as we got to the top of the ramp. He was a cross-country runner and had a way of running everywhere he went on campus. When he saw us he did something unexpected. He stopped, walked over, and introduced himself. This was much different than the headphones-in, party-to-get-to culture I had seen at my other campus. He then proceeded to tell me why I would love Jessup. What he didn’t know is that he was right from the very first moment. I went from being an ID number to being Ryan - and, it was in a community that kept the main thing the main thing. The main thing’s name is Jesus. I had stepped into a college where people weren’t


simply trying to survive; they were being equipped to THRIVE. After I graduated I continued in my role at the church for a total of 7 1/2 years when something changed my story.


28 JESSUP MAGAZINE


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