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Stories of Andrews: Gabriela Melgar

About six years ago a student found her way into my office at Campus Ministries. As she walked in, I was immediately impressed by her sincerity and unassuming confidence. She and her friends, leading a group called “Makarios,” hoped to infuse Hispanic churches with their music ministry. Wow! I was inspired by their sense of mission and desire to shift from passive participants in a resource-rich environment to proactive leaders bringing the treasure of their time and talent. Gabi struck me as an able leader who had a heart for helping people. There was more there, but I wasn’t quite sure how to describe it.

Fast forward several years later to when I met her again at LifeRx gym, where she volunteers as a Zumba instructor. Not much had changed about how she carried herself: sincere with an unassuming confidence. But as I got a closer look at how she interacted with others, I began to see more of what I had sensed before. There was an internally-fueled peace and joy, and nearly everyone around her leaned into her calm, reassuring presence.

How does someone learn to care like this about people? This time I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hear her story. So we sat down, we talked, and I walked away mind-blown at how blessed we are to have Gabi as part of the Andrews University family.

Read more of Gabi's story by visiting Stories of Andrews at andrews.edu/stories.

By José Bourget, associate chaplain

Publication Date

12-4-2017

Publisher

Andrews University

City

Berrien Springs, MI

Gabriela Melgar

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