Each of our incredible students come to Ball State with a unique story. Our goal is to highlight and tell them.
Rachel Vogelsang Photo Essay
Nov. 6, 2020
Ethan Hughes Photo Essay
Nov. 8, 2019
Lyndsey Correll-Eckert
February 9, 2018
Lyndsey Correll-Eckert is a senior health education major who is heavily involved in Chi Alpha. At 7pm on Wednesday, she leads a core group, as well as performing duties as the Vice President of the student body. Growing up, she attended church every Sunday with her mom. Her grandparents were pastors and she said that influenced her faith as well as going to church camp most summers. Lyndsey chose Ball State University, because it was one of the few schools in the state with a dietetics program, she liked the campus, and her dad was an alumni of the school.
While looking for a Christian group on campus, she says that she wanted “something that felt sincere and not shallow, something that felt like home.” Her freshman year was a “struggle” because of a homesickness and emptiness. But she overcame this when she found the community and belonging in Ball State Chi Alpha. Because of Chi Alpha, Lyndsey has been able to become a leader and she has also been able to make her faith her own rather than the faith that she grew up with.
Kate Carnahan
December 4, 2017
Kate Carnahan is a senior at Ball State, majoring in creative writing with a minor in screenwriting, and leads a core group at 7pm on Thursday. She first heard about Ball State when a representative from the university came to her high school during her sophomore year. During her junior year she toured campus. The minute she stepped foot on campus, she knew that Ball State was the place for her.
She grew up in the Christian faith ever since she was young. “I want Jesus in my heart,” her mom recalls her saying when she was as little as four or five years old. That doesn’t mean that she hasn’t had struggles in her walk with Christ. “Faith like anything else wavers, there are highs and lows,” she said. When asked about her lows, she said that junior year of high school was one of them. She didn’t believe Jesus wasn’t her savior, but she “ignored him to be cool.” She pretended to be “a good Christian girl” when in reality her faith was “lukewarm.”
Kate became involved in Chi Alpha during her sophomore year of college. Her freshman year was “rocky.” She was wrapped up in friendships with people who weren’t a good influence on her faith. That changed during her sophomore year when she texted Toni Berning, a life group leader, and expressed interest in becoming involved in Chi Alpha. She has been “as involved as possible” ever since.
Chi Alpha has allowed Kate to grow in her faith and to grow as a person. She “stepped into her own as she developed leadership skills and she learned to be a kinder person”. Also, she has made friends that she will take with her forever. After graduation, she will take with her the recognition of her “need for community.” While in Chi Alpha, she found friends that were “equally yoked,” that encouraged her to grow with a person. Wherever she goes next, she hopes to “try to find people who have the same values” as her so she can grow with them “spiritually and personally.”
