Leading Differently

November 14, 2024

by Abby Ciona

I sat in my first-year dorm at Redeemer University one winter evening, mind racing with dread. I needed a summer job, and I had no idea where to start. I wanted to do something that connected with what I was studying in school — media production and writing — but that field is challenging to find jobs in.

Mom worked at MBC when she was my age, I thought and began researching MBC’s summer staff program (then Stepping Stones, now Immerse). I applied for a position working with the marketing team in the spring and in the audio-visual (AV) department in the summer. Little did I know I’d be working at MBC for the rest of the summers in my university program!

I loved the days I got to work in marketing that spring — I got to do photography for MBC’s social media and Resilient magazine, and I got to write articles for Resilient. Outside of marketing, I worked in various departments — from housekeeping to dining room to maintenance. While I enjoyed some of those roles much more than others, getting to experience all of them helped me appreciate the people who thrive in those environments!

While I had lots of experience in media production from school, I didn’t have much experience doing live AV before starting at MBC. I learned so much working with amazing teams over my three years here — because there weren’t many of us in AV, we became a tight-knit and extremely effective team. Each of us came with unique skills and specialties, from IT to music to lighting to graphic design, and we all learned new things from each other. It reminded me of 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, where Paul compares Christians to different parts of one body — all with different roles, but all essential. And, of course, we had fun together too, getting ice cream, running just dance nights, and chasing chipmunks out of the chapel!

I love birdwatching and nature, and in my first summer at MBC, I wanted a way to share that with others. So I started “Morning Birding with Abby” in 2022, which grew into “Abby’s Nature Walks” in 2023 and 2024 as I learned more about the local wildlife and grew in my confidence in teaching others about God’s creation.

Becoming an SLT (a member of the Student Leadership Team) and a room leader in 2024 was a big jump for me, so I was thankful for the supportive and strong team I worked with and the great girls in my Founders Hall room. Though I was challenged, I grew a lot in my confidence as a leader.

I initially dreaded the one-night SLT island retreat because I didn’t know what to expect, but it was a highlight of my summer. Since AV is a small department, I sometimes felt isolated from the rest of MBC, and as a not super emotional person, I often feel detached when people talk about their dramatic faith experiences. I was encouraged as we discussed different worship styles and learned that God made me the way I am, with my personality and interests, for a reason. I see the world in a different way from others, and that is a good thing that brings vibrancy to our faith community. It was also on the SLT island trip that I became famous as a nature expert because of my lack of fear of the dock spiders!

This fall, I am doing an internship with MBC as an editorial assistant, primarily working on Resilient. I don’t know where God is leading me after I graduate with my bachelor’s degree this spring, but I’m so thankful for my summers at MBC and how they helped me grow not only in experience in different fields of media production but also in my leadership and faith.