Spiritual formation often unfolds through defining moments: a crisis that tests faith, a calling that redirects a life, or a moment of clarity when God’s purpose becomes unmistakable. For students in IWU’s National and Global (N&G) online programs, those moments often occur while balancing work, family, and education far from a traditional residential campus.
These first-person testimonies reflect moments when faith deepened through challenge, encouragement, and unexpected grace. Each story marks a turning point where God’s work became clearer and spiritual formation took
deeper root.
The moment everything shifted for me started at work. After a medical data breach, I began to see my role differently. Protecting patient information was no longer just part of my job. It felt like a responsibility, even a calling, and I sensed God prompting me to step into that space more intentionally.
That conviction led me to enroll in the cybersecurity certificate program at IWU-N&G, but I carried real uncertainty with me. As an online student, I wondered if I would feel seen, known, or supported, or if I would simply be working through courses on my own.
That fear began to fade with a single conversation. When I connected with my academic advisor, I experienced something I hadn’t expected. I was encouraged, felt known, and reminded that I wasn’t alone. What I had assumed would be an isolated experience became something deeply personal.
Through that relationship, my perspective began to change. What once felt intimidating started to feel possible. More than that, I began to see how God was shaping a new direction for my life. I completed my certificate, but the calling didn’t stop there.
Because of the support I received from IWU staff, I chose to continue into the cybersecurity bachelor’s program with a renewed sense of purpose. What began as uncertainty grew into clarity, and what began as fear became confidence. And through it all, I experienced something I didn’t expect to find in an online program: Christlike care that reminded me I was never walking alone.
My freshman year at IWU-Marion, my life changed overnight. My father was diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live. Suddenly, everything I had planned for my future felt uncertain. Continuing school felt impossible when my family needed me
so deeply.
In the middle of that painful season, my father made me a promise I will never forget: “If you finish college, I will live to see you graduate.” Those words became a turning point for me. What had felt overwhelming became a mission.
Over the next four years, I learned to rely on God in ways I never had before. Professors showed Christ-centered compassion when I needed to rush home to see my father. Classmates prayed with me. The IWU community surrounded my family during one of the hardest seasons of our lives.
My father kept his promise. When I walked across the stage at graduation in 2001, he was there watching. Two weeks later, he passed away. That moment remains one of the clearest reminders of God’s grace in my life, and I will always be grateful for the way the IWU community carried my family through that journey.
When I first came to IWU-Marion as a freshman, I dropped out almost immediately. I wasn’t ready for college, and I believed the lie that I wasn’t capable of earning a degree.
Years later, I felt prompted to try again. In 2021, I returned to IWU-N&G through the A.S. to M.B.A. program. Even then, doubt followed me. Every time a class became difficult, the old voice in my head whispered I would fail again.
Everything changed when I passed the test required for admission to the IWU MBA program. I had already convinced myself I wouldn’t pass, but passing it shifted my mindset from “I can’t” to “Let’s see if I can complete this program.”
Through mentors, professors, and friends who believed in me, God slowly reshaped the way I saw myself. Five years ago, I was a college dropout. Today, I’ve not only earned an MBA I believed was out of reach, but I’ve also completed a doctorate and now work for the same university that helped me stand back up when I stumbled.
students enrolled in N&G programs*
average age of N&G student*
of students balancing work and school*
N&G programs available*
states where N&G students reside*
retention rate for N&G students, exceeding typical online university benchmarks*
*Stats provided by the IWU Department of Institutional Academic Research (a division of University Academic Affairs), pulling from Fall 2025 data
