My name is Karissa Thomas. I am a freshman at Walla Walla University and am pursuing a nursing degree. I decided I wanted to be a nurse so I can help people and make a positive difference in the world. I hope to do travel and missionary nursing at some point in my career. In my free time I enjoy playing and/or listening to music, reading, watching movies, and spending time in nature. I recently started a YouTube channel so I can share my experiences and inspire others.
I had a hard childhood in many ways, but the challenges I experienced have made me the person I am today and looking back I wouldn’t change anything. I grew up with a narcissistic mother who was very emotionally abusive toward me and other members of my family. No one ever protected me from my mother and I ended up living with my abuse throughout middle school and high school. During the summer between my junior and senior year I realized that my mother was abusive and there was nothing I could do to stop it and I couldn’t live with it anymore so I left and began supporting myself. With the help of friends and family I finished high school and got accepted into Walla Walla University.
Even though many thing about my childhood were unpleasant, they did help me draw close to God. I grew up going to a nondenominational church but never really had a close relationship with God until I started going to Pathfinders when I was 13. I spent a lot of time around kids my age who were close to God which significantly impacted my life and I started developing a close relationship God because of a lot of experiences I had in Pathfinders. My faith in God got me through my hard experiences growing up and it is still what guides me today. After I left my abusive home I got baptized into the Adventist church and I strive to show God’s love to people every chance I get. I believe God gives each of us a powerful testimony, we just have to be brave enough to share it.