Grace’s Story

Grace Hanrahan loves being a summer camp counselor at Abiding Presence.

As a member of Abiding Presence for several years now, however, her faith has experienced quite the evolution over the years. 

“I’ve always struggled with my faith and coming to terms with being a Christian,” Grace shared. “I know there are some people who abuse the word of God and take it too literally. I didn’t want to be associated with that.”

Since starting with the internship program, Grace has found herself more comfortable and confident in her faith. She says devotions have really helped her find her footing and develop her own perspective on scripture. 

“It’s up to my own personal interpretation, and I don’t have to see it the way other people do,” Grace said. “I can choose to see the more positive message.”

Grace named working with the kids as being one of the highlights of the summer internship experience. 

“Some kids are so eager to learn and I am pleasantly surprised,” Grace said. “It feels like all of your hard work really pays off. It makes me really happy that they’re having fun.”

This fall, Grace will be starting at George Mason University as a junior transfer student studying Criminology, Law, and Society. Her plans for post-graduation are to pursue an accelerated Master’s degree in her major.