“And though all of us are continuously in a process of becoming someone, college students stand amid their most formative years in which they regularly and critically consider who it is they want to become.”
This is a line from a recent newsletter from Jordan, my CCO colleague and fellow Allegheny College alumnus. Jordan and his wife, Anna, reach out to students in Fresno, California, and I find it inspiring how God continues to call new generations of campus ministry staff to walk alongside college students during these “critical years.”
Jordan went on to share this story about an unexpected encounter with a student:
A couple weeks ago after a run, I decided to go get some shots up in the gym. One of our freshman basketball guys who attended our men’s ministry group a fair amount this year happened to be there too.
As we got up 300 shots, we talked about how he ended up at Fresno Pacific University and how he saw God’s hand in all of it. He opened up very honestly about the temptations he faced in his first year of college and the things he was particularly struggling with. There were things he knew he wanted to cut out from his life and other things he genuinely didn’t know what to do with. How could he apply God’s wisdom to so many seemingly gray areas?
I’ll never forget in just my first month on staff at FPU, a student telling me after a long conversation that he’d wanted to open up about all these things to a staff member before, but now he finally felt comfortable to do so with someone close to him in age. I know that my youth provides me with a fleeting window of unique opportunity with college students and before I know it—or willingly acknowledge it, I’m sure—I won’t be mistaken for an undergraduate by strangers on campus anymore.
It’s such a blessing to get to be a presence for Jesus on campus, and so to all who make this work possible—thank you!
PIctured: the Fresno CCO staff team (left to right: Jordan, Anna, Faith, Karah, Bella, MK, Geraud)
I find it remarkable that the four-year commitment I made in 1988 to work for the CCO has stretched exponentially. I was reminded last month when I began receiving congratulatory messages on LinkedIn—I am now beginning my 39th year on staff.
It’s been decades since I was mistaken for an undergrad—decades since I spent much time on a college campus. But I continue to be grateful for the privilege of participating in my particular way in order to ensure that new generations of college students have similar opportunities to the ones I experienced more than 40 years ago.
When I last wrote, I shared how the position of my friend and colleague, Jen Pelling, was eliminated in October. Since then, we celebrated the 50th Jubilee conference in February, which was a joy-filled event. And a few days later, I found out that another teammate, my supervisor Tyler Marwood, had accepted a job offer at Trinity Anglican Seminary.
Which leaves me and Carter Shearer, our designer. She has relocated back to Massachusetts and recently celebrated her birthday—and her engagement to Gavyn! So, more transition in the CCO marketing department as we continue to work together across the miles to undergird the good work happening on campuses across the country.
This has been a challenging season for me professionally, but I am still committed to this ministry and this mission. Because I encountered CCO staff and thoughtful student leaders when I was barely 18 years old, I made choices that drew me deeper into a relationship with Jesus and the larger body of Christ. Those choices have borne out in remarkable ways that I continue to be grateful for, and by God’s grace, they have equipped me to navigate life in all its complexity.
Thank you for your friendship and support, which I do not take for granted. As I lean into the truth outlined in the book of Ecclesiastes—that “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”—I thank God that I continue to get to do this work in this particular season.
With love and gratitude,
Amy Maczuzak
Senior Editor
July 2026
To give to my ministry: ccojubilee.org/amaczuzak or send a check to CCO, 5912 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
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