Testimonials

I met my husband, Andrew, as a freshman at Franciscan, but we didn’t start dating until a few years after graduation. When we finally married, I was 29, and we were both really excited to start a family. In my mind, it was just a given that we would have lots of kids.

As it turns out, it wasn’t a given. Month after month, then year after year went by, but no kids came. That was a profound struggle. After lots of prayer, however, we still felt convinced God was calling us to be parents, and so we began looking into adoption.

It wasn’t easy. Adoption can be an invasive, awkward, extremely expensive process. In some ways, it felt like a transaction. But, when we got the call that an expectant mother had chosen us, and then later, when I first held our son in my arms, it was all worth it.

Andrew and I went on to adopt two more children. As we struggled through the process two more times, I knew there had to be a better way, a way that wasn’t so financially prohibitive for families and felt more like a ministry. That’s why, along with two other Franciscan alumni, I started Siena Adoption Agency to give expectant moms and prospective adoptive parents the support they deserve.

Looking back on this whole journey, I don’t know if it would have been possible if not for my time at Franciscan. Infertility can really rattle your faith. But thanks to the foundation in faith Franciscan gave me and the incredible community of friends Andrew and I formed there, we found a way to embrace the cross. And that led us here, to the family we have and the work I’m doing. It’s all been such a gift.