Young Adult Highlight: Tiffiya

What is your role with PTNT and how long have you been with us?

I started in summer 2024 as an elementary member serving at Casa Emanu-El UMC and now I am serving in the Afterschool Program. 

How has this experience helped you in your vocation?

Honestly, I came into PTNT with the expectation of this just being a summer thing and not going any further than that. But, I always had a genuine calling to ministry work within communities and I always felt like I wanted to do something to give back. Coming from India, I never had a person in my life who guided me. I had to be the one who stepped up and did everything for my family. So, when I came here, I met a lot of kids and I saw my past self in them. I kept getting encouragement from the kids and slowly they showed me that I was becoming that person for them! Someone to guide them. Someone I had prayed for when I was a little girl and their age. God’s doing a funny little thing here where He’s answering my prayer in a whole different way than I was thinking. And I feel myself reaching my full potential now when I am working with kids. I feel my passion being actually given back to the community by being in ministry with the children. 

You want to be a teacher, right?

Yes I do, though that was definitely not my initial intention. I was a nursing major and did my pre-classes, but summer definitely changed it all. With nursing it was more about money, security, and parental pressure too, but after the Summer Program I realized my passion is definitely giving back to the community and I feel like this calling will allow me to go into education. So right now I am currently switching my major to education and not a lot of people are happy about it, but I feel like my heart is fully at peace with it. I’m going to be a teacher and be that guiding light in a way that I wish I had in my life growing up. So we will go down the education path and see where it takes me.

What has the Afterschool Program been like so far? Do you have any favorite memories so far?

Coming from the Summer Program, I was definitely not expecting the very calm and slower pace of the Afterschool Program. A lot of people did say it was going to be a slower pace, but I was ready for it to be crazy with lots of kids and fun activities all of the time. The slower pace has given me a chance to actually be one-on-one with the kids and build more connections. I’m a little bit sad because I feel like I don’t have as much time with the kids as I did in the summer. 

I would say one of my most favorite memories is with a Pre-K participant who doesn’t speak English, but anytime she needs me she’ll come over and she’ll just take my hand and lead me. I think that’s what I look forward to every day. Afterschool Program days are the ones that I look forward to in the midst of my otherwise hectic schedule. I get to be a light if that makes sense. Because they’re the light for me in my life.

Why do you think someone should apply to serve with PTNT or if somebody was considering it what would you tell them? 

For me personally, it has allowed me to learn so much about myself. So, if you’re in a place in life where you’re like “okay I’m not sure what I want to do in life” or like “which path should I take?” I feel like this would be your perfect opportunity to experience a whole different world that you never even knew about. These kids can definitely change your life and definitely change the way that you look at things and honestly they can help you find your purpose. Definitely do it to find purpose because you never know where a little road can lead you. It’s definitely a fun rocky road where you’re gonna learn so much about yourself while being there for the community. You’re gonna see a lot of needs that need to be filled and I feel like you’ll find your purpose, so definitely go with PTNT! 

If you could describe PTNT in one word what would it be and why?

I would say anchor because I felt like I was a little ship in a rocky sea and I really needed an anchor to hold me stable. And PT became that anchor. It gave me discernment on which way to take. It was the wind to keep the ship steering in the definite direction where I needed to go. And I feel like PT with the Afterschool Program per se was my anchor to stay put in the education side.