One Story: Recent Episodes
Ariana Nelson
One Story is a conversational series that aims to unite Grove City College by inviting people to share formative and influential life experiences. We recognize that each person has unique struggles, joys, trials, and victories. By listening to others share their experiences, we seek to illustrate that everyone has an equally valid and meaningful story to share. We hope to foster an environment of hope, open-mindedness, and positivity by showing how individuals have approached and conquered various challenges in their lives. There is unity in our experiences. We want to make that known.
After being adopted, surviving stage 4 cancer, recovering from multiple addictions, and moving all around the world, Carol DeCoene was left carrying significant trauma into her adult life. The extreme circumstances life continually presented her with left her with a very limited sense of belonging, and led to deficits in both her mental and physical health. In Part 16, Carol will speak on how she overcame both the personal and public challenges of her life, the lessons it taught her along the way, and how she ultimately found her true identity.
Loretta Cerrone Palermo was born in Sora, Italy. Prior to her immigration to the US in 1947, Loretta survived typhoid fever, endured WWII, and grew up with a single mother as her father prepared for their arrival in the US. After arriving in America and climbing over a high language barrier at the age of 10, Loretta graduated from high school, got a job as a secretary, got married, and had 5 children. In Part 15, Loretta will speak on her life in Italy, the realities of being an immigrant in America, and how she overcame adversity and found a joyful life.
In October of 2017, Ariana Nelson applied to Grove City College on a dare. Given her upbringing, GCC seemed like an unlikely choice. While the decision to apply to GCC was made on a whim, the decision to attend was the product of careful consideration and proved to be profoundly transformative. In Part 14, Ariana will speak on her journey to GCC, the trials and victories it presented her with, how she learned to advocate for herself, and how One Story came to be.
After six years of longing to belong, Chris Ansberry started using. Eight years later, his parents found out, which not only placed a significant strain on his family but led to a year in and out of various rehabilitation facilities. Three months after his uncle introduced him to God, he got clean, went to college, got married, and ultimately earned a PhD. In Part 13, Chris will speak on his past, how he came to know God, and his journey in figuring out belonging.
After 3 years of bullying and sexual harassment, Gabbi Hickly planned her suicide. This left a lasting impression on her, and tragically led to a battle with anxiety, depression, and an eating disorder. In Part 12, Gabbi will speak on recognizing the humanity within each of us, the importance of maintaining and talking about mental health, and how she came to the realization that seeking help is not a weakness, but a strength.
After growing up in Vietnam, Kim Anh Le decided to move to the United States to attend high school. The prospect of experiencing a new culture was exciting for her, and, still to this day, experiencing sociocultural novelties is simultaneously the most joyful and difficult part of her transition here. In Part 11, Kim will speak on how she ended up at Grove City College and how having a Christian-American college experience has shaped her.
Matthew Ringwelski was diagnosed with very high-risk leukemia when he was 17. After coming to terms with the diagnosis, he completed three years of chemotherapy, and eventually finished treatment with a new outlook on life. In Part 10, Matthew will speak on the process of undergoing treatment, how his diagnosis impacted his relationship with God, and how living with cancer shaped him into the person he is today.
After 8 years in the closet, John Wishing realized his sexuality was not something he needed to hide. On March 8th, 2020, he came out publicly, and since then has been working to reconcile his sexuality and Christian faith. In Part 9, John will speak about his journey to coming out and the challenges he had to face to become the person he is today.
Mikaela Jenkins is a two-time 2021 Paralympic swimming champion. After 7 years of training, she earned a spot on the Tokyo 2021 Paralympic team and competed in 5 events. Mikaela’s journey to Tokyo began when the director of a Paralympic meet noticed her talent and willingness to work and encouraged her to commit to swimming full time. Although she was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency and had her left leg amputated at 8 months old, Mikaela thrived and now serves as an inspiration to those who have had to overcome similar obstacles. In Part 8, Mikaela will speak about her journey to swimming, defining her identity, and how she became a Paralympic champion.
Growing up in Haiti, Evenine Paultre’s father Jean placed a love of music within her. Jean’s love of music was so strong that when cancer claimed his life in 2012, Evenine knew that she would one day become a music teacher, and ultimately, a singer. Her work towards becoming a singer brought her to GCC in the fall of 2020, where she experienced novel obstacles – obstacles that never presented themselves in Haiti. In Part 7, Evenine will speak on moving forward after loss, trusting in yourself, what it feels like to belong, and what it means to be strong.
The Honorable Paul J. McNulty is the 9th President of Grove City College. After graduating from Grove City in 1980, President McNulty moved to Washington DC where he had an extensive legal career, and ultimately served as Deputy Attorney General of the United States. Towards the end of his legal career, McNulty suffered a significant and devastating loss that not only altered his family dynamic, but the trajectory of his professional career. In Part 6, President McNulty will speak on family, dissociating identity from career, and finding peace after loss.
Dr. Kristina O. Pazehoski and Bob Pazehoski have been married for 17 years. Dr. Pazehoski is a Professor of Biology, serves as the Assistant Dean of the Hopeman School, is the 2018 Professor of the Year, and a 2001 graduate of GCC. Her husband, Bob, also a 2001 grad, is a “self-described jack of all trades and master of none.” In this episode, Dr. Paz and Bob will speak about the realities of what it looks like when life and Providence don’t meet traditionally defined expectations and reflect on how they have wrestled with traditional roles and responsibilities as spouses and parents.
Addie Slate learned to read when she was 11. Growing up as a homeschooled student, she was not properly educated, and never received formal instruction in any core subject area. Feeling like she needed good grades to be loved by her parents, she decided to cheat her way through high school. Addie’s cheating and feelings of inadequacy led to a battle with addiction, which grew with time and eventually became the center of her life. In Part 4, Addie will speak on her struggle to become educated, overcoming her addiction, forgiving those who have wronged her, and how she is using her experience to help those who are experiencing similar struggles.
Growing up in Chicago, Chris Merrick was surrounded by vibrant diversity. When he attended Grace College as an undergraduate, that diversity was stripped away, and, tragically, blatant racism and white privilege left a lasting impression on him. This lack of diversity and undeniable presence of racial discrimination gave him a greater appreciation for the eclectic population where he was raised and fostered a desire within him to spread awareness about racial discrimination. In this episode, Chris will speak about the realities of being a minority, his experiences with racial discrimination and oppression, what equality truly means, and how we as a society can work to achieve it.
Coming into GCC as a freshman, Adam Bannister was focused on going to medical school, confident in his calling. A year later he traveled to a small mission hospital in Guatemala and fell in love with it, an experience that altered his course. In this episode, Adam will be speaking on his journey from pre-med to missions, describing how God led him to minister through music instead of through medicine. He founded a worship ministry, Songs for Revival, with the purpose of sharing the love of Christ in our world. Adam has written around 40 songs for the group, one of which he will perform for the first time at the end of this episode.
In the span of one year, Mollie Landman graduated high school, married the love of her life, and watched him die of bone cancer. In this episode, Mollie will speak of the devastation she felt in the wake of her great loss, and the power God gave her to return to life. Mollie has become a witness to God’s all-consuming love and attests to that new strength—not to move on, but to move forward.