Gifts that can change the world
Yannin Dominguez moved the Midwest when she was 22 and started attending a church with several North Central alumni. “Everybody around me would talk about North Central!” she commented, drawn in by their enthusiasm.
Prior to her move, Yannin went to college but withdrew due to finances. “I had to quit school because it became very difficult for me to work two jobs and go to school.” Originally from Mexico, Yannin was a legal immigrant, but her status excluded her from Federal financial aid programs.
“When I quit school, I gave up on my dreams,” Yannin reflected. “But when I moved to Iowa and everyone would talk about this wonderful place where people not only believe in you but also invest in your dreams, I remember thinking, ‘I need to get to know this place.’”
But first she needed to pay the bills. She went to work at a job that demanded 10- to 12-hour days, and after two years, Yannin felt God asking her what she wanted to do with her life.
During this time one of those North Central friends—Yannin’s best friend—boldly told Yannin, “NCU is a complete possibility. You just need to ask God.” Yannin just wasn’t ready.
“She would invite me to Minneapolis and even showed me North Central,” Yannin said. “But I would get sick to my stomach thinking about having two jobs and going to school again. My time was past; I just couldn’t go back.”
A reality check
Due to unexpected circumstances, Yannin had to quit her job and started working as a waitress. “This was a reality check,” she remarked. “I didn’t want to be an employee that was easily replaceable; I wanted to develop skills that would let me be an example for others.”
God opened a door for her to work in a high school with kids at risk to help them prepare for college. “I was involved in all the logistics of [helping these kids] apply for college, and thought that was going to be my life,” she shared. “I loved it and was kind of living vicariously…but ultimately ignoring what God was telling me to do.”
Yannin went to work one summer at Lake Geneva Christian Center, an Assemblies of God camp in Alexandria, Minn., and once again found herself surrounded by NCU alumni. “Through these people I became aware of the greatness of this organization and this community,” she said. “The theme for camp that summer was ‘Ask,’ and they posed the question: ‘If you don’t ever ask, how is God going to give it to you?’”
By this time, Yannin had actually applied to North Central and been accepted, watering a small seed of hope that it could somehow work out. She met with Financial Aid, but because of her status she didn’t qualify for sufficient aid. “I went home defeated and remember thinking, ‘It’s obvious He is not going to open the door,’” she said. “It just couldn’t be my dream anymore.”
God had other plans
Several weeks later Yannin received an email from Financial Aid letting her know a new scholarship opportunity had become available, and encouraging her to apply for it. Again Yannin resisted, afraid to dream, and hesitant about going back to school after so many years. “I said ‘No.’”
Then there was another email… there is still time to apply but act soon. Yannin realized it was time for faith, not doubt. She applied for the scholarship and was granted the opportunity to attend NCU.
With the dream of school now off the shelf and dusted, Yannin seized the opportunity start dreaming about her future. “I realized I would love to create a school that provides bilingual skills for people who don’t have other possibilities,” she shared. “Now I am pursuing a double major in business and education. Every day I wake up and can’t believe I’m doing this—that I am able to go to school and not work full time.”
Relying on the Body of Christ
“I am so appreciative for all the people who have been able to donate and give a little of what they have [to North Central],” Yannin said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today, and I believe this is just the beginning.
“I want to make sure people know that as they invest in our lives and our futures, they are not only investing in us, but also in the futures of many,” she said, meaning the lives that are touched as NCU students fulfill their calling in the world. “The donors and people who believe in this generation truly have taught us to realize how important it is to rely on the Body of Christ.”
Yannin is excited about her future and believes that North Central is the perfect place to prepare for it. “Coming to North Central has allowed me to believe that no matter what I do, I can make an impact. My professors pour into my mind with hearts of leadership and with hearts of pastors and shepherds.
“I know that wherever I go, I will not only be the best business or education major, I will be a representative —and ambassador—of my professors, of Dr. Anderson, of all the people around me who have believed in me. I think that’s going to change the world.”
