Nikki Gentry is the newest staff member to the Gap Year Enrollment team, although she is an old friend of ours. In 2010, she attended the Gap Year program and has continued to stay connected ever since. Everyone in the office knows that Nikki loves her morning Coke and good southern cookin’. She normally waltzes in with a smile, Coke in hand, to greet everyone as she makes her way to the “Penthouse Suite” also known as the Enrollment office.
Nikki is very intentional with every step she takes and every word she speaks. Over conversation, she explained that her favorite part of her job is the “opportunity to speak life into students every single day.” For those of you who do not know Nikki, she is quick to listen and asks lots of questions. She loves to learn about people’s strengths and passions. Her Communication degree that she recently received from Liberty University suits her perfectly. She has mastered the art of communicating and giving value to every person she encounters.
Winshape Camps for Girls at Mount Berry had the honor of sitting under her teaching for the past two summers. Nikki served as the Senior Camp Girl’s Worship Speaker. Everyday Nikki took hold of the opportunity to bring to life the potential in each girl sitting in her presence.
During her time as a student at Liberty, worship speaker at Winshape Camps, and long distance intern for Impact 360, God began to give Nikki pieces of the bigger picture that He has in store for her future. She explained “I want to help teen girls and women move from complacently to activity in their life with Christ.” She feels called to continue to sharpen her skills in public speaking and potentially create a ministry avenue to do so in the future.
Although this is her big dream, she is quick to say that she has some growing to do. Right now, she is in a place of learning and listening.
“I am just wrapping my mind around this new adult life. Community is a big thing that is on my radar right now. I want to mature in many ways – mentally, spiritually and possibly even pick up some new healthy eating habits. Lately I have been challenge in what I am reading and learning by the Impact 360 staff. When you work in the same building as Basie, you can’t really get away from it.”
Nikki spends that majority of her day talking with students, friends of Impact 360, and planning recruiting trips. She is looking forward to the new class starting in the fall. She is excited to see students who she has worked with directly attend the program and to be able to watch them grow throughout the year.
If you are considering applying for the Gap Year, Nikki is the perfect person to talk to. She can tell you about her experience as a student and how spending a year digging deep in her faith really changed the trajectory of her life. If you want to see more of her testimony check out this video –