Words have power.
C.S. Lewis, author of the Chronicles of Narnia and other Christian novels, believed in this. For years, he used his gift with words to inspire people of all ages, and to share his beliefs in an approachable manner.
In the same fashion, Nicole Santillo, sophomore, uses social media and blogging to share her own ideas about the struggles of being a teen and how God fits into her day-to-day life.
“l just write whatever I’ve been thinking about or what’s been on my heart,” Santillo said. “The goal of my posts is to lift other people up.”
Santillo’s desire to be there for others comes from a rough patch in her own life, where she felt an absence of people who were there for her.
“My parents got divorced when I was in third grade, and in eighth grade I had trouble with my self-esteem and self-harm,” Santillo said. “If I see someone that’s upset, I don’t ever want them to feel like they don’t have somebody there, because I haven’t had people there.”
Recently, Santillo shared her testimony at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) meeting to let other high-schoolers know they are not alone in their struggles.
“She’s great at giving advice,” said LeeAnn Miller, Santillo’s church leader. “She is real with people and I believe that is the only way to touch others and truly help them.”
Along with being involved in FCA, Santillo volunteers at Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV) and hopes to be a youth pastor when she’s older.
“I really enjoy helping people that are struggling,” Santillo said. “I just want to be there because the transition between junior high and high school is really hard, and trying to figure out who you are during that transition from when you’re a kid to when you become an adult is hard too.”
However, Santillo believes that wherever she ends up, she’ll have a purpose in her life.
“I want the stuff that I do to not ever be about me, I want all the glory to go back to God,” Santillo said. “It’s so awesome that God is able to use me because it’s not about me, its about Him.”
Through her words and through her actions, Santillo continues to leave an impact on her peers, and her leaders.
“Nicole is an amazing young lady with a heart for helping others,” Miller said. “She does her best to take the lessons and hardships she’s been through in life to help others. She has a gift with words.”
