Living a Gospel-Centered Life
By Paige Dugo, Class of 2019
Putting my thoughts into words has always been difficult for me, so as I sat down to reflect on the ways the Charlotte Fellows program has impacted my life, I was at a loss for words. How could I possibly articulate how just nine short months post college changed the way I have lived these past six years? Though I entered the program hoping to figure out how to live a meaningful life in the “real world,” I left knowing that true meaning comes from living a life that has been radically transformed by the Gospel.
At the end of the Fellows Program, each of us wrote an “Ebenezer paper” to serve as a reminder of the Lord’s faithfulness, and the biggest takeaway I had then remains true of my experience today - the community. The relationships I formed during the Fellows program served as models for the ones I would want to pursue the rest of my life, relationships that point me towards the Lord. The deep friendships I formed with the Fellows led me to pursue a greater level of depth with my friends in Charlotte. Getting to experience the beautiful marriage of my host parents and the way they intentionally loved and cared for their daughters shaped my idea of what my future marriage and family would look like. Conversations with my mentor provided opportunities for her to share wisdom while also giving me a glimpse of what it could look like to pursue the Lord a few years down the road. Though I don’t get to see them as often as I would like, these relationships are still so meaningful, and we are intentional about finding time to catch up!
The fellows program has also shaped how I view my job as a teacher from a Gospel perspective. Working in a public school for my first few years, I had to remember that I was not responsible for the salvation of my students, but had the opportunity to love and serve them. Now at Charlotte Christian School, I get to teach 4th graders from a Biblical worldview alongside coworkers who encourage me in my faith.
This past October, six years after the Fellows program, I got to have an Ebenezer moment as my “fellow fellows” (including my sister and now brother-in-law who met through Fellows), host family, my mentor’s family, and my fourth grade team from Charlotte Christian all flew to Tampa to attend my wedding along with the rest of my wonderful community. Look what God has done!