When Niyah came to KAA for the first time three years ago, she felt alone—as if it was on her to figure out life all. She definitely did not know Jesus and certainly did not have time to help others when she was barely keeping her head above water. One of her mentors thought KAA would be helpful. “That was my first time to camp, and it changed me,” reflects Niyah.
She found so much in that first week at KAA. Niyah found a safety net, and most importantly, she found Jesus. Two years later, her mentor approached her again—this time to encourage her to attend KAA’s leadership development program, Higher Ground (HG).
Last summer, she spent a week at HG 1 learning how to study and seek answers in scripture, communicate biblical truth, share their learning, as well having the opportunity to flex those new skills during local outreach near camp. Through that experience Niyah says she learned that “to be a great leader, first, you have to be a great follower.”
Since returning to her home city, she no longer feels alone. Instead, she goes on outreach trips with her youth group to area neighborhoods to pass out sandwiches, encourage and pray with kids her age, so they know they are not alone. “HG gave me the boldness to serve,” Niyah says.
In just a couple of weeks Niyah will attend HG 2, where she will spend two full weeks soaking in God’s Word and how to apply it to life, being encouraged by fellow HG students and leadership staff, participating in the new HG Work Program by interning/job shadowing at camp, and assisting with a KAA Connect outreach in Little Rock.
