Alumni Update: Rocio Velasquez-Morales (’14)

This post is adapted from an interview with Rocio Velasquez-Morales (’14). 

I came to The Potter House against my will in 2010. At first, I wasn’t excited to come to a Christian school. I had always attended public schools since Kindergarten and I was used to that environment. However, my parents wanted a better future for me, so they said, “Rocio, I think The Potter’s House is a good fit for you; I want a good future for your life, I want you to continue with your studies and grow spiritually as well.” I wasn’t excited about that at all. I wanted to keep on going with my friends at public school and continue that party life that we lived back in middle school.

After attending TPH, I realized that it was way different than the school I came from. I improved my grades. I had the desire to continue going to class and graduate and then attend college afterward. The teachers were very different from my previous school. They were there for me whenever I needed them. The thing that shocked me the most is that they prayed before exams or initiating class, and that was very different from my previous school. 

My experience in college has been rough; it’s had ups and downs. However, the teachers from TPH always said, “pray for guidance, ask God for wisdom,” and that’s what I’ve always done. I’ll be finishing college next May with my bachelor’s degree in education, and I’m very excited about that. At first, I did not want to be a teacher. I started college with something totally different, like in the medical field, but I guess that wasn’t my fit, so I prayed about it. The next day, I woke up and realized I had a desire to be a teacher. It was totally random but I know it was God who led me that way. 

I completed my English major in the Fall of 2018, and most recently completed my Spanish minor abroad, this past semester. I went and studied abroad in Seville, Spain, and it was the best thing I’ve ever done. It was so awesome. I got the opportunity to not only engage in Spanish but also travel around Europe, which is amazing. Definitely, it’s worth going to college, because it opens so many opportunities for you, which is what I just did in Spain.  

I plan on graduating in May 2020. After that, I want to teach in an urban school or teach abroad. I really enjoyed my stay in Spain, so I am looking forward to teaching there as well. If not, just staying in the GR area, and perhaps teaching at The Potter’s House, who knows? 

The advice I would give to students at The Potter’s House is to believe in themselves, and when they have struggles or obstacles, to pray about it. School is never easy. It was never easy for me, getting high grades. Just try your best, never give up, and always ask for help. I was the shy student who never asked for help. Looking back at my High School years, I should have asked for more help. Because in college, you constantly find yourself asking for help, and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. So just keep going and getting those high grades for yourself.  

The wisdom comes from God, He will lead you in the right way. And never give up, always chase your dreams, because it’s totally worth it. Just keep walking forward. 

Travel images courtesy of Rocio Velasquez-Morales