Ava | “…what feels like a struggle is often part of something greater being built over time.”

There is something sacred about a young person standing before their church family and saying, this is where I became who I am. On May 17, 2026, three of our graduating seniors did exactly that, hear more from Ava Polanco!

Ava has been at Coker her entire life — baptized here, first Bible stories here, choir here. But she is the first to admit that didn’t make her an enthusiastic participant.

“There were many mornings when I argued with my parents about going,” she shared honestly. “There were times I was frustrated, upset, or simply unwilling to be there.”

What changed things wasn’t a single dramatic moment. It was consistency — Sunday after Sunday, Wednesday after Wednesday — from parents who refused to let her resistance become a barrier, and from leaders like Mrs. Cheryl, Megan, Pastor Clay, and others who showed up week after week and kept pouring into her even when she didn’t seem to notice.

And she did notice. Eventually.

That foundation carried Ava into youth ministry, church camps, a mission trip to Costa Rica in 2023, the Vision Team, and ultimately into a chaplain leadership role with Revive Ministries — where she began pouring into others the same way she had been poured into.

Ava closed with a message drawn from Luke 18, where Jesus tells his disciples not to hinder the children from coming to him. She turned that passage directly toward the parents and guardians in the room: Keep bringing them. Even when they push back. Even when they seem uninterested. Because what feels like a struggle in the moment is often part of something much greater being built over time.

“If my parents had only brought me when I felt like attending, I would not be here today. It was not always something I chose — but it was something they chose for me. And now, looking back, I can confidently say that was one of the most important decisions they ever made in my life.”

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