2020 Graduate Update

“Starting at a young age, I experienced sexual abuse and made an oath of silence that led to isolation. From the outside, my life looked ideal. On the inside, the deeper pain that was festering led to deeper issues. My first suicide attempt was at the age of 12, which was followed by an eating disorder and self-harm. When I reflect on my time at Mercy, I remember it being the safest place I had ever been. Experiencing genuine and unconditional love set the foundation for God to move in my life. I never would have imagined that I could go more than a few months without a suicide attempt or that being hospitalized would not be part of my life. Since graduating from Mercy, I have completed my post-doc and became fully licensed as a clinical psychologist. I worked with the Air Force and have now relocated to South Korea to be a pediatric psychologist with the US Army. Learning who I really am in Christ has brought a refreshing freedom that I hold on to each day.”

-Lavonna was a graduate from Mercy in 2012