With enough to complete a dozen, the close-knit Wordhouse family is made up of twelve children.

However, even amidst the chaos of a large family, junior Rachel Wordhouse constantly strives to show people kindness and grace. Each and every day, her selfless and sweet nature shines through in all that she does.

“I try to serve others first even though it can be hard at times,” Rachel said. “I try to make that a priority. Because I have such a big family, I tend to think of others first, so I interact with people differently. [Living in a big family] can be crazy at times, but there’s always someone you can hang out and talk with.”

Having a large family has influenced Rachel’s life in more ways than one. Through years of experience, she has learned that being an older sibling also means being a role model for her younger siblings.

“I hope to inspire my siblings by working hard and doing well,” Rachel said. “That’s a big [component] in my family: to do your best. My mom is a really hard worker and always tries to make things right, so I’ve probably learned to work hard from her.”

Rachel’s biggest supporters in all she does are her parents and her siblings. They are always encouraging her to try new things and also grow in her faith, which is why working at Upper Peninsula Bible Camp (UPBC) was the perfect fit.

After nearly ten years of being a camper, the time had finally arrived for Rachel to step into a new position: a summer staff intern, where she would supply her help wherever necessary.

“My mom’s friend has been helping out our family for a while, and she thought I would love it there,” Rachel said. “[Now, I love going there because of] the community and the people. I just really like the idea of serving others and putting others before yourself.”

Knowing her potential and passion, many people aside from her parents believed that she would thrive on staff. So over the summer, because of her desire to inspire and repay the camp, she excelled in her new position at UPBC, serving with a heart full of gratitude and love.

“My friend Abby has been on staff for six years, so she’s kind of inspired me to be on staff too,” Rachel said. “The way that the staff poured into my life at camp, I had always wanted to be that for someone else too. Now that I’m on staff, I hope to do that for campers.”

Her experiences with leadership, the campers, and the community strengthened her faith, and even after camp, it remained a hugely impactful part of her life. As another opportunity to grow, Rachel joined United Prayer at FHC, which has also become a very supportive aspect of her life.

“It’s comforting to know that people are praying for you, that you can share whatever you need to share, and that you are able to pray for others in the group too,” Rachel said. “I also write down my prayer requests so I can look back at all I’ve been through and see how God has worked in my life.”

For Rachel, progress and growth are important to become who you are meant to be. Additionally, she believes that overcomplicating things makes life more convoluted and less joyful.

“Simplicity is something that is important to me,” Rachel said. “When life is more complicated, you get more worried and stressed. So [simplicity] is not really about the activities you do but more about not overthinking the way you look at [situations].”

Through any stressors or chaotic transitions she faces, her positive and charitable outlook is what carries her through. Her optimism continues to take her in many directions and encourage her to step outside her comfort zone.

“I think I approach life by trying to look at the positives,” Rachel said. “[My biggest motivator] would be to try new things and have a greater variety of things [in my life].”