One of the most pivotal moments of Carolina Chavarría’s life came in the form of an abrupt phone call from a friend informing her that she had an audition that could change her life in five minutes.
Chavarría’s friend knew the Liberty sophomore had an incredible voice and made the decision to put Chavarría’s name on the LU Praise team’s audition list without telling her.
Chavarría recalls running from her dorm in Commons Two to the Music Building as quickly as she could, knowing she was the next name they would call. LU Praise offered her a spot on the team and became the second family Chavarría had been searching for since she began attending Liberty in 2016.
With her family living in Costa Rica, Chavarría only sees her tight-knit family once a year, if she is lucky. She recalls how isolating her first year at Liberty felt because of the shift from Costa Rica to Lynchburg, Virginia.
“My first semester, I remember crying a lot, and I just didn’t feel like I belonged here,” Chavarría said. “It was hard for me to make friends, too.”
Chavarría settled into her new home, and by the second semester of her sophomore year, she was acclimated to her new environment; she had friends and found a sense of what it meant to live in Virginia.
Her acceptance into LU Praise marked the beginning of some of her dearest friendships and memories.
“I felt like when I got into LU Praise, they became my family,” Chavarría said. “You need accountability in your life and people who are always around you. They were that for me, and I really appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the team.”
Her dream of being on the praise team became a nightmare when her family lost everything right before she returned from an internship in Florida for her senior year.
“I was like, ‘Lord, I will do whatever you want me to do. If I need to go back home and help my family, I will do that, but if you want me to stay here, then you’re going to provide everything,’” Chavarría said.
People questioned the risk she took by moving into her apartment and beginning classes without a way to pay for it, but she had complete trust that she was meant to finish her degree in commercial music at Liberty. Chavarría’s vocal coach, along with her coach’s husband, counseled her in the aftermath of her family’s tragedy and became an incredible support system for Chavarría during this time.
One of the most miraculous moments came when Liberty called and warned Chavarría that if she did not make a payment towards her schooling, she would have to leave Liberty and her LU Praise family.
Chavarría begged God for clarity and provision. The next day, her vocal coach and her husband called her into her office where they handed her an envelope containing the money she needed for school. The money had been given to them by someone they did not recognize and said the money was specifically for Chavarría.
“They were like, ‘Someone paid for your school,’ and I was in shock,” Chavarría said. “I couldn’t understand what they were saying.”
After inquiring several times about the identity of the generous stranger, the Damons assured her they had no idea who it was.
“They said that when he gave them the envelope, they looked [down at the envelop and then] out of the room, and he wasn’t there anymore,” Chavarría said.
Chavarría was in awe of the way God provided for her then, and she remembered being encouraged to trust that God was going to do something big with her.
“I can’t believe that I am seen by God,” Chavarría said. “Like, I knew that already, but I didn’t know it was that vivid. In those situations, you realize that He really is for you, and He wants to protect you and bless you.”
Although she graduated in 2020 and had no idea how she could provide for herself financially, Chavarría knew her Liberty journey was not over and felt incredible peace when choosing to pursue a master’s degree in family counseling. Her scholarship through LU Praise made it possible for her to pursue a degree she hopes to use to serve other.
“I talked to one of my professors a couple of weeks ago and was like, ‘I’m too broken to help other people,’” Charvarría said. “I realize that I don’t know what I would do without praising the Lord every single week. Sometimes, I get to rehearsal, and I don’t feel like praising, but I get to the end of it, and I feel refreshed.”
Her peace and comfort come from worshipping God through LU Praise, and Chavarría hopes to inspire that same peace in those who hear her story.
Vires is a feature writer. Follow her on Twitter at @nadiavires.