Mai was paired with a mentor through her local community not long after she started attending — an older student willing to meet weekly over instant coffee near the market stalls close to campus.

Their conversations rarely stayed theoretical. When Mai mentioned she was anxious about a family conflict, her mentor didn't just point her to a verse — she sat with her through it, prayed with her, and checked in the following week.

"She didn't just teach me the Bible," Mai says. "She showed me how to live it, in ordinary, unglamorous ways. That's what made it real to me."

Mai now mentors two younger students herself, meeting them at the same market stalls where her own mentoring began.