During my freshman year of college, I applied and was chosen to attend Google’s BOLD Discovery Program and by the end of the program, I was recommended to apply to be a Google Student Ambassador (GSA) for my university, Drexel University. After going through the intense application process, I found myself at Google’s headquarters in California on July 28th, 2015 for training to be the first Google Student Ambassador (read more about the program here) for Drexel University. I was ecstatic and could not believe I was actually chosen.

While I was there for the training, I said a very simple prayer:

“Dear God, you know I have been dreaming about interning at Google for a long time. Next time I return to Google, I want to be here for a summer internship – not just for a training program. If this is your plan for me, let it be so.”

Due to Drexel’s unique schedule, I also told God I wanted to know before the end of 2015 if I had the summer internship in order to proceed with other internship opportunities just in case Google did not work out. To my surprise, I was invited to interview for a position through Google’s fast-track internship application system, which meant that I would be getting a decision in a matter of few weeks, if not in a few days. When I was reading the email, all I could say was, “Wow! If this is not your doing God, then I really do not know what is.”

When it was time for my interview, I was extremely nervous because I really wanted the position and had been dreaming about working at Google for a long time. The first round of interviews went really well – I really felt like I was having just a regular conversation with the interviewer; which is what most companies strive for nowadays but are not too successful. The second round of interviews was tough as it was a bit more technical. Close to the end of my second interview, my interviewer asked me something that really caught me off-guard. Unfortunately I cannot share the question as I signed an agreement, however, I was personally not confident in my answer but my interviewer admitted that it was a really difficult question and said that I answered it very well.

When my interviewer said this I thought,

“Okay o! That’s how you people like to say that the interview went well but then you will send an email later on and say ‘Sorry, we will not be proceeding with your application this time. We wish you continued success!’ “

After the interview, it took less than 24 hours for my recruiter to reach out to me. She called me the next morning and asked if I had a few minutes to talk but at that time I was on the bus commuting to school and the bus was extremely noisy. We decided to set up a meeting for us to chat the following day and for the rest of the day, I was extremely nervous and could not stop thinking about the outcome of the interview. I knew then that the only reason she would set up a meeting was to tell me that I was not selected and would go through where I made mistakes during the interview and would encourage me to apply again next year.

While one side of my brain was thinking this, the other side just kept thinking about how my God would not bring me this far just for me to get rejected. I started to give myself pep talks and eventually told myself to just wait for God to grant us a new day in order to hear the results.

Long story short, my recruiter called me the following day and said I had the job! When she was briefing me on the salary, my location options, (NYC, Ann Arbor, and Mountain View (Google’s headquarters in North America)), and other logistics, all I could say was, “Thank you, Lord!!!!!” I was so excited my legs were shaking and I had to sit down in order to jot down everything she was saying. She could sense my excitement over the phone and told me not to bother taking notes because she was going to send everything again to me via email.

From the location options I had, after praying to God for more guidance and confiding in my closest friends, I decided to go to Mountain View (where I had the GSA Training) instead of their Ann Arbor or NYC office because I really wanted to experience life on the West Coast and wanted to try something completely new. I guess when you stay in Philadelphia for 10 years, you tend to get tired of it. HA!

After accepting the offer and finalizing everything with Google, it has honestly been a challenging few months in terms of finding housing and figuring out if I really wanted to make the move – even though it is only for a few months. In the beginning stages, I thought I could put on my ‘Super Woman Samuella’ cape and figure out my housing situation by myself but I realized that I can not do everything by myself. I am not a machine – I also get tired/worn out sometimes.

I used the resources available to me and reached out to my Coca-Cola Scholar network as well as a few people from Drexel who are currently living on the West Coast or who have lived on the West Coast before. Finding housing, affordable housing, in California has been extremely tough. I can not tell you how many times I drafted an email to my recruiter telling her that I had to renege on the offer because I just could not afford housing on the West Coast. God being so great, I found two roommates and we were able to go through the housing struggle together. After months of searching, we finally found housing! Our townhouse apartment is way out of our budget but at least we have been able to find housing and we are all excited about the next few weeks.

Now that my mind is a bit a peace, I am able to share the good news with you all. Who would have thought that a regular girl like me would land an internship at Google? Definitely not I! Thanks be to God for what He has done, what He is constantly doing and the great things He will do. Am I nervous about moving? YES! Am I nervous about my position for the summer? DOUBLE YES! Am I nervous about what is ahead? YOU HAVE NO IDEA!

I am extremely  nervous but I am also excited and I know that my God will not let me down. I know that He will always be there for me and that I have nothing to worry about it. How do I know this? Because He has always been there. Always. I am sharing this with you all today because as Christians, especially young Christians, it can be very easy for us to lose our faith in God, especially when it comes to things that we really want.

However, Jeremiah 29:11 should serve as a constant reminder for us not to worry about anything because even before we were born, He knew the plans He had for us and what He wanted us to accomplish by placing us on this Earth:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on  me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heat.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV

So whenever you are feeling discouraged or when you feel like God has forgotten about you, trust me when I say that He is really preparing you for something far better than you can even imagine. Continue to trust in Him, pray, confide in Him, talk to Him on a regular basis (not just when you need something), and just have faith. After all, Philippians 4:13 tells us that:

“I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”

Thank you to my family and friends for praying with me and for me. Everything we did was not in vain – I thank you all and I love you all dearly.

Please help me thank God for all of the great things He has done and for all that He will do. Amen!

Stay adventurous, dear friends, and always remember to stay golden. All ways, always.

Sincerely,

Samuella