Identifying Her Mission Field

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For Veronika Welch ’26, home is many places. Ukraine. Hungary. And now Wheaton. 

During her senior year of high school, Welch committed to Wheaton College one week before the war between Ukraine and Russia began. As the war in Ukraine escalated, she and her family left their home in Kyiv and evacuated to Poland, where Welch finished high school.

“That was a grace in itself,” said Welch. “It was all part of God’s plan. The way that God brought me to Wheaton was not an accident. It felt like just the right place. And it has proved itself in that in more ways than one.”

As a daughter of missionaries, Welch was drawn to Wheaton’s International Student Program and public recognition of missionary alumni when she visited the College in 2021. The student tour guide who showed her around campus was also studying communication, the major Welch was planning to choose. Once she became a Wheaton student, Welch pursued that path and has stayed on it ever since. In addition to her communication with media studies major, Welch is completing a minor in art and a leadership certificate.

Unlike the certainty she had in choosing her major, Welch hadn’t planned on the Chase Leadership Certificate. But when she took an introductory course on leadership, she recognized the natural leadership skills she had possessed from a young age and saw how she could improve them. Now in the program, Welch nourishes her love for student development by working with HoneyRock, Passage Orientation, and the intercultural arts and media group on campus. “These departments have given me a beautiful blend of personal development and preparation for ministry and any area of life, whether in missions or elsewhere,” said Welch. 

Welch finds Wheaton’s liberal arts curriculum ideal for her to grow in her love for learning and pursuing many different passions and interests. She cites many classes as having a profound impact on how she interacts with the world, including “Dynamic Earth and Environment,” “Old Testament,” “Digital Studio,” “Poverty, Justice, and Transformation,” and “Fundamentals of Oral Communication.” “I would definitely say the professors are ultimately the reason these classes made a lasting impact on me,” she said. “These classes made me think of the world differently and consider how I can contribute to the world.”

Welch also appreciates the many opportunities to connect with others on campus “Every night, there is always something going on,” she said. “There are so many clubs to be part of and lectures to attend.” Welch has been involved with a variety of groups and teams on campus, including AIT’s Event Production Services team, soccer and basketball intramurals, the Media Team, and the Office of Ministry and Evangelism. 

Through Student Missionary Partners, one of the programs under the OME, Welch and a group of students traveled during spring break in 2024 to a residential recovery ministry in New Hampshire, designed to help residents find healing from their addictions through a relationship with Jesus. Welch and her peers were assigned to spend time with the residents at the center. “It was one of the most profound and godly experiences I’ve ever had,” she said. “I served so minimally because all we had to do was walk alongside the residents and live life with them. Yet, God moved so much and made his presence known in the midst of that.”

Welch has also experienced God’s presence when facing loneliness and struggling with navigating transition during her time as a student. “Including my study abroad, during the last few years, I’ve been in Ukraine, Poland, Wheaton, Hungary, London, and back to Wheaton,” said Welch. “It’s been a continual process of adjusting, whether to new cultures, environments, or communities.” 

As she considers the loneliness she’s felt on campus, she acknowledges she is not alone in her experience. “I feel like it’s one of the unspoken truths of the college experience,” said Welch. “While it’s been difficult, I have seen how it’s pushed me to rely on my faith. And in that, I’ve learned to see loneliness as a gentle reminder that our souls were made for God.”

Amid these often challenging lessons, she has developed resilience while gaining a greater understanding of the practice of gratitude and the importance of community. “I now recognize the importance of seeking out help and support within the relationships that I have,” said Welch. “I’ve definitely learned about myself and others and, most importantly, God and my relationship with him.”

Contemplating life post-Wheaton, Welch’s options for what’s next are plentiful. From graphic design and photography to student development and publishing, Welch can see herself serving in a variety of contexts. Regardless of the line of work she chooses, she will view it as her mission field. “All I know is that we’re all called to God’s kingdom mission,” said Welch.