Learning to Walk by Faith: Kawehi Mark ’26
Words: Juliana Bacote ’24
Photos: Laura Armstrong
Kawehi Mark ’26
Born and raised by the beaches of southern California, Kawehi Mark ’26 dreamed of staying close to home for college. God had other plans. When Mark expressed her hopes for college, which included reputable academics, loving community, and a location near a big city, her mom suggested Wheaton. Mark applied but did not initially give Wheaton much consideration. However, after receiving her acceptance letter and visiting campus, she quickly fell in love with the college.
During her freshman year, Mark had to adjust to everything Illinois life entailed—especially the cold winters. Although she missed the beach, Mark believes the Lord wanted her to be stretched in a completely new environment. “Southern California was all I’d known,” Mark said. “Gaining different perspectives and experiences in the midwest was what I needed to grow.”
Of course, Mark’s opportunities for growth haven’t been limited to the chilly temperatures. “One of the reasons I chose to go to Wheaton was because I knew there would be many service opportunities,” said Mark, who is studying psychology and communication on her way to becoming an occupational therapist. “Occupational therapy is centered on serving and helping others live fulfilling and purposeful lives despite disabilities or health-related setbacks. I’ve always had a heart for people in those spaces.”
Mark got involved right away with the Honduras Project: a student-led, short term missions organization that helps provide clean, running water to rural Honduran villages. Through weekly service projects around the Chicago suburbs, Mark and fellow Wheaton students raised enough money to install a gravity-fed water system that now delivers fresh spring water to household facets in a village. The students then visited this village during their spring break to help build the water system and lead ministry programs.
“Participating in this project taught me the value of growing fruit slowly,” Mark said. “Hearing the stories of the village women whose lives were changed by the water system showed me what all of our hard work throughout the year was ultimately for: giving up a few hours of our lives to make someone else’s better.”
After a competitive application process, Mark was chosen to serve as a “Deke” (campus tour guide and host for visiting high school students) for her sophomore year. While it was a great fit for her warm, relational personality, she also found herself challenged to grow in her understanding of hospitality. Hosting high schoolers in her dorm, showing them around campus, and being available to help them make a college decision gave Mark hands-on experience with walking alongside others through what can be a daunting transition. Her ability to do so was often due to her own willingness to be vulnerable with those around her. “Sophomore year was tough for me,” she said. “But during that time, my fellow Dekes and other friends supported me. Through them, the Lord helped me understand that I can’t face life on my own.” In turn, she was able to offer similar support to the students that stayed with her along their own journey to college.
Knowing what career she wanted to pursue so early meant Mark had a decision to make as a high schooler: complete a five-year occupational therapy program somewhere else, or come to Wheaton. In the end, spending four years at Wheaton was a leap of faith she was more than willing to take. “What I thought was a risk as a senior in high school has become a very transformative experience,” Mark said. “Taking more time to invest in different areas of my life will help me become a more impactful tool for the Lord to use. When we walk by faith and not by sight, the Lord opens doors for us to grow and explore in ways we never thought possible. Wheaton has prepared me spiritually, academically, and holistically for what’s to come.”
After graduating, Mark hopes to receive her doctorate and start practicing, possibly in the Chicago area. She ultimately aspires to establish her own practice. However, she holds her dreams loosely. “I love to dream about it, but I feel like God’s plan is different from exactly what we want,” she said. “The Lord has shown me how to depend on him and trust that he will lead me where he wants me to be.”
Kawehi is a student ambassador for the Wheaton Fund. To learn more about our student ambassadors, visit the Wheaton Fund webpage.
