Chris Dymski

Grove City College 2014, history and secondary education major

“Chris Dymski was certainly gifted with many talents by the Lord and that was incredibly evident to me the first time I met him,” says Andrew Stimmel, CCO staff member and head men’s lacrosse coach at Grove City College. “What was also obvious was that Chris lacked in his confidence to lead others. Only being a sophomore, I think he really questioned whether he was old enough to be out in front of people who were older than him.”

Andrew made a point of encouraging Chris, both as his lacrosse coach and as his campus minister. Chris is the starting goalie on Grove City’s men’s lacrosse team, and he is also vice president of Grove City’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes group. Andrew says that Chris has been an integral part of the leadership and discipleship team over the past year.

“College has helped me continue to mature in my faith and in life in general,” Chris says. “It is such a formative time, so having the right influences makes all the difference in the world. I was blessed with a great upbringing, so coming to college has not had me make any 180 degree changes, but it has helped me take the next step in growing up and really built upon my previous foundation.

“Coach is a great mentor to me and has been through a number of the same things that I am going through. If it were not for him, I would not be involved with the athletes fellowship at all and my lacrosse experience would be vastly different. We have formed a great friendship, and I am so thankful that the Lord put him into my life.”

“Chris really changed with the help of some of the older guys on our leadership team who encouraged and developed him into the leader they knew he could become,” Andrew says. “He is a leader and lives out his faith on and off the field. He always is willing to put others ahead of himself, dropping numerous other passions and commitments to allow the fellowship and lacrosse to become a priority. Chris constantly sacrifices his personal time to intentionally invest in others around him. For someone who is already on a tight schedule as a student athlete, that’s extremely impressive.

“It has been amazing to see someone, who at the beginning of the year was questioning himself as a leader, grow into a student who is leading his peers into a deep commitment to Christ.”