MADELEINE DORST
REFORMED UNIVERSITY FELLOWSHIP | USC
Madeleine grew up in Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2020 with a degree in English. Being in Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) as an undergraduate student changed her life, giving her stability, deep community, and a place to more richly know Jesus during college. She moved to Los Angeles in 2021 to begin the RUF internship at the University of Southern California, transitioned into the role of permanent Campus Staff in 2023, and is planning to stay in that role for the foreseeable future! She enjoys reading, watching and reviewing movies, a good dance party, dark chocolate everything, walks, and board games. And more importantly, she loves exploring L.A with students and talking about God, life, art, and everything in between.
To learn more and support Madeleine’s ministry, please visit the link below:
IMPACT TESTIMONIAL
When I arrived at the USC campus in the fall of 2021, one of the first students I met was Ashley. Ashley was a sophomore from Northern California. She had no religious background, but had been attending different spiritual clubs on campus, trying to answer the nagging questions of her soul. Two of her roommates were already involved in RUF, and started inviting her to events. Even though she didn’t know what she believed, Ashley accepted the invitations, and quickly felt like she belonged. RUF events became the highlight of her week. I began meeting with her regularly, where we'd talk about what she was hearing in the sermons and Bible studies. I ended up giving her a copy of Tim Keller’s The Prodigal God and her first Bible. She began visiting church, and over the next three years, she came to faith. By senior year, she was a professing Christian, and told me at graduation, “RUF offered me spiritual food I didn’t realize I was starving for.” She now lives and works in the area, and I continue to see how God is growing her faith post-college. Ashley’s story, and others like it, encapsulate what I love most about RUF: we are a deeply relational ministry, for seekers and Christians alike, and we take the Bible and godly community seriously. On a high-achieving campus where students are constantly performing, RUF offers them a restful space where they can be honest about their questions and doubts. In a culture that is often distrustful of Christianity, we have a rich fellowship of students who make others feel at home, even if they don’t yet believe. It is a privilege for me to be a part of God's kingdom work by getting to read scripture, pray, encourage, and build community with these students, helping them mature in their faith and be God’s blessing to the campus, and beyond!
