Welcome to the Loft: Meet Essence

Name: Essence

School Attending: Allegheny College
Major: Double major in Neuroscience and Psychology

Where are you from? New Brighton, PA

One fun fact about you:
 She does not know how to swim.     

What is your favorite color?

 Green. 

What are you passionate about?
 She is passionate about helping people however she can.  

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 God told her to come here.

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 AbbyGrace and Lydia. 

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 Probably the one night we had worship in the staff apartment. It was amazing.   

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 She is still figuring that out. 

What job do you have down here?
 She works at the Surf Mall on the Boardwalk (at the Rockstar store within).

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 When she had someone come in that said he was a clam fisher. They had an interesting conversation about it multiple times.  

Anything else?

 Essence is a cutie. She is always seen smiling. She also isn't afraid to cry, which I appreciate. W

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Adam

Name: Adam

School Attending: Slippery Rock University
Major: Integrated Marketing Communications with a minor in Social Work

Where are you from? Mount Lebanon, PA

One fun fact about you:
 He likes to write poetry.   

What is your favorite color?

 Green.

What are you passionate about?
 He is passionate about working with the homeless, human trafficking, and sex trafficking people. 

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 He applied freshman year, sophomore year, and junior year. This year he finally got in and God put it on his heart to go. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 Casey.

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 Worship after class this past week. 

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 The boardwalk. 

What job do you have down here?
 Air Circus on the Boardwalk.

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 His job interview itself because his boss asked strange questions. 

Anything else?

 Nope. 

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Lydia

Name: Lydia

School Attending: Eastern Mennonite University
Major: Biblical Studies

Where are you from? Norristown, PA

One fun fact about you:
 She is extremely empathetic and kind to everyone she knows.    

What is your favorite color?

 Purple.  

What are you passionate about?
 She is passionate about world peace. 

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 She wanted to explore campus ministry as a possible calling. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 Seirra. 

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 Her group was leading worship. Seeing God in that moment.  

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 The South Beach. 

What job do you have down here?
 Second Chance Boutique. 

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 When she had a conversation with someone looking to give a donation.  

Anything else?

 Nope. 

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Mikayla

Name: Mikayla

School Attending: Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Major: Criminal Justice and Paralegal Studies with a double minor in Women and Gender Studies and Spanish

Where are you from? Alpha, NJ

One fun fact about you:
 She can put both her feet behind her head. She can also bend her finger all the way back (only one finger though). She knows a song to every US President. 

What is your favorite color?

 Purple. 

What are you passionate about?
 She is passionate about gender equality. Other things she is passionate about include: showing people the glory of God, cute puppies and classical literature. 

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 Her friend Mia did it last year. Her CCO leader also encouraged her. She hoped that she would also create lasting friendships.

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 Lilly. They talked about Grey's Anatomy and country music. 

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 It's more of a feeling when she felt seen. A physical favorite moment was when Stephen knew when she was upset about something and pulled her aside. He sat with her while she cried.  

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 The rose garden by the house. 

What job do you have down here?
 Air Circus on the Boardwalk. 

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 Any time a kid comes into the store because she loves kids. 

Anything else?

 She is really excited to see what God does in this house. 

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Katie

Name: Katie

School Attending: Waynesburg University
Major: Biblical and Ministry Studies with a concentration in Children and Youth Ministry and a minor in Child Development

Where are you from? Lewistown, PA

One fun fact about you:
 She has been to four of the seven continents so far and she hopes to go to all of them one day.   

What is your favorite color?

 Either Lavender or Plum. 

What are you passionate about?
 She is passionate about music, specifically worship music and giving children the love that they deserve (especially those that are hurting).

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 She felt like for a while the Lord was putting it on her heart to apply. She did not want to, but she finally decided she would and she got in (and I am thankful). She accepted because the Lord put it on her heart that there was a lot she needed to work on and change. She couldn't rebuild herself without being torn down in a safe and comfortable environment. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 Trinity. 

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 Tonight. We had an incredible worship tonight at the church. 

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 The boardwalk. 

What job do you have down here?
 Dockside Kitchen. 

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 Getting to sample every last item they sell on the menu. She also gets to start on the same playing field as the rest of her coworkers, as the restaurant is just about to open. 

Anything else?

 Katie is another redhead. I'm super excited because there are four redheads in the house. I'm not alone. 

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Emily

Name: Emily

School Attending: Robert Morris University
Major: Statistics and Predictive Analytics

Where are you from? New Wilmington, PA

One fun fact about you:
 She has a cat named Sophia.  

What is your favorite color?

 She loves so many, but she chose Maroon.  

What are you passionate about?
 She is passionate about music (both playing and listening), particularly worship music, as she connects with it more than sermons. 

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 There isn't a distinct answer. She thought it would be cool and something different than what she normally does. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 Harrison.  

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 She really liked worship on Monday. It felt like the music connected to what she was going through in her life. 

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 Bungalow Bowls. She loves getting foods in general and looking at the new "hip" places. 

What job do you have down here?
 Ocean Cafe (on the Boardwalk).

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 On Tuesday when her boss had more than a surface level conversation with her. One of her other favorite moments is when her boss told her that she hired her brother. She was really confused because she didn't have a brother. Her boss told her that he was also a Christian. In her mind, every Christian must know every other Christian. 

Anything else?

 She really likes ice cream, especially with sprinkles. She even has a page about it on her blog. 

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Noelle

Name: Noelle

School Attending: Waynesburg University
Major: History and Second Education as well as Political Science (She is a double major)

Where are you from? Beaver Falls, PA

One fun fact about you:
 She plays Violin. She has a Chinchilla. Her favorite president is Lincoln and she knows random facts about presidents.   

What is your favorite color?

 Grey. 

What are you passionate about?
 She is passionate about music. She loves playing her violin and she was talking to someone else that plays violin at the church and how she stopped for 25 years. Now, she has arthritis, which is really sad. She is also passionate about stories and people. She loved reading as a kid and some of her favorite stories are Joseph. She loves hearing other people's stories. She gets upset when others don't fully hear her story. 

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 She wanted to be part of a community and see what community looked like. She also wanted to learn more about God and herself. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 Jamie. 

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 Worship last night (we sang some incredible songs that Geraud and Natalie led).

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 The North Beach. It's at the end of the island, about an hour and a half from here. 

What job do you have down here?
 New York Cafe and Grill. 

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 Getting to see her boss' daughter is her favorite part because she is adorable. 

Anything else?

 Her (former) campus minister has the most adorable baby. She also collects seashells to put in every thank you letter she writes. 

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Molli

Name: Molli

School Attending: Slippery Rock University
Major: Social Work

Where are you from? Scranton, PA

One fun fact about you:
 She loves Crocs (you will constantly be wearing them)

What is your favorite color?

 Blue.

What are you passionate about?
 She is passionate about injustices. She also wants to work with kids, so she is passionate about kids and the family unit. She really values family dinners.

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 God told her to. She was also really looking for an intentional community where she could learn and grow together, while learning how to solve problems. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 Katie.

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 Casey's birthday when we were all waiting for him to come in.

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 The beach. 

What job do you have down here?
 Sunrise Cafe. 

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 The egg chef guy said that he will miss her in September.  

Anything else?

 She is really happy to be here. She is also really excited to see us after we leave (one day because we plan on being an intentional community after we leave). 

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Tessa

Name: Tessa

School Attending: Nothing Right Now...She's done school

Where are you from? Zealienople, PA

One fun fact about you:
 Her favorite material is linen.  

What is your favorite color?

 Mustard. 

What are you passionate about?
 She wants to see people set free. With that, she also wants to heal brokenness from the church and making sure people know Christ for who he is outside the context of church. 

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 She was looking for a discipleship program and it was the one that accepted her. She also wants to learn how to be a better leader, disciple, and evangelist wherever God calls her. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 Emma (that's me) or Lydia. 

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 Leading worship. 

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 Either the beach itself or the crossroads at 11th and Asbury (there is a Starbucks and Bungalow Bowls at that corner).

What job do you have down here?
 The Henna Shop. 

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 The first time she did a henna and it turned out well.  

Anything else?

 She is an incredible artist. I will probably post some of her drawings at the end of summer (with her permission of course). 

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Sarah

Name: Sarah

School Attending: Geneva College
Major: Sociology with a minor in Writing

Where are you from? Waldorf, MD

One fun fact about you:
 Sarah used to wear glasses.

What is your favorite color?

 Grey. 

What are you passionate about?
 She is passionate about social justice and social injustice.   

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 Her campus minister would not let her leave his office until she signed up. Then she was given three leadership positions for the fall. She thought her relationship with God was stagnant and this would potentially help her along the way. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 Natalie.

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 Family meeting. 

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 She hasn't found it yet.

What job do you have down here?
 Bob's Lemonade on the Boardwalk. 

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 Her boss asked her how to spell marshmallow. 

Anything else?

 Nope.

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Lilly

Name: Lilly

School Attending: Slippery Rock University
Major: Social Work

Where are you from? Wexford, PA

One fun fact about you:
 She figure skated for 9 years, but now she is a drummer.

What is your favorite color?

 Purple. 

What are you passionate about?
 Loving on kids and breaking the stigma of mental health.

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 She wasn't sure she would do it for the summer, but got told to apply by people she trusted. After prayer, she applied because she thought it would be fun and she wanted to grow in her faith. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 McKayla (over Grey's Anatomy).

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 Serious great moment: Midnight worship in the staff apartment, not knowing when it would end.
 Fun moment: When we all threw the football around on the beach because she always wanted friends to do that with. 

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 The beach.

What job do you have down here?
 The Surf Mall (on the boardwalk).

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 Being told that she was good at her job on day one.

Anything else?

 She can't wait to grow in the community, visit Hobby Horse, and she never knows what to expect in the morning. She loves all of us!

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Casey

Name: Casey

School Attending: Youngstown State University
Major: Civil and Construction Engineering Technology

Where are you from? Austintown, OH

One fun fact about you:
 He plans on proposing in the fall. 

What is your favorite color?

 Red and Orange. 

What are you passionate about?
 He is passionate about Rugby and hanging out with his girlfriend.  

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 For the leadership building aspect of it. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 AbbyGrace or Stephen (It's a tie).

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 His birthday. (We did a huge celebration in the house. We decorated, made a cake, bought gifts and everything.)

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 He doesn't want to give it away because no one knows about it. 

What job do you have down here?
 He works for Joan. 

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 The day that he didn't have to work. 

Anything else?

 All the people here are really awesome. 

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Jamie

Name: Jamie

School Attending: Robert Morris University
Major: Media Arts; Digital Cinema TV Production (as a concentration)

Where are you from? Grew up in Indiana, PA. Now lives in Ford City, PA.

One fun fact about you:
 She has really tiny ears. 

What is your favorite color?

 Purple. 

What are you passionate about?
 Film, music, and animals.

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 She wanted to do something different with her summer and wanted to learn leadership skills to take back with her to campus. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 Emily. 

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 Any of the worship times, because she loves worship.

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 It seems to be a tough question. She loves the Tabernacle though (which is where we stay) because it is where we bond the most. 

What job do you have down here?
 New York Cafe and Grill. 

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 Meeting her coworkers. 

Anything else?

 Nope.

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Harrison

Name: Harrison

School Attending: Geneva College
Major: Accounting

Where are you from? Fredericksburg, VA

One fun fact about you:
 He plays college football. (And he is actually pretty good at it. I sometimes watch him practice and he is doing great so far.)

What is your favorite color?

 Red.

What are you passionate about?
 He is passionate about serving others and showing them the Christ that saved him. He also passionate about helping those with special needs. 

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 He did not choose to do it. He was forced to. Now, he wants to become more secure in his identity in Christ and become a more Godly man. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 Stephen.

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 The first class when we sang Reckless Love.

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 Shades. 

What job do you have down here?
 Harrison works for Shades, which is located on the boardwalk.

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 When he sold his first pair without knowing anything. Update: His new favorite job moment is being able to share a little bit of his testimony with one of his coworkers. 

Anything else?

 Nope.

Welcome to the Loft: Meet AbbyGrace

Name: AbbyGrace

School Attending: Arcadia University
Major: Art Therapy

Where are you from? Nazareth, PA

One fun fact about you:
 AbbyGrace has ridden a camel in the Middle East. (He is apparently the love of her life.)

What is your favorite color?

 She doesn't have one, but she enjoys color palettes. 

What are you passionate about?
 Making a difference and helping people. 

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 AbbyGrace was being called to go. It seemed like a perfect fit for the season of life she is currently in. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 AbbyGrace doesn't really know. At first she felt like she wasn't bonding with anyone. 

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 AbbyGrace went to the beach and listened to music independently between dinner and #fam meeting. She involved God in the mundane in between of her life. 

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 The beach.

What job do you have down here?
 AbbyGrace works at Peace of Wood. It is a community and creativity themed shop that hosts a bunch of painting sessions. She also gets to hope out with community fundraisers. 

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 It is a tie between two moments. The first was getting the job. The second came through the care of her employers. A family that did not have a lot of money came in and they discounted the prices discounted. The kids were so happy. It's a really sweet environment. They love helping others even if they can't afford the marked price. 

Anything else?

 AbbyGrace has always struggled with physical injuries and she is proud and encouraged that she has others to run with her daily. (And she hasn't gotten injured yet.) She is also really happy to be here, even though it is, at times hard. 

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Stephen

Name: Stephen (which is the correct spelling apparently)

School Attending: Indian River State College
Major: Biology

Where are you from? Florida

One fun fact about you:
 He surfs. (To the point he bought a surfboard and is teaching some people in the house how to surf, including me. Good luck to him on that.)

What is your favorite color?

 Green.

What are you passionate about?
 Ministry.

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 Stephen wanted to become a better spiritual leader. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 Christin.

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 Worship on Monday nights. 

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 The ocean.

What job do you have down here?
 Stephen works for Mrs. Joan. She seems really sweet.

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 Getting paid. 

Anything else?

 I am his absolute favorite in the house. 

Welcome to the Loft: Meet Christin

Name: Christin (a.k.a. Chrissy)

School Attending: Covenant College
Major: Biblical and Theological Studies

Where are you from? Vincent, OH

One fun fact about you:
 She likes to run.(I can attest to this. I have seen her go running pretty much every day.)

What is your favorite color?

 Christin likes the color blue, pretty much any shade of blue, ranging from Teal to Royal Blue. 

What are you passionate about?
 Studying the Bible.

Why did you choose to do OCBP?
 Christin wanted to spend time outside the Biblical academic world.

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?
 Stephen

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?
 Dinner time or our classes. It seems to be a tie. 

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?
 The boardwalk.

What job do you have down here?
 Christin works at a lil shop on the boardwalk. 

What is your favorite job moment so far?
 Whenever my friends visit.

Anything else?
 Nope.

Welcome to The Loft: Meet Seirra

Name: Seirra

School Attending: La Roche College

Where are you from? Pittsburg, PA

One fun fact about you:

 Seirra likes writing her own stories.

What is your favorite color?

 She thought it was blue, but when she goes shopping she really likes red, but she also likes the color green. So, really the answer is blue, red, and green. 

What are you passionate about?

 She is passionate about justice and the idea of fairness. 

Why did you choose to do OCBP?

 Her campus minister made her apply, but at the end of the day, she wanted an environment where there were others her age that she could share an intentional community with and grow in her faith. 

Who was the first person you bonded with here at OCBP?

 Lydia

What is your favorite moment at OCBP so far?

 Sunday after church, a bunch of us went and played volleyball on the beach together. 

Where is your favorite place in Ocean City?

 She doesn't have a favorite place, just where everyone else is. 

What job do you have down here?

 She works at Roma Pizza. 

What is your favorite job moment so far?

 Getting hired. 

Anything else?

 Seirra is learning Korea and I am apparently her twin (personality wise).