Joseph Simms

Growing up, adventure was always on my mind. How could I climb the taller tree? Where would this path in the woods take me? And growing up, there was always adventure out there if only one looked for it. Today, I’ve always searched to keep that sense of adventure, even if I’m technically an “adult”.

 
While both my parents (and now both my younger brothers) went to Ohio State, I chose to head out to the University of Denver. There I honed my love of statistics and graduated in June 2024 with a BSBA in Business Information and Analytics. But while school and classes were important, for me it’s always been about the adventures to be had with friends and family along the way. I’ve always loved trying out the unique sports – in high school I was a pole vaulter, and in college I ended up being VP of the curling team. Being in Colorado, hiking was always a favorite activity and I love hiking the occasional 14er with friends. These were just a couple of the many adventures I sought out and continue to seek.

But with college coming to a close, there was the next big adventure waiting – a career. Like many of my peers, I at first envisioned myself finding some high-paying corporate job to pay off the loans and college debt and after a few years find something I truly enjoyed. It was the “smart” thing to do after all. But God had different plans. Having grown up around Lifeline, I always loved the organization and people, and had worked as part of the mobile meal pack team on a part-time basis throughout college – so I knew Lifeline was destined to be in my future in one way or another, big or small. But when an opportunity arose for me to enter ministry full time out of college, all I could hear was God saying “Why wait?”. I had my plans, but God (as always) had better ones in mind.