Hey guys!

I’m so excited to introduce myself to you all! My name is Maggie Segarra and I am one of your Social Media Representatives this year. This is my first year at Biola and I’m so glad you all will be along for the ride. :) You should know that I truly love life and all it has to offer! I appreciate the quiet moments in the morning with my coffee but also the energetic ones whether that’s spontaneous road trips to places I’ve never been before or even just a quick photo shoot. In high school, I didn’t feel like I was drawn to one subject but rather was a well rounded student. I knew that I wanted my major to be something social and I initially wasn’t sure what major to choose because I could see myself doing so many different things. My biggest fear was that I would be tied down to one area. What I was sure about was that I love people, getting to know them, and building relationships. This led me to choose Public Relations as my major! One of my professors even defines public relations as the art and science of relationships which is a perfect way to sum it up in a nutshell!

Pre-Biola wasn’t too long ago for me. I was born and raised in Orlando, Florida and have one sibling, Katie, who is a junior this year in high school.

Katie and Maggie
Katie and Maggie

She is responsible for my new coffee obsession (oopsies!).

Coffee With Maggie
Coffee With Maggie

In high school, I played volleyball, was involved in student government, ran a club called PenPals, and babysat on the weekends. An influential part of high school for me was photography class that I took sophomore, junior, and senior year. Through the lens of my camera I learned to have a new appreciation for nature and places that were unfamiliar to me. Here are some of my favorite images that I took while in Hawaii, Italy, and NYC:

Surfboards in the Sun
Surfboards in the Sun
Hawaii Coast
Hawaii Coast
Lighthouse by the Sea
Lighthouse by the Sea
NYC in the Snow
NYC in the Snow
Italy by Maggie
Italy, by Maggie

As I became more experienced in photography, I challenged myself to move away from landscapes and more towards portraits- and I am so glad I did! This past year, I made a website and started shooting senior portraits for students in my high school. I initially hated shooting portraits, but by pushing myself to do so I now feel so much joy by delivering sessions that my clients love! Here are some of my favorite images of my beautiful friends that I shot this past summer:

Maggie Portrait Photo 1 Maggie Portrait Photo 2 Maggie Portrait Photo 3
Maggie Portrait Photo 4
Maggie's Portraits

Looking back on my decision to come to Biola, it was pretty daunting to move across the country at only 18. But though my time here has been short, God has shown me again and again His faithfulness in my decision to come here. Through Torrey, I have been given the opportunity to dive deeper into ancient texts and to seek the truth in every book I read. Through my SOS group this year, I have made friends in and outside of my major who I have already shared so many memories with. And by being part of the Ambassafam, I have found a second family despite being thousands of miles away from home. Trusting that God has a plan for me in this time of transition has been a challenge, but His faithfulness has been made so clear to me by the people I have met, professors I have learned from, and the instant communities I have grown to be a part of. To sum it up, I like to always have a plan in life but what God has taught me in this season is that He wants us to trust Him even when we don’t know what’s coming next. When you come into college knowing no one, when you don’t know if you will get that job, when you don’t know if you will academically keep up --all these circumstances are opportunities for us as Christians to choose faith instead of fear. By putting our faith in God that He is control, it gives as an opportunity to learn, grow, and see God’s hand in our lives. So, as I continue to grow over this season, I hope you all will stick around as I embark on this journey of freshman year.

I’d love to hear from you and a little bit about your lives, so please reach out!

Til’ next time,

Mags