Carolina student Makayla Ciancanelli has served North Trenholm Baptist Church in a variety of ways, including by leading in youth ministry and on the congregation’s worship team. The Raleigh native is well-known around Carolina BCM, too, where she has served on the ministry’s leadership team and consistently discipled other students during her time there.

Makayla is also a collegiate athlete. She was a swimmer in the freestyle event for the University of South Carolina’s Swimming & Diving Team prior to graduating early last August. She was recently recognized for her outstanding service to her local church and community with the Under Armor 25×25 Collegiate Initiative Volunteer Award. This is the second semester in a row that Makayla has received this national scholarship distinction.

“Makayla started as a BCM student leader in 2023 after getting involved her sophomore year, and she’s been an exceptional student leader the whole time,” says Carolina BCM Director Adam Venters. “Division One collegiate athletes have schedules and expectations the school programs dictate for them, but Makayla figured out ways to still participate in regular BCM activities, retreats, mission trips, and national conferences.”

She not only participated and held leadership positions in BCM, Makayla also spent time discipling other students. Venters estimates that 25 current student leaders were directly influenced by Makala, many of them naming her as a spiritual mentor.

“One of the greatest things she did here, outside of athletics, academics, and missions, was that Makayla consistently discipled more than one person each year. Her influence is reflected all throughout our ministry today,” Venters says.

“Service is important to me because I’ve seen time and again that being in a new city, and even state, how much a local community is willing to give to you. It’s so important to give back,” Makayla says, adding that it’s been a special blessing to see how God has worked through the ministries she’s been involved in at North Trenholm.

As a freshman, Makayla struggled to find true community through college athletics. Things started to change when she began attending North Trenholm and visited BCM “because my mom told me about their free dinners,” she says with a laugh. BCM brought Makayla real friendships, and she went on to attend every worship night until she graduated.

“Beach Reach sealed the deal for me,” Makayla says. “I went two years as a student and then this past year served as a driver. It’s where I learned about evangelism and how to share the gospel with people my age.”

At North Trenholm, Makayla went from being a regular church attender to serving monthly with the worship team. On Wednesday nights this spring she has been leading a small group, leading worship, and playing games with students at church. Local churches should note that students like Makayla are living here in the Midlands and many are looking for congregations who are ready to love them well.

“Students are looking for community and friendly faces. We want people who will be there for us, including through mentoring and discipleship,” she says, while adding that students should also remember that plenty of opportunities to serve a church exist that “aren’t necessarily time consuming. There are so many ways to serve just one Sunday a month to pour back into a church that has given so much to students.”

Makayla currently still lives in Columbia, serves at North Trenholm, and is working toward a master’s degree. Last fall she joined the inaugural cohort of the university’s Master of Performance Nutrition and Dietetics program and expects to complete the degree next year.  

For his part, Venters is thankful for Makayla’s influence in BCM and her continued commitment to disciple others in their walk with Jesus. “If our ministry had more Makayla’s we wouldn’t have any problems. When my children go to college, I pray they have the spiritual impacts on their campuses that Makayla has had on the University of South Carolina. God has used her to make a huge impact in the lives of many people here.”