Before arriving at the Leadership Academy of South Sudan (LASS), Poni Gladish had little opportunity to grow spiritually. Raised in an environment where faith was not a priority, church attendance was optional and inconsistent. Her spiritual life was largely limited to Sunday services, without a community or structure to help her grow deeper.

“I had little knowledge of the Christian faith,” Gladish shares. “I didn’t fully understand what it meant to glorify God or why thanksgiving mattered.”

Like many young people in South Sudan, Gladish believed—but she had not yet learned how to live out her faith daily. The gap between belief and discipleship left her spiritually isolated and unsure how to grow.

That began to change when she joined LASS.

“From the first day I was mentored at LASS, my spiritual eyes were opened,” she says. “I now understand that I was spiritually blind before.”

Through LASS’s intentional discipleship model—weekly Bible studies, prayer and fasting, mentorship, and student-led fellowships—Gladish discovered not only what she believes, but how to live it out. She learned, as she puts it, that she has “every reason to thank God always, anytime, and anywhere—because everything in my life is by His mercy and grace.”

Monday Bible studies became a priority, as did midweek prayer and fasting and Sunday worship. Walking alongside fellow student leaders helped reinforce her growth and accountability. What once felt distant and abstract became personal, active, and transformative.

Today, the impact of that discipleship is rippling outward.

Being a disciple has deepened Gladish’s personal faith—and it has equipped her to lead others. She now shares the Word with youth and children at her community church and speaks during school assemblies, using her voice to encourage others to grow in their own faith.

“I know I’m not perfect,” she says, “but I trust God to strengthen me. There is always more to learn.”

Gladish’s story reflects the heart of LASS: forming young leaders who are grounded in faith, shaped by community, and prepared to influence others with integrity. Her hope is bold—to see her community, and one day the country of South Sudan, become a disciple-making people.

This is what your support makes possible: not just education, but transformation that multiplies—one student, one community, and one future leader at a time.