Paul Micus
Campus Missionary

Starting college at UT Dallas in 2020 felt like a straightforward decision. It was close to home in Waco, great for the Chemistry degree I planned to pursue, and honestly, I had everything mapped out. I came in with a four-year plan—but what I didn’t plan for was how powerfully God would move in my life during those years.

I poured myself into science during college. I spent three years in a biochemistry research lab studying H. pylori, and through that work, I was able to publish in an academic journal before graduating with my Chemistry degree in 2024. I genuinely loved the challenge and discipline of research, and for a long time, I thought that was the main story God was writing in my life. But at the same time, God was doing something I hadn’t planned for. Through a few meaningful friendships, I was introduced to a campus ministry called FOCUS. As people showed me real, Christlike love, I began to wrestle with questions that went far deeper than the lab—questions like, “Who am I to God?” and “What would it mean to trust Him with my future?” That season changed me. I watched as other students, just as hungry for meaning and purpose, started asking the same questions—and encountering Jesus in transformative ways. As I became more involved in the ministry, I experienced—for the first time—a deep sense of belonging among a community of believers. I found friends I could be honest with, play volleyball with, or simply share meals together. We had an open-door policy with each other’s homes; you were always welcome, no questions asked. That kind of closeness and consistency made the love of Jesus feel tangible.

After graduating in 2024, I had a lot of options in front of me. But I kept sensing God inviting me to slow down, trust Him, and invest in what He was already doing on campus. That’s what led me to join the FOCUS staff team at UT Dallas. Now, I get to walk alongside students in some of the most formative years of their lives. I’ve seen firsthand that young adults are spiritually thirsty—often more than they realize—and Jesus is still meeting people right where they are. Being part of that work every day is both humbling and full of joy. College ministry changed my life. Now I get to pour into others in the same way others poured into me—and I believe God’s not done yet.