Bloom Where You Are Planted

“Bloom where you are planted,” was a piece of wise advice that Erin Northrop received from her grandmother before moving from Arizona to California. For Erin, her grandmother’s words were just as practical as they were sentimental. They encapsulate the life that Erin has continued to lead since her time at PRCA. They magnify God’s continual providence over her life and the lives of her loved ones.

Upon graduating from Pusch Ridge Christian Academy in 2002, Erin moved to California, pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Azusa Pacific University. Erin firmly believes in “doing what you’re passionate about,” and she was passionate about children. With her degree in English, Erin hoped to pursue a career in teaching, and she did just that.

After Azusa, Erin married Wes Northrop, who, in fact, was the son of her leadership teacher at PRCA. Wes works for the Department of Homeland Security, hence their family moving a total of five times in eight years! Erin, in fact, returned to teach a variety of regular and honors English classes at PRCA, for three and a half years. She briefly moved back to California for six months, before returning to the halls of Pusch Ridge for a final year of teaching.

Toward the latter part of her time educating at PRCA, Erin began wondering whether she should return to college. Of course, she adored teaching all the kids, but the truest passion of her heart resided in the one-on-one tutoring that she consistently did with her students outside of their regular classroom setting. Through her close friendship with Mrs. Abrams and an even closer relationship with the Almighty, she was encouraged to enroll in a program through the University of Arizona. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences in 2011.

Her family being uprooted yet again, now from Arizona to Texas, Erin entered an online graduate program through California State University Northridge. During this time of pursuing further education in the intellectual world, she tackled yet another learning curve with the arrival of her first child, Joshua, in 2013.

Erin successfully completed her Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2015. She and her family were stationed in Florida at the time, where they also welcomed their second child, Selah.  

The final stages of this program required a full-time internship, but with an entire family to take care of, and still hold a job, it seemed impossible for Erin to fulfill this final qualification. Yet, Erin had foundational faith in the fact that what is impossible for humans, is possible with God, which was the motivation for her next, spirit-led decision, “Let’s not stress out, let’s just pray about it.”

Providential prayer is powerful, and Erin knows this, she’s lived it. Miraculously, Erin discovered an internship that not only met the requirements for her to finish her master’s program but also fit comfortably into her family’s busy schedule. Hallelujah!

Erin Northrop, is now planted, rooted, and blooming in Washington state with her husband, Wes Northrop, and their two children, Joshua (aged 9 ½ ) and Selah (aged 7 ½ ). She is employed at a preschool in Lynden, Washington. There, she has the daily opportunity to use her God-given passions and abilities to work one-on-one with students who need it the most, so they too, may one day discover what God has in store for their lives.

Erin hopes that her children will grow up to become adults who view the world through a single, crystal-clear lens: biblical truth. With this worldview, Erin reminisces about treasuring and imploring her fellow classmates during her senior year at PRCA as a chaplain.

Erin Northrop is blooming wherever God plants her, and His favor follows her every day.