The choice of college was obvious to Terra Paialii's family: an LDS-operated school. But it didn't turn out that way.
Now Paialii, of Independence, Mo., is a student body president, completing what she says is "the best college experience" at Graceland University, run by the Community of Christ.
With high school graduation nearing, Paialii was pinched between the choice her family wanted or "following a peaceful feeling" that pointed to Graceland University.
"It was confusing," Paialii said. "But after much prayer and scripture study the answer became apparent."
Graceland University in south-central Iowa is both a school and a second home for its students, drawing an international crowd that makes up 17 percent of its student body.
Randy Meline, director of media relations, said the school has an assortment of activities and facilities suited to students' needs, allowing them to remain on campus without having to trek 80 miles to the nearest city. More importantly, Meline said, "the school is an opportunity for transformational change."
"I knew the Lord had something bigger in store for me that I could not comprehend," Paialii said.
Careful preparation in her youth ensured eventual entry to a world that held big opportunities.
"Tennis is your future," her stepfather, Sione Faletau, said to Paialii when she was 12.
Paialii said, "So many times I wanted to quit because I wanted to hang out with friends. Tennis taught me to persevere."
"You have 12 minutes left to hit as many balls as you can," Faletau told her then.
The lights above the court would go off 12 minutes later, ending practice for the night and beginning a scavenger hunt in the dark for 80 tennis balls.
The practice paid off with a sports scholarship to college.
"I was struck immediately by her," said Jerry Hampton, Graceland's tennis coach, who recruited Paialii. "You would want her on any group that you had."
Hampton said Paialii had strong athletic skills matched with a winning personality. He was hopeful yet highly uncertain whether she would choose Graceland University over strong alternatives such as BYU-Provo or BYU-Idaho.
Paialii chose the underdog.
"I was surprised, one because she's Mormon and we're what Mormons call the 'other' church," Hampton said. "She fits in very well without any problems ... "
Graceland's tennis team is a multicultural mix with players from France, Croatia, Colombia, Ecuador and more. Hampton said lunchtime bears the telltale signs of their differences found only in religion, such as two Muslim players passing on the pork and Paialii, the sole Mormon on the team, distinguished by her choice of beverage.
Paialii retired her racket 2 1/2 years later, placing full attention on another team, a worldwide club called Student in Free Enterprise (SIFE).
The club was a perfect fit for Paialii whose major is business administration with an emphasis in management. With SIFE, she was competing on a much larger court, the world among pinstripe-suited spectators such as the president and CEO of Walmart, executives from Goldman Sachs and more.
Graceland's six-member presentation team that Paialii was part of went up against the best from 58 countries in 2007, placing second to China at the SIFE World Cup held in Paris, France for their yearlong projects — including a trip to Peru to help battered mothers commercialize their crafts.
"Graceland is more than an education," Paialii said. "I got to meet people from all over the world."
Brad Carr, director of student activities and conference and events at Graceland, said, "She is an outstanding student leader with tremendous interpersonal skills. She is a friend to everyone, moving through all types of circles."
Paialii has ventured into a new field — school politics — and wants to make more of a difference on campus during her senior year this fall. She enlisted friends through Facebook, where statuses were changed to read: "Vote for Paialii — We believe in Her." With each student who accepted Paialii's invitation on the social network, her lead grew and she ultimately won the student body president's race.
Paialii cites Graceland University for putting her on a fast-growth track to her goal of an MBA.
"There is nothing this woman cannot do," Carr said. "She excels simply because she works hard."
E-mail: jfrancis@desnews.com