The Culture Project is an initiative of young people set out to restore culture through the experience of virtue. The Cleveland missionary team is dedicated to sharing messages of respecting the dignity of a human person and living a life of sexual integrity with those in middle schools, high schools and parish youth ministry groups.
Andrea Rodriguez grew up in Southern California, but after attending the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, where she got her BA in Philosophy and German, she claims she is a "Midwestern girl at heart." She is an avid sweet tea drinker and film critic (often simultaneously). She enjoys finding the true, good, and beautiful in almost anything, especially in 90's alternative rock. She first heard about CP from her best friend's best friend and has not looked back since then. She explained that she first felt the call to join the CP Family out of a sincere love for St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body. "For it is only in Christ's message of chastity that captives can be set free and even heartbreak can be seen through the lense of joy."
Michael Sobus is a 2022 graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville with a BS in Biology and minors in Theology & Chemistry. He grew up in northern Virginia, went to high school in North Carolina, and currently calls South Carolina his home. He ran Cross Country and Track throughout high school and college. Michael discovered CP in college at a party hosted by several current missionaries. He had been taking a Theology of the Body course that semester and felt convicted one class to spread the message of human dignity and sexual integrity for Christ; the CP showed up at his campus that weekend. “The message of human dignity, hope, and sexual integrity that CP promotes is one I was extremely grateful to encounter; I look forward to sharing this gratitude and message as a missionary with those who may currently struggle with darkness or doubt surrounding their worth (John 1:5).”
Maddie Van Haute is a 2023 graduate of Franciscan University in Steubenville with a BS in Marketing. She is from Baton Rouge, LA, and first encountered The Culture Project in Spring 2021 on her college campus during a missionary fair. The Culture Project's focus on teaching middle and high school students about their worth and dignity is what attracted Maddie to join. "The heart of this mission is reinforcing the inherent truth that you are enough. This simple truth can be so hard for us to comprehend and accept. Still, it is essential for the foundation of our faith and relationship with Christ."
Christopher Novinski is a 2021 University of North Texas graduate with a BFA in Studio with a Concentration in Sculpture. During his challenges attending a very secular university, he leaned into his faith and ultimately fell in love with the community surrounding it. At the Dallas SEEK22 conference amidst the waning COVID-19 pandemic, he first encountered a missionary with The Culture Project, which ignited a fire in his heart. After later providentially hearing a missionary in Philly speak and vulnerably share her heart, it moved his own towards living his life differently and eventually becoming a missionary himself: ""This culture makes it difficult to hear and see the goodness of living a life of chastity rooted in authentic sacrificial love. Through sharing these beautiful truths, my goal is to remind each person how good they truly are."
Claudia Barriga is a 2023 graduate from The University of Texas at Tyler with a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Development. She learned about The Culture Project through a friend and was immediately captivated by its mission! "I believe that our society is fixated on the concept of love yet struggles to navigate it properly. Young people often compromise their dignity while seeking love and settle for counterfeit versions. I am so grateful for the opportunity to assist others in realizing their worth in the eyes of their Creator!"
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To report an abuse, please contact local law enforcement and:
Kathleen McComb, Victim Assistance Coordinator
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