Our 2024 Alumnus of the Year, Ester Warren, was born and raised in Queens, New York, to Korean immigrant parents. From a young age, she was immersed in the teachings of the Bible, attending church regularly. Despite this strong Christian foundation, it wasn’t until her Youth Pastor brought her youth group to Snowcamp in the winter and The Island in the summer that she began understanding what a personal relationship with Jesus meant. During testimony sharing at the campfire night on The Island, a counselor shared that knowing Christ was knowing that he was never alone. That truth resonated with Ester. She knew she was a sinner in need of a Savior, leading her to accept Christ at the age of 13.
From there, her life didn’t resemble the typical growing pattern of discipleship after salvation. Her early teen years were marked by a struggle with rebellion. Even through that, she sees how the Lord remained faithful to pursue her and protect her. Throughout her high school years, Ester found herself at rock bottom. In this hard place, she looked forward to her time at Word of Life Camps. At 16, she started working as part of STC (Camp Crew), which God used to grow her faith. After high school, she chose to dedicate a year of her life to studying God’s Word at Word of Life Bible Institute, graduating in 1991, where she also met her husband, Kenny. Ester says her year at Word of Life Bible Institute was transformative and greatly impacted her future.
After graduating from the Bible Institute, Ester and Kenny transferred to Liberty University, where they both completed their undergraduate degrees and got married. God brought an opportunity for them to move to Orlando, Florida, where Kenny would be a Bible teacher, basketball coach, and executive pastor, and Ester continued climbing the corporate ladder. They had their first child, Bailey, in 1999. When Bailey was two years old, his development regressed, and he became nonverbal. He was diagnosed with PDD-NOS, a form of autism. This diagnosis led Ester to leave her job to provide the necessary support for Bailey.
If it hadn’t been for the foundational truth that she was never alone, which took root in her heart all those years ago on The Island, the news of the diagnosis and the years that followed would have been a burden too great to bear.
It turns out that the move to Orlando, Florida, was one of God’s many provisions for them, as Orlando has a Center for Autism Research through the University of Central Florida. Through that center, they were able to get early intervention services set up and receive help through the initial diagnosis journey.
Over the next year and a half, through speech and occupational therapy, Bailey learned to talk and showed improvement in other areas.
After a brief time in Raleigh, North Carolina, Ester and her family would move back to Lynchburg, Virginia, near Liberty University. Throughout these next few years, Bailey experienced significant deficits. He struggled with transitions, social skills, and executive functioning. Through these hardships, the Lord challenged Ester’s heart with the question, “Do you trust me with your child?”
Ester found solace in the words of 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ, we share abundantly in comfort too.” These verses became a cornerstone of her faith, reminding her that God’s comfort in her afflictions was not just for her benefit but also to enable her to comfort others facing similar struggles.
Ester eventually joined Liberty University, where she has worked since 2008, including serving as the Dean of the College of General Studies. During that time, Bailey graduated from high school and decided to attend Liberty University.
That transition was very challenging. Through those difficulties, Ester often thought back to the days of the original diagnosis when specialists thought he would need help for the rest of his life. They weren’t sure whether he would ever be able to speak. Fast forward twenty years ahead, and he is academically gifted and heading to college.
Through his challenges at Liberty, including panic attacks and almost failing out of his program, Bailey began a deep dive with therapy to develop the necessary coping skills for him to succeed. Bailey worked very hard for the next few years to raise his GPA and successfully graduated from Liberty University in 2023 with a degree in computer science.
The Lord used that painful experience to plant a dream in Ester’s heart to start something for the students with disabilities at Liberty University. She envisioned a program that would help them transition well, be supported and loved, and receive the tools necessary to thrive. She took that step of faith, developed a program, and presented it to Liberty University’s Academic Leadership. After a year, it was approved! She became the Senior Executive Director of Disability Accommodation Support and piloted a program for students with disabilities. The summer of 2023 was its official launch, and the program saw remarkable success, with 13 out of 15 students completing their first year of college.
Throughout her journey, one constant theme has been God’s faithfulness. From her formative years at Word of Life Camps to her impactful time at Word of Life Bible Institute, her corporate career, and her roles at Liberty University, she has continually felt the nearness of the Lord. The foundation laid during her early years has been instrumental in navigating life’s challenges, especially in supporting Bailey throughout his life.
Ester’s work at Liberty University continues to be driven by her passion for supporting students with disabilities. Her story is one of complete dependence on God and seeing Him use something so personal and painful to make a difference in the lives of others. Through her work, she continues to support students, helping them realize their potential and their worth in Christ. As she reflects on her journey, Ester remains committed to the mission described in 2 Corinthians 1:4—to comfort those in any trouble with the comfort she herself has received from God.
Do you trust me with your heart – and then trusting God with your children comes a little easier – God is a loving God.
I knew Ester and Kenny well my during my first year at WOLBI. They are great people and its a wonderful blessing to see what God has done in their lives since then. Praise the Lord.