Point Wells lies in the north of the Auckland region of New Zealand — about 8,550 miles from Christendom’s Front Royal, Virginia, campus. A rural settlement comprising of just 600 people, Point Wells is filled with a quiet beauty, surrounded by beaches, hills, and forests. It was in this setting that incoming freshman Tyla Hockey grew up, moving there at the age of 7. While externally she was surrounded by beauty, internally Hockey lived as an atheist for most of her young life — until she embraced the reality of Jesus Christ as a teenager. Her journey toward Catholicism ultimately led her to Christendom College, where she will look to be educated intellectually, personally, and spiritually this fall.
Hockey’s story begins not in New Zealand but in England. Born to an English mother and a New Zealand father, Hockey lived in England for three months before moving to New Zealand, later returning to England at the age of 4 for three years. In those early days, Hockey was educated at a Catholic school, before going to a local public primary school upon returning to New Zealand at the age of 7. By the time she returned to New Zealand, however, Hockey was already a firm atheist — a heartbreaking choice at such a young age.
“I was raised in a non-religious home, although because I attended a Catholic school in England my mum did take me to a couple of different Catholic and non-Catholic churches during that time,” recalls Hockey. “By the time I was 7, however, I was a firm atheist. This continued to be my belief for the next few years, becoming solidified when I discovered the ‘New Atheism’ phenomena online at around age 10.”
Although she denied the existence of God, Hockey was still fascinated by the concept of religion, spending much of her free time researching it and trying to understand what different people thought. That fascination turned into something more at the age of 13 for Hockey. After years of disbelief, she began to be convinced for the first time by arguments for the existence of God and found herself drawn to prayer. For her, this was a “terrifying change,” as it contradicted everything she had previously held to be true. Not only was she slowly believing in God, but arguments for Catholicism specifically seemed to be rational and reasonable — something she never would have conceived of before.
Finally, Hockey came to the realization that she had been confronted with the truth about God, the world, her identity, and what she needed to do with her life. At the age of 15, she contacted a priest, asking to be baptized, and she was brought into the Catholic Church a few months later.
This long, arduous journey to Christ fundamentally changed Hockey, but one thing remained the same — a desire to study theology, but for far different reasons than she originally had as a child. Where before she simply wanted to understand why people held religious beliefs, now she wanted to understand God Himself in a fundamental way and grow as a whole person as a result.
Hockey’s journey toward Catholicism ultimately led her to Christendom College, where she will begin her studies this fall.
In her final two years of high school, Hockey completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma program, where one is required to take a wide variety of subjects and complete extra-curricular activities. This experience gave her a great appreciation of the need for a broad education and the significance of learning outside of the classroom for developing as a person. With that in mind, she began researching Catholic colleges that would offer a similar education and discovered Christendom College through Instagram. She decided to apply and flew across the Pacific and the rest of the United States to visit in March of 2023.
“The immersion in the life of the college really helped me to understand what day-to-day living would be like, and the conversations with other students clarified my thoughts about college, ultimately leading me to decide to attend this fall,” says Hockey. “The emphasis on educating the whole person appealed greatly to me, as I experienced the importance of this in my final years of high school, although in a more secular way. I wanted my time in college to form me intellectually, personally, and spiritually, and I knew that I would struggle to do this at a university in New Zealand, whereas at Christendom I would have that opportunity. Being around other young Catholics was also a major draw to the college, as having a strong community is something I’ve not always had as a convert but is so important for growing in faith.”
When Hockey arrives at Christendom, she is hoping to eventually major in theology — a passion of hers from a young age.
After living in New Zealand for most of her life, Hockey is excited about all the experiences that a new country will bring. From the culture, to the language, to the mannerisms, Hockey is looking forward to the fully immersive experience she will have at Christendom this fall — especially on a campus that shares her love of her country’s favorite sport, rugby.
Most of all, however, Hockey is looking forward to continuing to grow in her Catholic faith and her relationship with Jesus Christ. Both things would have been unthinkable to her even just a few short years ago. Through the grace of God, however, Hockey is taking the next step in her journey this fall at Christendom, where she will look to learn the truth, live the faith, and thrive as a Catholic.