Our Alumni
Alumni from the program are serving in churches, inner city kids programs, orphanages, counseling centers, daycares around the world—and wherever God brings them.
Claire Patty
Class of 2017
Claire Patty grew up in the Czech Republic as the daughter of missionaries. After graduating from a Czech national school, she moved to Chicago to begin her studies at Moody Bible Institute. It was there that God ignited in her heart a love for kids for the first time. Ever since then, she has been committed to loving and discipling kids, and coming alongside families as they follow Jesus together.
Claire now serves as the Josiah Venture Kids Director, overseeing the care of over 120 missionary kids across the 16 countries in Central and Eastern Europe where Josiah Venture missionaries serve. Claire sees her education in the CFM major as invaluable to her current ministry today. Everything that she learned in the classroom has been integral for day-to-day life of serving kids and families on the mission field. The learning that began at MBI, now continues post-graduation. Along with the education foundation of the major, she also values the continued partnership and encouragement of relationships with fellow CFM graduates, as well as with professor Elizabeth Smith, who has generously joined Claire in 2020 to host child development webinars for Josiah Venture missionaries. When people ask Claire if her education at MBI was worth it, she answers enthusiastically: “Yes! I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.”
