"You can hear her laugh across campus and know exactly who it is," says Liz Winter of her friend, Amy-Ruth Gregory.

To those who know Gregory, this statement is the perfect description of a friend who brings life, energy, and encouragement to those around her. Just seeing her in the hall can lead to an hour-long conversation that is­­like Gregory herself­­deep, exploratory, personal, humorous, and frank.

"Amy-Ruth's had a lot more life experience than most Oles have," says Kristie Kiesel about her friend. Gregory grew up as the second youngest of eight children in a rather poor family. When her mother died, 8-year-old Gregory went to live with older siblings.

When she was twelve, she moved to Japan with her older sister's family. The politeness of Japanese society seemed rigid to her spontaneous personality, and she felt torn between two worlds.

It wasn't until she came to St. Olaf and majored in Asian Studies that Gregory finally felt she had reconciled the conflicting cultures.

"Studying Japan while I was in America was my biggest step towards making Japan my own," she says.

Gregory's second major, psychology, has also provided her with a way of coming to terms with the past.

"I was wounded from my mother's death and from the instability of growing up in different households," she remembers. "So much of my time at Olaf has been about working through those personal problems and finding peace."

Her interest in psychology goes beyond her own journey, however. It has increased her desire to help others through the healing process. During her four years at St. Olaf, Gregory has found ways to integrate faith and healing.

She has been active at the Thursday night Bible study where she formed many of the friendships that have been part of her growth. She led a Bible study at New Convenant Church that explored God's love. Last semester, she started a depression support group on campus.

After graduation, Gregory plans to either work at a camp for delinquent girls or go to graduate school at the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology.

Either way, she will continue to challenge herself in personal growth and faith.