It started nearly eight years ago, with a sprinkler and then a prayer.
Now, after navigating both tragedy and triumph, Juanita Federico and her son, Rocky Jr., are finding their future and growing in their faith together at Colorado Christian University.
"My husband (Rocky Sr.) was always very cordial," Juanita said. "In 2017, he was working for a landscaping company called Terracare, and they positioned him to work on CCU's campus working on the sprinklers.
"He must not have been having a good day, but someone on campus noticed. They stopped him in the middle of what he was doing and asked, 'Can I pray for you?' Somebody else walking by heard their conversation and joined in praying for him. He came home that night to get ready for baseball — he was coaching our son's baseball team — and said, 'I know where I want Rocky to go to school.'"
For Rocky Sr., his assignment to CCU was no coincidence. Becoming a part of the tight-knit CCU community and its focus on faith was divinely inspired.
"I know where I want Rocky to go to school."
But even divine appointments can lead through disappointment, heartache, and pain.
For Juanita and Rocky Jr., those moments came one year later when all thoughts of school, future, and faith were put to the test.
While on a biannual fishing trip with friends and family to Wheatland Reservoir No. 3, north of Laramie, Wyoming, Rocky Sr. was out on the water alone when he was overtaken by a sudden storm. Investigators believe he made his way to shore for a time before succumbing to hypothermia and eventually drowning.
"We were supposed to go on that trip with him, but (Rocky Jr.) had just turned 11 and was starting middle school," Juanita said. "His school team had just won the baseball city championship, as well. We were supposed to celebrate both when Rocky Sr. came back from the fishing trip.
"It left a big hole. The three of us were like the Three Musketeers — but now I was raising my son on my own."
Rocky and Juanita Federico had been together for 22 years.
"I lost my mom in 2014 and my husband in 2018," Juanita said. "I've had a lot of loss, but God has gotten me through it.
"We started going to Sentinel Community Church together. I grew up Catholic, so going to an evangelical church was foreign to me — but you could feel the Spirit moving in that church. After that first time, we were all quiet on the car ride home, and then my husband said he liked it.
"God has a way of placing you where you need to be. I'm grateful that's where we were then. If it had been any other church, I may not have had the support I needed after he died. When I needed help, the church was there. If I needed money, the church was there. Whatever I have needed, the church has been there to help."
That support included sending Rocky Jr. to attend high school at the prestigious Valor Christian High School, one of Colorado's most respected Christian schools.
"With his dad gone, he needed to be in that type of (Christian) environment," Juanita said. "The class sizes were smaller, and because my son was born with a hearing disability, they could also get him the help he needed."
At a young age, otolaryngologists (ENT) diagnosed Rocky Jr. with enlarged vestibular aqueducts within both inner ears — a condition that can impair hearing and balance. A series of surgeries as a child, along with hearing aids, addressed the issue; however, any sort of head trauma could result in permanent hearing loss.
"He has to see the ENT doctor every six months to see if his hearing has changed," she said.
Between baseball and academics, high school flew by. Before long, it was time to start thinking about college.
"Initially, I really wanted to go to Baylor," Rocky Jr. said. "My dad wanted me to go to CCU, but I hadn't really considered it until my junior year. Then I went to Discovery Days and absolutely loved it."
He wasn't the only one.
"When I dropped him off, I looked at his schedule, and even I wanted to attend some of those classes," Juanita said. "Stepping onto that campus, I said, 'I need to get my education and get it the right way.'"
A longtime K-LOVE listener, Juanita heard about a contest to win a scholarship for CCU Online. She felt led there — and everything began to fall into place.
In fact, Juanita actually beat Rocky Jr. to the punch, enrolling at CCU Online in the fall of 2024, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology with the goal of attending graduate school to continue into a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — hoping to serve others as a marriage and grief counselor.
"He was getting closer to graduating, and I decided I needed to do something for myself," Juanita said.
In August of 2025, Rocky Jr. joined her at CCU, enrolling in the College of Undergraduate Studies to pursue a degree in Kinesiology. It was during Weekend of Welcome when another one of the Federicos' prayers were answered.
They were still trying to figure out how to pay for everything, but Juanita decided to take a leap of faith and move Rocky Jr. into the residence hall, trusting it would all work out and that God would provide.
"Even though we still needed about $10,000 to come through, I decided we would move him in and believe God would take care of us," Juanita said. "He moved in Thursday, and on Friday, I found out that the money had come through — everything was going to be OK."
As it turns out, it has been better than OK.
"Being at CCU has brought me closer to God," Rocky Jr. said. "Whether it's during Chapel or prayer gatherings, I can feel His presence here. This is a community that truly helps me strengthen my faith."
Now, mother and son can support one another as each pursues their own academic endeavors.
"It's pretty cool," Rocky Jr. said. "We have different classes, but we share what we're learning. I'll call her if I'm struggling in an assignment or class, and she does the same. Even though I'm not there (at home), we try to get through it together."
Juanita agreed.
"My experience has been better than I thought," she said. "The last time I was in college, it was 1990. That time, it was about me, though. What I'm doing now is for God's glory. The classes I've taken have been better than I ever expected, and my advisor, Callie Hill, is on my side and has been so helpful. I can reach out to her for anything, and she will find a way to help me. It's lit a fire under me to do the best I can."
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