Community is something that I have been a part of since I was young, but it wasn’t until college that I became a part of one that made an impact on my life. I cannot imagine my life without this community anymore. I have met some of my best friends, mentors, and people I look up to there throughout my time in college.
Mt. Irenaeus is a Franciscan Mountain Community. It is around 30 minutes away from St. Bonaventure University. During the fall semester of my freshman year, I discovered it through a Her Campus bonding event. I remember being shy and out of my comfort zone, but I was surrounded by women who shared the same enjoyment for writing as me, and I was able to connect with them on a deeper level. I didn’t go back to the mountain until the end of my freshman year, during the Reading Day Away. I was tired of the same routine on campus, and I wanted a change.
At the beginning of my sophomore year, I made a goal to get more involved and do more things to get out of my comfort zone. I went to almost every event that I could go to at the mountain during my sophomore year, and I loved every second of every one of them. The events that I attended opened my eyes, gave me new experiences, and led me to meet more people who are some of my best friends now.
At the end of my sophomore year, I got invited to become an MCL, also known as a Mountain Community Leader. The main job of an MCL is to help plan, organize, and lead student events with the mountain community, including the friars and other adults who work for the mountain. I was so excited to become even more involved with such a special place, and I quickly accepted the invitation. I am a new MCL this semester, and it has been so exciting and special to help plan and lead events. I have also had so much fun making the mountain feel as warm and inviting for others as it did for me when I was a freshman and giving that same experience to other students who come to the mountain.
The mountain has been such an incredible experience and community in my college career. I am so thankful for everything that the mountain has given me, and I hope that everyone who goes there is able to experience it in the same way that I have.