On April 21st, 2016, in just a couple weeks, the challenge begins. The 24-Hour Donor Challenge will be underway. If 3,500 Saint Mary’s women (including parents, faculty and staff, and friends who believe in the bond of Belles) make gifts of any size during the challenge, Saint Mary’s College will receive an additional $150,000 gift for the Annual Fund from two anonymous donors. And just why is this important, you may ask? Well…
The Saint Mary’s College Annual Fund is the resource for student scholarships. It is the reason faculty have the tools they need to teach exceptional students. It is the reason academic programs are devloped and strong, and facilities on campus are updated, for further research, for further learning, for further empowerment. A gift to Saint Mary’s College goes further than The Avenue. It goes out into the world that Saint Mary’s women take by storm. It goes out into the world through these women, and through their work, and dedication to their work. Scholarships and donations to the Annual Fund are what keep many Belles here at this wonderful place, and give them the opportunity to create their own, special Saint Mary’s story.
My Saint Mary’s story has been defined by several, little moments that made me realize how special it is to be a Belle. it’s difficult to pick just one, defining moment, because there are hundreds. Maybe it was when I interned in New York City for the first time, when I knew no one there, was not even 21 years old yet, and had no idea how to decipher a subway map. I was invited to lunch by three different Saint Mary’s alums whom I had never met before, and had the best of times. By the time my second summer in the city rolled around, I felt prepared, because those Belles had showed me the ropes.
Maybe it was my internship in the first place, with Saint Mary’s own Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling novelist, who gave me the experience of a lifetime and showed me what I wanted for the rest of my life, after the G-word (graduation) comes around, and gave me the tools and ability to do just that.
Maybe when it was that time I sat in my beautiful, SoHo apartment, having spent two months in the city at this point, not having a reason to have any kind of complaint about life…but I missed Saint Mary’s.
Maybe it was when our new president was elected, and we all packed the student center to welcome her home.
Maybe it was a special professor who got me to step out of my comfort zone, who let me research what I actually wanted to research, and took the time to give me feedback and be a friend.
Maybe it was just hanging out with the girls in LeMans, just having the ability to be in this perfect place.
We all know how special Saint Mary’s is. We know what it means to be at a school with such a strong, true sisterhood and we know that, with being a Belle, comes the greatest of things. Being a Belle means saying hello to everyone you pass on your way to class. Being a Belle means building each other up and being happy for each other at our absolute best, and pulling each other through when we’re at our absolute worst.
We push each other out of bed at 8:54 when our 9 a.m. class is just too much to handle (and still make it there on time). We know each other’s Cyber order by heart and know that “Go Belles” can mean anything from “I just fell flat on my face in front of President Mooney” or “I just aced my Sophia class final.” We see it as only normal to place “Smick” in front of anything from Smick formal to Smickmas and we don’t judge each other when complaining about the five-minute walk to the library OUTSIDE of the tunnel. We are the happiest group of girls one could find in South Bend, Indiana and smile because each day at Saint Mary’s is beyond a blessing, no matter how tough our finals week may be.
Maybe it was when I saw my beautiful class ring for the first time. It wasn’t so much that diamond in the middle that made me tear up. It’s what the ring itself stands for. The simple beauty of our rings is a constant reminder of the place that bonds us all together. Four years of our lives become the foundation for the rest of our futures, and at a place as special as Saint Mary’s, it is the four years with the people who will be your true, honest, and greatest friends for life. Without those Saint Mary’s scholarships, many of us would not have the opportunity to even meet each other.
Saint Mary’s is more than the gorgeous college we have the privilege of attending. It is more than the castle we get to live in, and more than the brilliant professors we get to learn from. Saint Mary’s is home. Anyone who goes here knows that The Avenue always, ALWAYS leads you home and from the moment you step foot on this campus, you are once a Belle, always a Belle. And you’ve just gained about 1600 close sisters who will love you no matter what. And that’s no exaggeration. So maybe you’ll consider giving back to the place that made you feel at home.
Already gave this year? No problem, thank you! If you’re inspired to support Saint Mary’s students through the donor challenge, your gift will count toward our challenge goal. Have further questions? Please call (800) 762-8871.
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Photos provided by the author and Saint Mary’s College official webpage
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