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Bonaventure Filled Summer

Madeline Thornton Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

This summer was a time of growth, love, and happiness.

It started with taking a break from travel softball. Since I was 11 years old, every summer I traveled on the weekends to play tournaments all over New York and Pennsylvania. It was fun, but I am growing up; different things take precedent and require more time. So, I didn’t play. Do I still love the sport? Yes, but I can also understand that it was an old part of me, and I don’t need to carry it over.

Now, I work a lot. And while it’s not a game of who can do the most, I was doing the most. Working 50 plus hours, because I have three jobs: being a student ambassador, a financial aid student assistant, and an ice cream scooper.

Student Ambassador: In simple terms, I give tours to prospective students of the campus. I adore this job; I meet new people and create fun connections over little things. At my core, I love this job because I get to show students that if high school wasn’t great, you can turn things around here. You get to pick your friends, pick what you spend your time doing, and the classes you take. I love watching the sparkle in the eyes of teenagers as they step onto campus for the first time and fall in love. It’s the same sparkle and love I had in my eyes the first time I came to this place I now call home.

Financial Aid Student Assistant: I don’t really know how to describe this job, so I’m going to give it my best shot- I file, I answer emails about financial aid questions, I work behind the scenes with financials, and I run programs. I love this job; it was my first step into my Bonaventure life. It has helped me learn skills that I take into my classes, and then I succeed faster.

I cherish these jobs, I cherish the people who work alongside me, and I thank God that when I walked on this campus, I was home.

As I mentioned, I work 50 plus hours a week, and whilst it was a lot, it was quite enjoyable.

I tend to doubt myself in everything I do, and this showed me that I can do hard things even if I didn’t believe I could.

It was busy, but I was happy.

I started doing more for myself. I used to go to the gym every day and then stopped, so I got myself back into it, and once again, it became my place of calm. Whilst throwing around heavy weights doesn’t seem like it would be relaxing, to me, it is.

Things will fall into place when they are meant to, whilst men, friends, and people come and go, the one person that I will always have is me. I’m taking back my time, love, and care from others who don’t deserve it and directing it towards myself.

So, my Bonaventure-filled summer gave me a time full of growth, love, and happiness.

Madeline Thornton is the Big and Little Coordinater for the St. Bonaventure Her Campus Chapter. She writes pieces that focus on girlhood, campus life, reading and a multitude of other interests. These pieces will range from fun and lighthearted, to some more thought provoking and heart tugging. She hopes to grow the sisterhood bonds with the Big and Little Program as well as her creativity within her writing.

Madeline is currently a sophomore Psychology major with a minor in Business Administration minor. Madeline not only spends a lot of time dedicated to Her Campus, but also around campus with being a Student Ambassador, working in St. Bonaventure’s Financial Aid office, a Resident Assistant, and being a part of multiple other clubs: Empower, Book Club, Psychology Club, Women in Business and ENACTUS.

Away from her academics, Madeline spends her time reading, working out, and hanging out with her friends and family. She has two cats, Clara and Caliope. She loves anything that could be put into a romance genre, from books, movies and more! Lastly, she loves to grab a sweet treat, her favorite ice cream is Grasshopper Pie, it tastes better than the name, she promises! She works at an ice cream shop over the summer, so she will never say no to a sweet treat!