I won’t lie. I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me that I would be so unbelievably happy in college.
Coming from a very small, rural area of Western New York comes with various challenges. For one, there is a very low rate of diversity. Early in high school I knew that I wanted to attend a college that would introduce me to new people with different values, beliefs, cultures, and identities.
In my senior year of high school, I was ready to leave my small town. I wanted to meet new people and challenge my own beliefs. I was ready to take the leap.
When I took my tour of St. Bonaventure, it felt right to me. I’m not sure how else to explain it, other than to say that I was giddy and comfortable on campus.
I dreamed of attending St. Bonaventure and couldn’t handle my excitement when it was time to apply. Something just felt so right to me. No one from my area was planning to attend for the fall of 2023.
There was both a panic in my body and a hope that everything would work itself out. I wish I could’ve given myself even a glimpse of just how well I’m doing here.
Last summer, before I started at Bonaventure, I was given the option to go to Mount Irenaeus, a local Franciscan community, for a retreat before orientation. I had no intention of signing up and was quick to judge, but something told me to put my name on the list and go through with it.
This retreat was life-changing in many aspects. Not only did it introduce me to the friars who encouraged us to be vulnerable with our struggles, but it also brought me to some of the best people I have met. My closest friends are from that Mount Irenaeus retreat and without it, I probably wouldn’t be feeling nearly as much bliss as I am.
Fast forward to now. I’m studying Communication, Social Justice, and Advocacy with a double minor in Spanish and Theology. I would have never guessed that I’d be a part of a journalism school in college, let alone one that I truly care about. I always believed that I’d go into education. This is still a vague possibility, but one that feels secondary to growing in social justice and theology knowledge.
The best parts of Bonaventure are the parts where I haven’t entered with expectations. I did not expect to have a supportive community around me that would lift me up whenever I started to fall.
There’s something exciting about not really knowing what you’re getting into, which remains a new concept to me. I can be my most authentic self when only last year I thought I had to forget about my passions.
Taking this leap of faith is really what it sounds like. It’s a mix of just trusting yourself and understanding that growth comes from being uncomfortable and putting yourself out there.
You’ll never know what might work out unless you try!