I have always been a planner. I planned early for which college I wanted to attend, what degree I wanted to get, and where that degree would land me in the workforce. Having set goals and achievements has always been something that I stick by relentlessly. My rigidity in wanting to have control over the path my life will take at one point in time brought me great comfort. It was comforting for me to know that I had a clear and viable plan to follow and that by following that plan I would be able to live a comfortable life. However, what I have learned is that the best moments of my life and the most rewarding and valuable experiences never came from my endless planning, but rather in the moments that I could never plan for. The moments when I let go of my plans and let God show me a different path for my life to take.
In high school, I was in the Honors Health Sciences program, a member of the National Honor Society, and one of the founding members of the Maker Space on my high school campus. I have a love of learning and a strong passion for computer sciences. In the first half of my senior year, I was set on attending the Colorado School of Mines and studying biomedical engineering. I had my goals and set out to achieve them. Attending Saint Mary’s College was not even a thought in my head when the senior college application season began. I had attended ND Vision my junior year with a friend and had an incredible experience, but I still did not consider attending a school with God at the center to be a part of my plan. I have always felt a strong calling to the faith and knew that I would find a way to incorporate my faith into my plan, but I did not anticipate that my faith would be at the center of it.
All this changed when a classmate of mine told me that she thought I should apply to Saint Mary’s College. I did not know much about Saint Mary’s College at the time so I asked my classmate more about it and could feel the passion and love she felt for this place that she hadn’t yet begun to call home. My interest was piqued and I wanted to learn more about this school. As fate would have it not too long after was an event on Saint Mary’s Campus called Meet Me on the Avenue. I attended this event and realized that I could not have possibly planned all the experiences and opportunities Saint Mary’s would offer me.
In the four years, I attended Saint Mary’s I learned so much about the world around me, grew in my faith, and discovered more about myself. The part of me that still plans out every step of my future is still there, and I still know what kind of career I want, which car I want to get, and even the Appartement I want to live in once I am set in my career. But that is just a small part of my journey now because I have learned that the best and most important moments in life cannot be planned for, but come from saying yes to a call.
Having the opportunity to say yes to this fellowship with the House of Brigid I do not have a plan for what this incredible year is to bring. I am realizing that even more as my fellow fellows and I await our paperwork and departure to our new home in Ireland. I do however have hope for the incredible journey I am about to embark on along with 7 wonderful individuals. I am open to the experiences I will have, the people I will meet, and the difference I can make.
