Going to a private Catholic university in Pennsylvania that was away from my sheltered New Jersey hometown had all the qualities that I hoped for in the college experience. The campus was small, but this did not stop the student body from showing off their big personalities. Alvernia University attracted me the most based off of their active role in the Reading community and their Catholic traditions with the interventions of making it a priority to welcome everyone from all different backgrounds. For these reasons, I thought that I would fit in just fine. I was wrong.

Fitting in, trying to find my "safe places," and gaining a new sense of self-confidence all happened to become obstacles for me up until halfway through my second semester of freshman year. Before this, my days were filled with a downhill spiral of hopelessness. I can honestly say that I had a lack of direction when it came to academics, extracurricular activities, and a social life.

My classes and always having my head in a textbook became my favorite past times. Overall, I was getting myself further trapped in the college life that no other student could want or imagine.

This trap overtook my motivation to become a better version of myself. This type of lifestyle destroyed me to the point that my mom gave me an ultimatum that she would not let me go back the following semester unless I got involved in an extracurricular. Right there and then, I knew I had to find something fast.

On impulse, I signed up and got accepted to go on an Alternative Break to Philadelphia. In simpler terms, I was given the opportunity to do community service during my Spring Break. I was part of a group, which consisted of students and faculty. This week-long trip reminded me how much I enjoy helping others. It also allowed me to find a passion for the concept of Interfaith as the group also explored seven different faith encounters.

From this out-of the box journey, I learned how there are more similarities than differences among religions. Visiting unfamiliar places of worship helped me to understand how to respect others of different faith backgrounds. This experience also made me wonder how in life I would be able to continue learning about the diversity among religious practices, and what had to be done to get into a career path that was centered around faith.

I was given a new perspective on my Catholic faith, and how others come together through their individual practices as well. I knew what I wanted to accomplish could not be done if I go back to being isolated in a dorm room.

So where am I now, you might ask. One statement: A sophomore at Alvernia University who is actively involved in Campus Ministry and picked up Theology as her second major.