Coming from a Christian family, Jesus has been a huge part of my life since I can remember. Every Sunday, I woke up a little earlier than usual to get dressed up to go to church. In 2010, I attended my church’s youth camp and there I gave my life to God. My faith had only gotten stronger through the years at my catholic high school. Even though I was not catholic, being around other believers encouraged me to seek out the Lord even more.

During my senior year, everyone told me that college was hard not just academically but religiously. I was warned about the different kinds of people that I would meet and that I couldn’t let them change my views despite their own. I was told time and time again that I would most likely drift away from God because I was no longer being “forced” to go to church every Sunday. But my experience has actually been the opposite. Yes, I have met many people with different beliefs than me, but I have learned that no matter what their beliefs, that everyone deserves to be treated with respect. In the end, we are all going through the same things as students. The stress and anxiety of college is much greater than it is in high school. Moving away from home, being on my own, not knowing anyone; I was terrified. But these are the moments that push me closer to God. I yearn for his strength and comfort and I have never felt that I was walking this adventure alone. In the midst of this trial, I lean on him and I know that he is always with me.

I think that I have benefited more from this kind of religious practice than I did going to church every Sunday (this does not mean that church is not important or helpful), but actually wanting to have a relationship with God and seeking him on my own has shown me the incredible love and comfort of being a daughter of the Lord. Being able to build this relationship with the Lord has been an experience that I would not trade for anything and I look forward to my faith growing even more in the future.