It was a (very early) Friday morning and sixty people, most of whom were strangers, gathered in the dorm parking lot, carrying duffle bags and backpacks and awkwardly folded sleeping bags, about to board a bus and drive up a mountain for the Next Step Social Justice Retreat. Sunday afternoon, those same sixty people traveled back down the mountain, only now as a community of friends, confidantes, and allies.

Attempting to put into words the impact that this three-day-retreat had on my life would be futile. Ask anyone who has ever attended the retreat. It’s an incredible, powerful, eye-opening, life-changing experience. Words simply can’t do it justice. But what I can do is try to convince you to apply to go next year so that you can experience the same liberation, motivation, and excitement as I did in just three short days.

You will claim new identities and feel empowered.

• On Saturday morning, we broke into affinity groups (small groups of people that share the same identity that meet to discuss the particular experiences associated with that specific identity) based on race and ability. Prior to Next Step, these were two identities that I had never really explored or felt confident enough to claim as a part of who I am. Now that I have found a community of people who share similar backgrounds and experiences, I feel more confident in who I am and how these identities have shaped the person and leader that I have become.

You will meet incredible people.

• I’ve been at Chapman for a year and a half, and Next Step was the first time that I truly felt immersed in and surrounded by diversity. I met people of so many different races, ethnicities, religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, majors, parts of the world, abilities, socioeconomic classes, etc. etc. etc. The list goes on and on. It’s easy to get lost in the bubble of comfort here on campus with the people you normally hang out with or associate with. Next Step showed me that stepping outside that bubble is the best thing that you can do for yourself.

You’ll talk a lot and you won’t mind at all

• You’ll be able to share your opinions on anything and everything, but you will never be forced to talk. By the end of the weekend, chances are you won’t have any inhibitions when it comes to talking about topics that may have previously made you uncomfortable.

You will find some form of inner peace

• On Saturday, we were given two hours of free time, and I spent the entirety of the two hours sitting on a rock by the creek that ran through the grounds. In those two hours, I reflected on everything that we had talked about thus far, wrote in my journal, took some pictures of the beautiful scenery, and just sat there, without any interference from the outside world. Later on, someone asked me if I learned anything from the creek. And I definitely did.

You’ll come back refreshed, rejuvenated, and liberated.

• While I can’t speak for everyone on the trip, I came back down the mountain with a newfound excitement for life. After being out of cell service and Internet for three days, I felt like I understood myself better away from all the distractions of social media, email, and random games. I had also shed some of the burdens I had been carrying inside me because I had finally found a community of people that I could share those burdens with.

The Next Step Social Justice Retreat was hands down the best thing I could have done for myself. It’s difficult to describe exactly how three days can change your life. What I can tell you is the people you will meet will touch your life with their stories and their experiences. You will hopefully find a community of people that you can trust and become champions of change with together.

Even you are even remotely considering attending the retreat, please apply next year. I promise, you life will change and you will find that taking the next step towards better understanding yourself and the people around you will be something you will cherish forever.

Photo credit: Nathan Worden