Livy's blog
Class of 2008, English Major, from Fridley, MN

I was asked to talk today at Common Prayer about what part, or parts, of SNC I am most grateful for. I decided to share with you what I said, as it most definitely relates to everything we have been talking about this past semester.

Since I am a Senior, I have obviously spent a lot of time fashioning cover letters and resumes that outline the ways SNC has prepared me professional and academically for the real world. And truthfully, much of this really did become apparent in this past month when I was interviewing for various positions. I realized that I not only have acquired many skills relevant to the real world, but I also possess a certain confidence in my ability to put these skills into practice—a confidence which has come from the many leadership opportunities only a small school can provide.

The more time I spent reflecting on this, however, the more I realized that it was because of SNC’s holistic focus on the development of the individual that I am able to be the grounded person that I am today.

Even more broadly, I realized just how true those catchy statements printed on the Admission Brochures really are. The images of a small, welcoming community that focuses on the development of the individual really is an honest portrayal of my past four years here and will be the one thing I miss the most when I leave.

I don’t know that I can really put into words what this community has been for me, but I think it all boils down to the authenticity of both the faculty and staff. I am very thankful for the countless mentors I have in my time here. Some have been with me for the whole journey, some for only a semester, a summer or an internship. I have found care and companionship through many of the services and programs offered on campus, I had the opportunity, for instance, to get to know my freshman housekeeper through a Faith Sharing Group; have had lunch with professors and shared stories of personal life with them during their office hours; I have cried to members of Career Services on days when I thought a job offer would never come; and have had coffee at Luna with various staff members.

Early this year I was asked to share my faith with the incoming Freshman at Week of Welcome. Without really knowing what to expect, I went into the video-recording interview somewhat nervous about what I was going to say. Faith too, I feel, is another thing that is hard to articulate.

By the end of the interview, however, I better understood myself because I came to realize that my spirituality is more than just a belief in a deity; it is a consciousness about the world and others around me. And this consciousness primarily developed from my involvement with the TRIPS program, which supplemented things I was learning in the classroom.

I remember saying at one point that knowledge about social issues and about God are really meaningless if they don’t challenge people to look inward at themselves, and be honest with the ways that their own lifestyle perpetuates injustice. Although I didn’t necessarily realize it then, I now put this question in the category of a developed and critical conscience—which is exactly what the mission of this college aims to achieve.

Perhaps what I have to thank SNC the most for then, are the tools it has given me to be this self-reflecting person, not only because it has shaped who I currently am, but also because it helps me envision who I want to become in the months and years down the road.

While I obviously don’t know where I will be or what my life will look like in the future, my time at SNC has instilled in me the desire to be a caring and compassion person, someone who is socially aware and intellectually hungry. And this desire comes from having lived in a community where these qualities are acted out daily by the people around me.

So what am I the most thankful for then? Really, it all comes back to this community which has invested so much in helping my personal development.