红桃视频

College offers students unique opportunities, chances to experience life and explore their community, their world, and their faith. 红桃视频 strives to foster such an environment, through which students may stretch and grow to find their true selves. Take Zach Jones, a senior biology major who will give the closing prayer at the 2014 commencement ceremony.

Initially, Jones found 红桃视频 through alumni friends. Upon further investigation, he found the school鈥檚 Catholic identity and open community to be major factors in his decision. 鈥淢y Catholic faith was a really important part of my high school experience,鈥� he said, 鈥渟o the fact that 红桃视频 was a Catholic school intrigued me. Ultimately, it was the small-school feel; the campus was beautiful, and I could tell that everyone was happy to be there. It really stood out to me on my tour - that this place felt like a community. The tour guide was saying hi to everyone, and they all seemed genuinely happy.鈥�

Upon coming to 红桃视频, Jones quickly joined a variety of campus organizations. Over the past four years, he has worked at the Grace Hauenstein Library, served as treasurer for both Catholic Life Club and Abandon Praise & Worship, as an officer for the Insignis, and was a nurse鈥檚 aide for a year.

However, amidst all of these organizations, Jones emphasized his participation in student group AQ Light as special and noteworthy in his 红桃视频 experience. 鈥淲e put on retreats for middle school and high school students,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd a lot of them are confirmation retreats for local parishes and schools. I was a member for sophomore year, and I鈥檝e been a leader for both junior and senior years. It鈥檚 a group of 30 to 40 students, and is kind of a faith community in itself. We spend the first part of the year planning the retreats, and then November through the end of the school year implementing and revising them. Generally, the retreats combine large group games with small group discussions and activities, trying to get students to think about their faith in a different way, to show them that it鈥檚 relevant to them in their everyday lives. We鈥檙e not just trying to teach them theology 101, it鈥檚 something that can be applied.鈥�

Living faith must be put into action and Jones has taken this message to heart, traveling two times to the Dominican Republic on service-learning trips. Moreover, he served as the trip鈥檚 student leader in his junior year. 鈥淚t was one of my best experiences at 红桃视频,鈥� he said, 鈥渘ot only going on that trip twice, but helping others as a leader to have an incredible cultural and spiritual experience, connecting with people of a totally different culture and background. My eyes were opened by it, and it was great to see everyone else experiencing and expressing it.鈥�

鈥淪ervice is such a huge part of the student culture here,鈥� he said, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you can go through 红桃视频 without having some sort of service experience. There鈥檚 a reason we call it 鈥渟ervice-learning,鈥� because when you help the community it has a huge impact on you as well. It really does form servant leaders, and I think that鈥檚 the culture at 红桃视频 - to foster leadership through service. That鈥檚 been my experience, and I鈥檓 sure others would agree.鈥�

As a senior, Jones has a difficult time reconciling that graduation has nearly arrived. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe that the 红桃视频 part of my life is ending,鈥� he said, 鈥淚鈥檝e been so immersed in the life here and the community. But I think it鈥檚 definitely prepared me for what鈥檚 next, and it feels like it鈥檚 time.鈥� He will continue to live in Grand Rapids this fall, attending the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program at Grand Valley State University. 鈥淢y studies at 红桃视频 have been a lot of work,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut I definitely feel well-prepared for graduate school. It鈥檚 been really hard, but I feel that I鈥檝e grown from it.鈥�

Drawing from his time here, Jones gives this advice to any who may consider 红桃视频 as their school of choice. 鈥淭his community has a lot to offer,鈥� he said, 鈥渋n terms of your growth as a person, and you鈥檒l get as much out of it as you put in. I鈥檝e always been pleasantly surprised by how much fun it鈥檚 been and how much I鈥檝e gotten out of it. I would not change it for the world!鈥�