My decision to attend VCU Arts was incredibly last minute. I was in a really rough period of my life where I truly debated if college or a hospital would be more beneficial to me. Eventually, I applied for the program, and I felt incredibly lucky to be included despite feeling like an imposter among artists. I now know that God gave me a challenge that I could handle and blossom through, but I couldn’t understand that at the time. I believed God had given up on me. Despite being raised Catholic and going through the motions every Sunday, I didn’t talk to God, so God wasn’t talking to me. My mom encouraged me to join CCM, but I was convinced that anyone with faith wouldn’t understand who I was, or why I felt the way I did; especially when I had been asking God that question for years. It wasn’t until I met another girl on campus who introduced me to this community that I realized how comforting and kind Catholicism can be. I am so thankful for the way CCM encourages faith on campus. Every piece of the community, from warm welcomes to couch cushions, has made me feel safe and cared for. God has rescued my heart from a hopeless place through the kindness and inclusivity of others, and I truly believe that the ministry on campus fosters that. The way people in our ministry speak to, listen to, and encourage each other is a rare and special thing, but it shouldn’t be. When I see people extend that same warmth to others on the street, in class, etcetera, I know God is working. The love and charity that stem from our campus have made me want to extend those values into every piece of my life, without fear of mentioning Jesus’s name. Everything that is good, kind, and empathetic in the world is God on earth, and our ministry has reminded me of that. If you had told me a year ago that I would regularly attend Bible study with excitement and sincerity, I wouldn’t have believed you. I was sure that even if I did reconnect with God, I would carry some level of resentment for what I went through. I can confidently say that I do not. I feel so blessed that the ministry welcomed me exactly as I was. Every time I am in the CCM house, I feel God’s presence and love. I truly believe God helped me through what I’ve experienced so that I can be soft for others who have felt the same way. I hope that more people on campus can be open about their faith, but most of all I hope there will be more conversations, more gentleness, and more compassion. VCU’s Catholic Campus Ministry leads by a tenderhearted example, loving strangers and friends exactly as God intended.