In high school, I was a “bad Catholic.” I didn’t feel like a part of the faith, I was upset with some of the things going on within a few specific churches, and I felt detached from that community because of the actions of a minority of the members. With all of these reasons in mind, I refused to make my confirmation. When asked why I chose not to be confirmed, my answer was always “I cannot be part of a community that perpetuates hate.”

When I began my college search, though blatantly obvious, it didn’t initially occur to me that Saint Leo was a Catholic institution. I visited the school and noticed the classic tell-tails of Catholicism but was overcome with the sense of community and acceptance that I instantly felt here. It was strange and unsettling at the time to have such a low opinion of the faith as a whole and at the same time feel for the first time that I was part of a community that not only validated who I was, but at the same time had such a deep connection to God and Catholicism. After a while, I began making friends with people who for their entire life had been deeply spiritually committed to the Catholic community and started to realize that though an outspoken minority within the Catholic community paint a picture of the faith as one of exclusivists, the overwhelming majority follow the true meaning of the teachings of Christ.

A few of my general education requirements and honors classes examine the Catholic religion, and I’ve found over the course of the past few years that Catholics as a whole fundamentally believe in inclusion. Posted across campus are Saint Leo’s core Benedictine values. Each of them seem to be the foundation on which Catholicism was built, and filter out the conservatism and hatred that some sects of the religion confuse with the actual fundamental beliefs of the religion. I was very apprehensive at first to come to Saint Leo because it was a Catholic University. But I’ve come to realize that this community that I have become a part of is deeply dedicated to the fundamental values of Catholicism.

Even more importantly, I never felt like religion was being forced down my throat, rather I was invited (via the inclusive aura of the Saint Leo community) to a better way of life. Today I still would not consider myself a “religious” person. I don’t go to church every week, but I do consider myself a spiritual person. I know I’m different, but on campus I tend to forget that I am. There’s not a doubt in my mind that my experience outside of the classroom at Saint Leo has restored my faith in humanity, and the connections I’ve made with so many people from vastly different backgrounds than my own has proven to me that Catholicism is not about going to Church once a week and totally forgetting those teachings for the other 6 days. As Americans, and as Catholics we believe in inclusion. We believe in tolerance. We believe in compassion. I came here to earn a degree in Biology, but next year I’ll leave here with so much more than that.

Posted by Saint Leo University at 9:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My sophomore year I was the editor of the yearbook here at Saint Leo. It was a great experience, and gave me an awesome outlet for all of my pent-up creative energies. I was also involved in a few clubs and organizations, and was really good friends with a few students who were affiliated with Residence Life. I strongly recommend being involved on campus. It’s fun, community service makes you feel great, and you really make your life-long friends outside of the classroom.

But don’t rule out going off campus! I think one of my best decisions yet was to get a job off-campus. My career aspirations are to become a Pharmacist, and having a part time job off-campus in a pharmacy has so many benefits for me beyond the little bit of money that magically gets deposited in my checking account every Friday morning. Within the world of Pharmacy, Technicians (those of us who are not Pharmacists and do not have our Pharm. D. yet) make up a majority of pharmacy staff. Duties assigned to Pharmacy Technicians are the simpler things that don’t require a doctorate to perform and have little legal liability, but make up the bulk of the work that is required to make a pharmacy run efficiently. Though those duties are relatively simple and can be done with little to no mental effort, there is a huge opportunity for the aspiring pre-pharmacy student to gain a wealth of knowledge and practical experience before even applying to pharmacy school.

Think about it. How many other industries can you get PAID to work side-by-side with experts in the field? Working in a pharmacy for a couple years is like being handed a stack of pharmacology text books, and being paid to read them. And then when you’re finished, if you’re interested and make the right connections, some pharmacists are nice enough to write you letters of recommendation and help you get into Pharmacy school! My company is a huge proponent of higher education. For technicians, there is an optional national certification (CPhT) that will become mandatory in Florida in 2011. But now, and for the last few years my company has offered to pay for the training, the fairly expensive exam, and even offer raises to technicians who take and pass the exam. Board certification is a great credential to have not only for the immediate benefits within the pharmacy, but also looks great on a resume and shows pharmacy schools just how serious you are about the industry.

But the most important thing that I think an off-campus job offers is a reality check. Attending a private University, we live in sort of a bubble. Our standard of living is pretty nice, food is always available, and on our campus specifically there is just a general sense of positivity. Working off campus has shown me that life is only what you make of it, and you can’t just expect things to work out just because you will them to. My store specifically is in a relatively impoverished neighborhood where the vast majority of our patients receive government assistance. Everyday that I go to work I’m reminded just how lucky I am, and it motivates me to try even harder to be academically successful because there are people in this world who would give nearly anything to be in my shoes.

Reality is a scary place, but I highly recommend stepping out of your comfort zone and spending a few hours ever week off campus. Even if you don’t need the money at all, just experience the real world. It makes the Saint Leo bubble an even rosier place to be.

Posted by Saint Leo University at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)