Many of them were back in the spring, as I described in my 10th anniversary Post-College reflection post. I visitedwith as many professors as I could. I enjoyed updating them about my life and hearing about what they're doing in the classroom and beyond.
On the first Sunday of May, I was at St. Teresa's to help prepare and serve the meal after the final weekly student Mass before the end of the school year. It was nice seeing some soon-to-be-graduates in their attire and congratulating them.
Being back on campus for Homecoming was special. The two events I attended were the Christ College Reception and the Class of 2013 10th Anniversary Reunion. My afternoon and evening were filled with so many wonderful conversations with professors and other familiar faces with whom I shared the student experience. One of my classmates, Stephanie, was instrumental in her role working in the alumni office to plan the 10th-anniversary reunion. President Padilla stopped by the reception and made the rounds to greet each of us. It had been a while since I saw so many fellow students from that time there, and it stirred something within me to think about all that we shared in our studies and around campus. I ended up having a conversation with a fellow classmate that was driven by cards sitting on the table with conversation topics, and we were enjoying card after card for a while.
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| Food served at the 10th Anniversary reunion of the Class of 2013 |
I was also pleased to see some fabulous artwork on display in the Union.
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| A fellow visitor photographed me by this fabulous artwork that says it all. |
More recently, I thought it would be fitting to cap off this 10th anniversary year by helping with the Advent Dinner at St. Teresa's, held the Sunday before the final test week. This meal was one of my fondest memories of college. After graduating, I had it in mind to return and help at some point in the future. I was glad to do it this year.
The meal included a variety of heavy appetizers, organized according to different ethnic themes. I helped serve the American appetizers, which included mini cheeseburger balls, hash brown cups, corn dogs, and fruit kabobs. So much of the event reminded me of what it was like as a student. There were so many present--around 100 people or so. Among them were some professors, including Bart Wolf, who I knew in the meteorology program.
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| A fellow server photographed me at the American table as we waited for the students to arrive. |
Getting on toward the end of the evening, I had an encounter with Anthony, a reporter from the local newspapers of the Diocese of Gary. When I told him that I'm an alumnus, he expressed interest in talking with me after making his rounds. A little later, before I departed, I shared some reflective thoughts about being back for this experience, which appear in this article.
I was so glad to be back and contribute something to the community of St. Teresa's, grateful for the ways it affirmed me as a student, which was a hallmark of my college experience. It stirred my heart with great joy to see the students having such a great time with the food and then music and dancing afterwards, putting themselves into a good mood to finish the semester. Even as I've moved on in the circle of life to a stage in life beyond college, I am so delighted to see that the community of St. Teresa's continues to do so much good in supporting and affirming the students, just as it did for my classmates and me. Ultimately, what I saw on this evening of December 10, 2023, was just like I knew it to be as a student: The food and festivities are great in and of themselves, but even more so because they are signs of a community that over the years, has done so much to build the Kingdom of God on Earth by fostering an affirming environment for those in this community.
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| Avila Hall is all decked out for the Advent Dinner. |
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| The American appetizer table, with the fruit kabobs in the foreground |
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| Bringing out the Dairy Queen ice cream cake |
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