What will I find here?

One warm summer evening, I found myself sitting alone in my room in Perry House and asking myself this very question: “What will I find here?” It was the summer before my Freshmen year at Williams, and, already, I was overwhelmed by the natural beauty of the campus, the academic rigor of the institution, and the intense and passionate nature of its people. Indeed, I would spend my next four years at Williams both battling to discover my place in this community and truly embracing it as my home, and now, on the eve of my graduation, I’m finding myself asking the question “What did I find here?” Certainly, I have found the academic passions, lifelong friends, and appreciation for community that were advertised in the brochures. However, what the brochures did not advertise and that which I did not expect to find (and for which I am so grateful to have found) was faith.

Coming into Williams, religion (and the practice of it, for that matter) was far-removed from my mind. While I was baptized in the Church, received First Communion, and was confirmed, my family usually only attended Mass on Christmas and Easter. It was only at Williams (at the behest of another student that I attend Mass with him one sunny Sunday morning) that I began attending Mass regularly and taking my faith more seriously. I am constantly in awe of the fact that, at Williams, I found a place not only to develop my intellect, but also to nourish my soul and to more fully develop my Catholic faith. Indeed, as a young woman who began the process of discerning her vocation here at Williams (and who will continue to do so after graduation), I have found the stories by these alumni, whether by priest or nun, religious or lay, or married man or woman, particularly inspiring and comforting on my own journey of growth and discovery.

Whether you are thinking about or still discerning your vocation or have already found your calling, I hope that you find these stories as fruitful and heartening as I have. As you begin your journey on this website, reading about the different paths that alumni have been called to take, don’t be afraid to ask yourself the question: “What will I find here?” Indeed, it could be something great.

-DS ’17