At the beginning of this semester I was studying to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) scheduled for mid-September. As an RA on a hall comprised of freshmen and transfer students I was also balancing academics, work, and relationships with the women on my hall. There were several times throughout the first month of school that I felt that I was falling short in my relationships with the people around me. I wanted to be able to devote all of my time to getting to know them and helping them to adjust to life at Grove City College and felt guilty about having to lock my door to take practice tests or camp out in the local coffee shop to study undisturbed.
Everyone who I spoke to on campus was so supportive of me during this time, offering me words of encouragement and reminding me to give myself grace in a very busy time of life. The women on my hall were one of the greatest areas of support during this time, even though they were all transitioning into a new phase of life and getting acquainted with our campus at the same time. Various residents would stop by to cheer me on and see how my studying was going each week and would make sure to tell me that they were praying for me. I was so surprised and felt so blessed to see that these women who I was meant to be serving in my role as an RA were going to such efforts to serve me after knowing me for such a short amount of time. They already wanted me to succeed and were willing to do anything they could to help me get to that point.
Saturday, September 16, 2017 I spent five hours in our Hall of Arts and Letters taking the LSAT. When I finally came out of the exam I was tired and felt like I had spent all day running, rather than sitting at a desk. A huge weight was off my shoulders because I no longer had to study for the test, but it was replaced by another, smaller one as I waited for the results.
Our campus Fall Fest was that afternoon and I spent a bit of time there with my roommate, Bri, and then we went and ordered large sundaes from Sweet Jeanie’s, a local ice cream parlor. When we got back to campus, we helped our friend, Lisa, clean up her Fall Fest booth and then the three of us changed and went out to dinner to celebrate my completed test. We laughed throughout the meal and I felt so thankful to finally have time to relax without the pressure of the LSAT hanging over me.
After dinner, we went back to my and Bri’s dorm room. I opened the door and went in first, and was immediately shocked by almost a dozen people standing in the dark, shouting surprise! The women on my hall had decided to bake and decorate a cake (chocolate and Nutella!) the night before in order to celebrate my completed test. I jumped, laughed, and teared up. They had orchestrated the surprise all on their own, with Bri offering our room as the place to surprise me, and they certainly succeeded. I felt so loved and blessed that so many people wanted to celebrate with me.
This is so indicative of the environment at Grove City College. Students care for one another through verbal support, prayer, and meeting one another’s needs. Since living here is the first time that most of our students have lived away from home it is so important to have people around who care for you, and that is just the overall atmosphere in the Residence Halls. I am continually astounded by the wonderful people around me and how they care for one another and for me.
Surprise Celebration with the Hall
Dinner with Bri and Lisa
