Suzanne Holcombe, Author at

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Suzanne Holcombe — Leave a comment

Why I Decided to Be An Resident Assistant (RA)

Being a Resident Assistant at Grove City College has been one of my favorite opportunities during my college experience. Many of the responsibilities include being an available resource to your hall, making intentional effort to get to know residents, putting on programs, enforcing the rules, and attending meetings with respective building staff and Resident Directors.

There are several different places where you can serve as an RA on Grove City’s campus: a freshmen hall, an upperclassmen hall, or a Greek hall. Although at different times these are drastically different places. During training, we are taught to simply love our residents and invest time into them in order to help them have the best experience here at Grove City.

My freshmen RAs at Grove City have impacted my experience so much; I do not know what I would have done without them! I love being an RA because of the excuse it gives me to talk to people and create meaningful connections with them. There are many reasons to choose to be an RA, here are a few other reasons from current RAs here at Grove City:

“I wanted to apply to be an RA before the end of my very first semester because my freshman RA inspired me to become one. He was very caring and a great individual who shaped me as an individual and my whole college experience. I wanted to be that person for someone else. Two years later, I am an RA – but not a freshmen RA. I am an RA for mostly seniors, and I cannot be him… but I can be myself. I enjoy being an RA because it allows me to put at use my extroverted and friendly sides while serving my residents and the community at Grove City College. My freshman RA inspired me to be friendly and outgoing, and most importantly to serve.”

-Luis Ramirez, upperclassmen RA

“I became an RA because I understand the importance of the RA’s role on a freshmen hall and I believed that with the help of guidance and a great staff, I would be able to have a great influence on a freshmen hall.”

-Steve Maker, freshmen RA

“I love being an RA because it gives me the opportunity to meet so many interesting people that are not a part of my major. It also allows me to connect people with similar hobbies and interests. “

-Alex Moldovan, upperclassmen RA

“I love being an RA because I get to know people who might have not crossed my path if it was not for this position. I enjoy serving and loving these friends. It is also a great position for growth!”

-Amy O’Brien, upperclassmen RA

“I have always appreciated my older friends and mentors, and I thought that I could keep their examples and impact on myself, or I could share it with others. I thought that being a freshmen RA was a great opportunity to reach into the lives of younger guys.”

-Schuyler Kitchin, freshmen RA

“The Resident Assistant role has benefited me in many ways. In particular, being an RA has given me the opportunity to talk with truly wonderful people who I probably would not have gone out of my way to meet or interact with otherwise.”

-Mark Capper, upperclassmen RA

“Being an RA has allowed me to step into a role where I have met and learned about some really amazing people. I have had so much fun laughing and living alongside people I would not have met otherwise!”

-Hannah Finley, upperclassmen RA

“I love being an RA because I get to learn how to support people and show them Christ’s love. It has taught me patience as well as perspective and I have found myself leaning on God for strength, which has helped me to grow personally.”

-Becki Krupp, upperclassmen RA

The Grove City community is full of wonderful, caring people and many of these individuals are using their gifts to serve the campus as an RA. While not always an easy job, it is most always a rewarding one. Even though we never truly know how many people we have touched through our time on the halls, we will always keep striving to invest in our residents.

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Suzanne Holcombe — Leave a comment

ICO Costa Rica: An Inside Look

As a senior, when I look back over my four years at Grove City College, one thing that will always be a huge part of my experience was the opportunity to participate in the College’s Inner City Outreach (ICO) program. The program designs missions trips to almost 20 places both here and abroad every year and they are a wonderful way to get involved in service.

I have had the privilege of going to Costa Rica three times (once as a participant and twice as a leader). There are generally 11-13 members of the team, and our trips generally last 10-12 days. We stay at a church a little ways outside the capital, San Jose. During our time there we participate in service projects, host vacation bible school for the children of the neighborhood, and build relationships with families of the church. We have team members every year with varying language ability; therefore knowing Spanish is not a requirement.

I value and appreciate that this program is truly student-led. Leaders need to attend several training sessions put on by the Director of Campus Ministries, Devi Wintrode. Other than that, we are on our own, which gives us a large degree of independence and room for growth as leaders and team members. We do not have adults that attend the trip with us, which forces the leaders to plan every aspect of the experience. These tasks include raising and designating purposes for the money, communicating with the hosts where we are serving, buying plane tickets, and ensuring that our team members are accounted for during our trip.

The independent nature of the trip benefits our leaders as well as our team members, because for many of our members, this is the first time they have ever traveled without a parent or family member. College is the perfect time to go on an ICO trip because it can be such a formative experience and can cultivate the desire to participate in missions later on in life.

One of my favorite aspects of the ICO program is the amount of culture we are able to experience while we are there. Since we stay at a church and not with a missions organization, we do not converse with or greet other Americans. Our only interactions are with Ticos (how Costa Ricans address themselves) which provides us with an excellent opportunity to build relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We share meals, work alongside one another, and play soccer together. These individuals are always so happy to see us and share their life stories.

At the church, participate in our designated work projects and spend time with the children. Interestingly, the Ticos do not care about how much work gets done, but rather are concerned more about about building relationships. This is such a refreshing experience to be separated from the busyness of a college campus.

I have returned from each and every one of these trips refreshed and eager to continue to serve the Lord for a new semester here at Grove City. I have gained such a valuable perspective from the culture we get to experience in Costa Rica, the camaraderie we build as a team, and the lasting relationships we create during our time there.

To learn more about Inner City Outreach trips, please visit the Campus Ministries page.

Posted on October 25, 2016October 25, 2016 by Suzanne Holcombe — Leave a comment

Parisian Museums: Beyond the Louvre and the Orsay

When I studied abroad in Paris last semester, I made a long list of things I wanted to do, parks I wanted to see and museums I wanted to visit. By the end of the semester, I marked off every single box on my forty-plus item list except for one! I am so glad that I held myself accountable to discovering what my city had to offer – including many things that people often miss when they spend a very short time in Paris.

I love museums, and a large part of my to-do list consisted of smaller museums around the city, where a lot of tourists do not visit. My experiences with these less visited museums were amazing; not only were they smaller and less overwhelming, but they weren’t filled with people. Here are my top choices:

6. Musée Rodin.

This museum is as much of a museum as it is a beautiful garden. Inside the building are found many of Auguste Rodin’s most famous pieces, including the the Thinker, while outside is a garden designed to display some of his larger works. I spent a gorgeous spring morning writing in my journal on one of the benches.

5. Musée Cognacq-Jay

This museum was formerly the home of a rich family with an extensive art collection. Along the walls in many of the rooms are works of art in the rococo style, in which the artists use many pastel colors and portray the sitter with a half smile.

4. Musée Gustave Moreau

Moreau was an artist living in Paris in the 19th century. The second floor is Moreau’s apartment, while his studio is located on the third and fourth levels. Over one hundred of his works are displayed through this museum and include the portrayals of mythological figures. I think that the staircase is beautiful!

3. Musée Nissim de Camando

This museum was one of my favorites. The Camondo family reigned as wealthy bankers and this museum gives an adequate representation and preservation of how the family lived at the turn of the 20th century. The mansion was built in 1911 and donated to become a museum in 1935. Coming here reminded me of watching Downton Abbey, only a French version. Who knew mansions this grand can be found right in the middle of the city?

2. Musée de l’Orangerie

While the Orangerie is more well known than the museums previously mentioned, there are still many people who have not heard of it. This museum, located on the north bank of the Seine across from the Musee d’Orsay, is home to two oval rooms of Monet’s waterlily panels. My first time here, I spent two hours in these two rooms alone! Monet painted these panels towards the end of his life in the 1920s and donated them to the French government so that the public could enjoy them. I did.

1.Musée Marmottan-Monet

This museum is my favorite because Claude Monet’s biggest collection of paintings are located here, and so very few people know about it, so there were very few tourists the both times that I went. This museum also hosted a temporary exhibition called “The Art and the Child,” which traced how French artists have portrayed children through the centuries. There were many magnificent pieces that were brought in from private collections and other museums all over the world. In addition to this special exhibit, the entire downstairs showcases over forty of Monet’s works, from Parisian scenes to larger works of his waterlily series. I exhausted myself trying to take in every single one of his unbelievable works.

On a quick side note: Most visitors are unaware that students who study abroad in France for over three months are required to have a visa. This temporary student visa gives the individual temporary “citizenship” of the European Union. At almost every tourist place or museum in France, the EU allows citizens under the age of 26 free admission to nearly all of the museums located in Paris. I can think of two museums in all of Paris that I paid to get into.

The next time you are in Paris, consider seeing one or two of these instead of the customary Louvre or Orsay. Not only will you get to experience a charming and smaller museum, you will get to explore a new part of the city where maybe you wouldn’t have gone before. I loved studying in Paris because living in this city made it so easy to find things to do and places to visit.

Posted on September 28, 2016October 24, 2016 by Suzanne Holcombe — Leave a comment

French: All Day Every Day

Last spring, I had the opportunity to study abroad for four months in France.

Grove City has a wonderful study center in Nantes, but I chose to go through an outside study abroad program rather than directly through the College. There are many different options for studying abroad that aren’t only through Grove City; they require a bit of an application process the semester before, but my program provider had wonderful people working there who were able to help me through every step of the process.

Another helpful event that the College puts on each spring and fall is a study abroad fair that brings in a number of different program representatives, which was a great opportunity for me in being able to talk to the people who work for these programs.

After much consideration of what I was looking for in my experience, I determined that my three main objectives were to learn French, to live in a somewhat large city, and to get out of my comfort zone by going on my own without anyone I knew.

After doing a lot of research, I decided to study in Paris at L’Institut Catholique (Catholic Institute). All of my classes would be in French, I would have the opportunity to live with a host family, and I would be able to live in and explore the city of lights!

I visited Paris for the first time three years ago on a trip I took with my brother and sister through several European countries and I remember being a bit skeptical before I arrived there. I reasoned that since everyone raves about Paris, could it really be that wonderful? Spoiler: I loved it. I loved the Eiffel Tower and how it towered over the city, I loved the quaint streets, the quiet cafes, and the stunning architecture of the buildings and bridges.

When I decided to return to Paris to study there, I was beyond excited, but I had no idea just what an amazing experience I would have. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

To set the scene, I lived with my host mom in a huge apartment complex in the 19th arrondissment, which is in the northeastern part of the city. My University was in the 6th, which is in central Paris, just south of the river. My daily commute (when I say daily, I only had class Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays) was 35 minutes by the Metro, which was one of my favorite parts of the day. I loved the idea that if I minded my own business and didn’t open my mouth, I could be French!

As I mentioned, all of my classes were in French and were each three hours long at a time, usually from 9:00 am-12:00 pm, or 2:00-5:00 pm. My grammar and writing class met three times per week while my Discovering Paris and Parisian Cinema each met once. I studied with international students and made friends from all over the world including Japan, India, Chile, Colombia, and Taiwan. Class was a neat experience because much of the time the only thing we had in common with our fellow students was our (albeit somewhat limited, especially at the beginning) French ability, so we were forced to use it in order to communicate.

There was something so freeing about being anonymous in a city as majestic and beautiful as Paris; I could walk down the street and take everything in without anyone noticing me. My program provided me with a Navigo Pass, which gave me access to the Metro and bus systems in the entire ile-de-France, which extends quite a bit out of the city. The possibilities were endless; I could go see all the museums, parks, stroll along the river, anything I wanted.

Living in Paris made me more aware of the world around me. I loved the way in which Parisians approach life: they are on time to work, but think nothing of enjoying a cafe crème for a few hours in the afternoon with a friend. I loved watching all of the people on the street and trying to guess their destination and learning how to wander the different neighborhoods and streets without a destination.

In coming posts, I am going to explain more of the different aspects of my life abroad and some of the things I learned, but suffice it to say that it was the best decision I’ve made so far in my life. I will be writing about some of my favorite museums, my favorite places to visit, and several of my different experiences outside of France. Come along with me to relive my dream of a semester!