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Do Good A Guide to College A Gift to the Class of 2017 From Our Lady of Grace Youth Ministry Dear Friends, You’re about to head all over the country to learn, grow, and change. Although we’ll miss you around Our Lady of Grace, this is how life is done. After all, you never came here to stay here. Now that you’re nearly on your new adventure, we wanted to give you one final gift to help along the journey. DO GOOD is a compilation of hundreds of pieces of advice from Our Lady of Grace youth ministry participants of past and present. Please use this gift, and, as you do, here are some suggestions: Read all the entries, not just the short ones. Reread the entries, especially during your first month of school. Don’t be afraid to highlight, write on, or mark the pages inside. Remember that, even at your lowest point, every piece of advice here comes from someone who has prayed for and loved you. Thank you for fearlessly being yourselves. We’ll see you in the Eucharist, Our Lady of Grace Youth Ministry Table of Contents Drew Johnson………………………………………………………………….. 1 Michael Yeakey………………………………………………………………… 2 Tyler Zerbe………………………………………………………………………. 4 Cori Chatterton………………………………………………………………… 5 Timyael Barton…………………………………………………………………. 7 Ben Fuchs…………………………………………………………………………. 9 Jake Fuchs………………………………………………………………………… 10 Isaac Tat………………………………………………………………………….. 11 Katie Collyer…………………………………………………………………… 16 Allison Roberts………………………………………………………………… 17 Kara Feeley……………………………………………………………………… 20 Monica Pappas………………………………………………………………… 22 Mitch Dixon……………………………………………………………………… 23 Alicia Arbaszewski…………………………………………………………… 24 Jake Johnson…………………………………………………………………… 26 Sarah Huber……………………………………………………………………. 28 Jake Davis……………………………………………………………………….. 29 Allen Graham…………………………………………………………………… 30 Katelyn Wolf……………………………………………………………………. 32 Maddie Vulanich……………………………………………………………… 34 Rachael Riggle………………………………………………………………… 36 Joe Lemna………………………………………………………………………. 40 Derek Konyshak……………………………………………………………… 41 Claire Gawaluck……………………………………………………………… 43 Madi Nickander………………………………………………………………… 44 Table of Contents Jessica Gardner……………………………………………………………… 46 Josh Blesich……………………………………………………………………. 48 Brenna Obergfell……………………………………………………………… 49 Shannon Collyer……………………………………………………………… 51 Laura Lemna…………………………………………………………………… 52 Holly Riggle……………………………………………………………………… 53 Chris Meacham………………………………………………………………… 60 Jack Carney……………………………………………………………………… 61 Caitlin Reel……………………………………………………………………… 63 Derek Middleton……………………………………………………………… 64 Stephen Storey……………………………………………………………….. 65 Luke Hoefer……………………………………………………………………… 66 Jessica Ciccarello……………………………………………………………… 68 Zach Bleisch…………………………………………………………………….. 69 Andrew Lemna………………………………………………………………… 70 Rachel Johnson………………………………………………………………… 71 Maris Feeley…………………………………………………………………….. 73 Michael Deines………………………………………………………………… 75 Jamie Mangan………………………………………………………………….. 76 Michael Newman……………………………………………………………… 78 Sarah Schuster………………………………………………………………… 80 Nicole Vujosevich…………………………………………………………….. 81 Caitlin Taylor……………………………………………………………………. 83 Nicholas Vergatos…………………………………………………………….. 85 Table of Contents Brady Kimmel………………………………………………………………….. 88 Kyle Garretson…………………………………………………………………. 90 Pat Roberts………………………………………………………………………. 92 Joseph Reilly……………………………………………………………………. 94 Richard Storey………………………………………………………………… 98 Fr. Tom Metzger………………………………………………………………. 101 Janice Storey…………………………………………………………………… 102 Zach Haselhorst………………………………………………………………. 103 Alicen Teitgen…………………………………………………………………… 106 John Hannagan………………………………………………………………… 107 Marc Slain………………………………………………………………………… 109 Heather VanVoorhis………………………………………………………… 111 Stacy & Chad Costa………………………………………………………… 112 Fr. John Zahn…………………………………………………………………… 113 Fr. Chris Shocklee……………………………………………………………. 114 Jake Teitgen…………………………………………………………………….. 116 Drew Johnson Butler University Class of 2020 Time is the most valuable commodity. Invest it wisely. You will not look back at your freshman year of col- lege and remember the nights when you got eight hours of sleep. With that being said, form a daily rou- tine as quickly as possible. If you want to play hard, make sure you work hard. You would never think that your roommate would play Guitar Hero at full volume just minutes after say- ing goodnight to you as you lay in bed while trying to sleep until they do it. Address roommate issues early and firmly. Remember that you live with a human be- ing who has thoughts and feelings. Stay true to yourself, but do not be afraid to develop. High school you does not define college you. Be who you want to be. Be you. Do not forget where you came from. Regularly call a friend from home. Simultaneously, be open to new people. However, it is normal to feel alone. I distinctly remember worrying about not having a close group of friends during my first few weeks of college. Do not be afraid. Simply be yourself and be patient. Call your parents. Fear complacency. 1 Michael Yeakey Purdue University Class of 2019 1. Try to forget everything you ever thought about college like right now. 2. Pray early, pray often. 3. If you know people going to your university, don't let those relationships define you; this is your time to branch out and meet many new people. I had Easter brunch at a Hindu cafe with a crowd of Jewish people. It was one of the most interesting experiences of my life and was made possible by me testing my limits. 4. At the same time, keep those contacts that you knew in high school. There will be a time when you need something solid and familiar, usually around finals week. 5. Get organized yesterday. Having a well-organized catalog of notes, past quizzes, and other important papers will be nothing but extremely helpful if not for you then perhaps for your friend down the hall. 6. Take at least one 7:30 so you can say: "Well at least this 8:30 isn't as bad as that 7:30 3 hour Orgo lab I took last semester." It builds character, too. 7. Pray. 8. There's like a billion resources that universities will supply to you to help you pass your classes. If you need help, get it. Don't let the semester go by and just hope that IR spectroscopy just comes to you when you need it to, go to that Professor's office hours, that supplemental instruction session, the writing lab, whatever it is that you need. The university does want 2 you to succeed and will give you the resources that you need to get there. 9. Spend as much time as possible awake after midnight, that's when the best conversations happen. 10. Working out regularly will be a great study break and a great time to refocus and collect your thoughts. It will also make you feel loads better after sitting around studying all day. 11. If you feel called to, consider Greek life. There are a lot of negative stigmas out there about it, and I was one of those people that bought into all of them going into college. But I decided to give it a try, and I do not regret it for a second. I understand it may not be for everyone, but also keep in mind that there will most likely be a wide range of houses on your campus and with that comes a wide range of atmospheres. If you don't like the feel of one house, consider rushing around and see what works for you. 12. Your local parish is not OLG, and that sucks, but that doesn't mean that it isn't also awesome. They probably offer a ton of activities to do. You aren't going to know everyone immediately and that's okay. It's another experience to meet some awesome people. Give it some time and don't expect it to feel as home as OLG may right away. 13. Pray early, pray often. 3 Tyler Zerbe Indiana University Class of 2016 Dear You: I am going to keep this short for two reasons. The first is there is almost nothing I can say to you that you haven't been told before. And the second is I know that last year, when I was starting college, the last thing I wanted was someone to preach to me advice about how to handle my college experi- ence. So, I am going to sum up everything I want to say in four simple words. Keep an open mind. And as has become tradition, always remember to live as free as your hair. Party hard. Study harder. Love God hardest. 4 Cori Chatterton Purdue University Class of 2019 Do not compare yourself to others. Do not compare your school, your major, your involvements, your friends, or your experiences to anyone else’s because you might start to think you’re doing something wrong, or that you aren’t doing college the way you’re “supposed to”. Leave all preconceptions at home be- cause you won’t be able to prepare for most things that come your way. Rather than letting challenges discourage you, accept them as a unique aspect in your story and grow from/appreciate them. Voice your opinions. If your roommate doesn’t respect you or your space, let them know before it escalates into a miserable situation. If a friend is encouraging you to skip classes, or church, or activities that are important to you, be strong enough to refuse and stick to your values. Rather than biting your tongue and restraining your thoughts, be authentic and hon- est with everyone because you deserve to be respect- ed and heard. Letting others walk all over you will on- ly make your problems worse. Find what you’re most passionate about and CHASE AFTER IT. If you’ve ever had a weird interest or quirky obsession, pursue it. Don’t be afraid of judg- ment or failure. Who knows? It could lead to a great group of friends, a scholarship, an internship, or simp- ly a more enjoyable college experience. Now is the time for