My advisor has a famous saying in our group: “If you have to come to Stanford to feel stupid, you’re probably fine.” That sums up much of my first two years as a PhD student. I used to think, “I got into Stanford because I’m good at something.” While that's true on some level, the belief left me feeling I had to keep proving, to myself and others, that I still deserved to be here. That self-centered mindset feeds on comparison, breeds fear, and dulls the joy of life. Through weekly spiritual direction with a priest at CC@S over the past year and a half, I have learned to recognize this fear at work. I have also rediscovered a God who has indeed done great things for me (and for others). My thinking has since shifted to something more like: “I got into Stanford because God is good.” Really, the essential message is simply: “God is good.” I stay involved in the Graduate Catholic Student Association because I believe this God-centered reality can transform the life of every graduate student on campus who feels the emptiness of a life centered on anything else (and there are many options!). I have benefitted tremendously from Fr. Bart and Fr. Chrysostom's preaching, teaching, good humor, and insistence that every student be drawn into the prayer, liturgical, and sacramental life of the Church. Fr. Chrysostom also taught me to surf, which is pretty awesome.