I joined the Catholic Community at Stanford at the beginning of my PhD in Autumn, 2021 and am so grateful for the years of spiritual support and friendships that this community has provided. As a cradle Catholic, being part of a church community has always been an important part of my life - from high school youth group to involvement in my undergraduate Catholic leadership team. When I first moved to Stanford, I was worried that I wouldn’t find the same opportunity for Catholic fellowship in California, but thankfully the Catholic Community at Stanford proved me wrong. As a first-year PhD student, I was joyfully welcomed into a graduate student small group and quickly formed friendships that made me feel at home in this new environment. The graduate Catholic community monthly dinners and talks, retreats, and social outings have all made my experience at Stanford so much more enjoyable. The availability of daily Mass on campus has also been a tremendous blessing during my busy PhD years, as taking a break in the middle of the day for prayer helps center my focus on Christ.

Writing about my experience with CC@S wouldn’t be complete without highlighting the wonderful friendships that have come from this community. I met many of my closest friends at CC@S events and when my husband and I got married in 2023, we had many Stanford Catholic friends fly cross-country to attend our wedding! Now that we have a young son and are expecting our second, the community of young Catholic families on campus has helped us navigate raising young kids while being far from family support. Throughout my time at Stanford, I have seen the love of Christ at work through the Catholic community’s powerful network of prayers, love, and support.