Pace student, Olivia, was a fresh face on Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU’s) campus when she transferred from Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) this fall. Although she grew up moving around, has lived in 14 different places, and loves trying new things, Olivia still struggled to find her community while attending NOVA. “It was difficult to meet people at community college,” Olivia explained, “because it's a commuter school and you're not around your classmates for very long.” After some searching, Olivia discovered Arise Campus Ministry and found a local church community that she felt supported by. But by then, it was time for another move. After she got her associate's degree, she transferred to VCU to pursue a fine arts degree. “I asked my pastor, ‘What do I do when I get down to VCU?’ and he quickly named the Pace Center.
Olivia was relieved to have a place to begin meeting people as soon as she moved to Richmond. “When you're a transfer student, or just new to an area in general,” Olivia explained, “it's hard to meet people and it can take a while to make friends. So, I dropped by Pace during orientation and introduced myself to Rev. Russ. There happened to be an event going on - trivia - and I joined in. Everyone there was really nice and welcoming.”
Olivia is settling into her new routine at VCU and has begun to serve in the Alter Guild of Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, but she still finds it difficult to meet people sometimes. “I’m still commuting, so it’s hard to relate to dorm-life,” said Olivia, “but Pace has helped me to get to know people that I normally wouldn't meet.” This semester, Olivia is involved in a small group and is also helping to lead Arts and Faith Circle, “I’m going to teach this technique called ‘fingerloop braiding’, which is a very old technique used all over the world.”
“The Pace Center has a lot of spiritual programs, which are important to me,” Olivia shared, “but it also offers programs that speak more to my hobbies, like Strings & Things. I think Pace is a place where you can meet your spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental needs as opposed to student organizations, which are more activity-centered. You don't really go to the people at Comic Book Club to help you through a tough time. But you might at Pace. To me, Pace is ultimately a place for self-discovery and trying a bunch of different things!”
Thanks to your generous contribution, students like Olivia can connect and find spiritual support at Pace.
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