These past five to six months have been anything but easy; however, if you are anything like me, this time may have allowed you to grow in your faith.
I am somebody who likes to plan out every aspect of my life, down to what I am going to have for dinner at the end of the week.
Being sent home in March and not knowing when things were going to return to normal was a huge challenge for me. It was toward these times of darkness where I looked to God in my time of need. I had to remind myself to have faith and know that no matter what happens, I am never truly alone.
I learned to take things day by day and not consume myself in the future. Each day I reminded myself the important things that I wanted to achieve, and I tried to do everything I had planned on doing. If I was unable to, I reminded myself that there is always tomorrow.
Being a college student makes it difficult to not want to put pressure on yourself. The day is going to continue whether you stress about the items in it or not.
My best advice is to trust your faith and try to not get down on yourself about things that are out of your control. This attitude took me a while to get used to; however, I found myself stressing less and enjoying the days more and more. This attitude fortunately carried me through the summer and is now with me while I am here on campus.
My faith has also grown immensely being back on campus and seeing everyone wearing a mask, keeping their distance and staying positive to ensure that we make the most of this school year. We are never going to get this time back, so it is only right to make the most of it.
We also have to realize how truly blessed we are to be able to continue our education in person and to not have an entire semester online.
There are countless schools around us that may not have taken their students’ needs as much to heart as Gannon did. They have been diligently planning our return since we were sent home in March and made sure we would be able to get the most of our education while staying safe.
I have learned through my years being at Gannon that there are endless ways to convey your faith. Some people love to read the Bible and attend Mass while others simply feel a connection in everyday life and symbols.
There are those who have no faith at Gannon too and that is also perfectly OK. My faith has grown by seeing everyone here coming together as a family during these difficult times and sharing on all different outlooks of faith.
We still might not have all the answers for what our future holds; however, we can still fill each day with positivity and appreciate all life’s blessings. Live each day like it is your last and try to find something beautiful in every day, even on your worst of days.
Get involved, stay busy and rely on your friends and families during these difficult times.
Remember you are never alone, and you can find faith in even the smallest of things each and every day.

HAYLEY LATVALA
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