I was not and still am not a devout religious person.
As a kid, I was forced into being Catholic through attending Our Lady of La Vang Catholic Saturday School before I could even understand what a God even was. At Our Lady of La Vang, for eight years every Saturday (other than holidays) I learned about Catholicism. I went through first communion and confirmation like every other Catholic kid. After confirmation, I reluctantly joined the post confirmation youth group that we call Leadership. And then I was super hooked.
Leadership is a youth group dedicated to teaching leadership skills and serving the world.
The youth group is taught by students who have graduated the program (college kids) and youth group leaders, with the students range from 8th grade to 12th grade. Through being in this youth group for 5 years (and counting), I was given the opportunity to bloom in a healthy environment. Leadership helped me grow as a person, while making friends with people I now call my best friends. I put my energy and time in every Saturday in doing community service, preforming in plays for children, and having fun and bonding with amazing people.
Through Leadership, I found my community.
And I guess in a way that strengthened my belief in God that I wasn’t sure I had to begin with. How I see it is that God gave me a community to help lead me on the right path.
My community didn’t just help me with my faith. It has also helped me in putting together me.
I feel like as a person who is constantly growing and evolving, it is so important to have a supporting community. It helps you figure out who you are not only as a group member, but also as an individual. Through leadership I was able to figure out who I am and what I wanted.
Through leadership I was able to grasp the concept of my faith and find my community. And I urge everyone if they don’t already to find their community.
Whether it be in school, extra curricular activities, or in a youth group like me, find that nurturing environment of people who will help cultivate you.
