A Roadmap to Life’s Decisions

As a senior living in a single in the Quad, I don’t really find myself socializing on my floor a whole lot, except with the people I already know and the people who live near me. Additionally, by the time I get through with class, work, and extracurricular activities, sometimes I just want to chill in my room and relax by myself before gearing up for homework.

A few months ago, I was struggling to decide whether or not to take a post-grad job in California when I have spent most of my life on the east coast. I had spoken with my parents, friends, boyfriend, work supervisors, mentors, and just about anyone who’d listen when I thought going to my Chaplain-in-Residence would be a good idea.

I had seen my Chaplain-in-Residence, Marc Rugani, around the floor and gotten his weekly emails, read through them, and promised myself I would go check out his hospitality hour at least one time but of course, never really got around to it. When I emailed him to speak about my “career crisis,” he was more than willing to meet with me.  When I visited him, he listened to my concerns, asked me questions about myself, and pushed me to consider what I was really afraid of. Not only did he help me work through my current problem, but he gave me a roadmap for how to approach other life decisions that I still use.  He gave me an enlightening message on St. Ignatius’ tools of discernment, in addition to providing other options for decision-making that required me to not only change my way of thinking but my actions as well.

After meeting with Marc, I decided now was the time to go to a hospitality hour, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself, talking to him, my RA, and the other students that came. Even though I may not be a regular face, he greets me as such each time, and he and his wife are the epitome of welcoming every time you step into his home.  It’s always nice to run into him around campus and speak with him for a few moments to just “check-in.” It’s comforting to know that there’s someone nearby rooting for you to do well and willing to be there to help when you need it.

Melissa Mabry, COL ’15