How an ESCAPE led to Finding his Way

Recent graduate Nick Vianna (C’25) reflects on fond memories, leadership lessons, and sage advice from his time as a retreat musician, student leader, and proud Hoya.

For recent graduates, wrapping up the final pieces of their college careers can bring a mix of emotions—bittersweet, reflective, and grateful—all at once. For Nick Vianna (C’25), it also meant looking forward to some well-earned rest. From the moment he arrived on campus as a first-year, Nick packed his time at Georgetown to the brim—including serving as a student musician and staff member for ESCAPE retreats, playing saxophone with the Pep Band, flipping burgers for the Grilling Society, and strutting his stuff as a contestant in the Mr. Georgetown pageant. Before donning his cap and gown, Nick spoke with us about his favorite Georgetown experiences and what made his time on the Hilltop so memorable.

Campus Ministry: It’s a busy time, so thanks for chatting with us. As you’re finishing your time on campus, can you think back on why you chose Georgetown in the first place?

Nick: I went to a Jesuit High School, so I was familiar with some of the Jesuit values that Georgetown really embodies. I actually went to Georgetown on a tour with my older sister when she was touring colleges. So when it was my turn, a few years later, I kept coming back to thinking about Georgetown. I liked the connection between the Jesuit values and the sense of community I got; Georgetown was a place where I thought I could fit in.

CM: What expectations did you arrive with? What did you envision for yourself at Georgetown that first year?

Nick: Actually, in my application, I think I wrote that I was interested to go on or at least learn more about the retreat programs at Georgetown. I didn’t necessarily have the ESCAPE program on my radar until I came to campus and, obviously now, I’m incredibly thankful to have gone on ESCAPE, then help lead it, and then eventually become part of the leadership staff and help direct the operations of it.

CM: What drew you to the ESCAPE program? Take us through your expectations of that first experience.

Nick: I went on ESCAPE in November of my first year. It was one of the first retreats that they held in-person after the pandemic. I actually ended up going on both an ESCAPE retreat and the Catholic retreat for first-year students. And while I gravitated towards elements of both, I could honestly see myself being a leader with ESCAPE because the programming was so different. I think the ESCAPE [style] serves an important purpose in the Georgetown community, whereas a lot of the other retreats are very faith-based, for you to really delve into your faith. ESCAPE’s mission obviously uses a lot of those elements, but it’s more specifically designed towards people who may have never gone on a retreat before, or may not have a specific religious denomination, or may not be as spiritually grounded in that way.

CM: Why do you think this difference about ESCAPE works?

Nick: I think it’s a good first exposure to a lot of those things—faith, spirituality—and especially as you’re going through that transition to college life, with a new environment, new people, new living situation, new responsibilities. I saw it as a program with a potential for introducing those values and making people who may not think that a retreat is for them, to feel like they have a home on campus.

CM: The ESCAPE retreats are pretty whirlwind: It’s a full 27 hours away from campus, overlooking the Shenandoah Valley at the Calcagnini Contemplative Center. As an ESCAPE staff member, how did you make sure the time unfolded to give students what they needed?

Nick: There is a level of buy-in that you have to get from the new students who are coming out for ESCAPE. Granted, 27 hours is not that much time in the grand scheme of things, and a lot of people do ask, “Why not do the whole weekend? Because, then you can have more free time and pack in more material.”  It’s a balancing act. Obviously, everyone would love to have that longer time at the CCC, but you really can’t give that with just how busy Georgetown students are. So, as leaders, we think, “People carved out the time. Let’s really make the most of it.”

CM: That’s a very Ignatian idea—to meet people where they are.

Nick: Oh yeah. Every moment of the ESCAPE program is very thought out, and there is a reason behind every activity that we do. When we do our training with the leaders, we walk through that intentionality of things. We start right away, when people get on the bus, we ask them to sit with someone they haven’t met before and talk about their names, where they call home, and something they can talk about forever, and we let them know that this is something we’re going to share out to people. And this is important because it gives everyone sort of the baseline of knowing a little bit about everyone in the room, and maybe someone said something very interesting that I relate to, or I want to hear more about. That’s one specific instance of the intentionality that we try to pack in the program so that we’re really getting the most out of the 27 hours.

CM:  I know that in addition to being an ESCAPE student musician, you’re also involved in other musical activities on campus.

Nick: I play a lot of different instruments. In the pep band, I play the saxophone specifically. I also have experience playing the piano, playing keyboard. One of my friends is letting me try out his bass right now, so I’m in the process of learning that. I play a bunch of eclectic instruments, weird synth-type things. I really enjoy music. I think music is a great way of connecting with people because there are so many different ways of engaging with music. For some people, it’s more of a puzzle, looking at the chords, reading the lyrics, playing those together. For others, it’s performing in an ensemble. For others, it’s a more classical discipline, with practice and performance. And it can also be jamming, alone or with others. So there’s a lot of different ways that music can go, and I really enjoy that.

CM: How does music play a role in the ESCAPE experience?

Nick: ESCAPE is the only retreat at Georgetown, and one of the only retreats that I know of, that has a very direct musical component to it. A big part of my job on the staff is including and playing live music. In the programming of the retreat, we block certain times where me and the other leaders sit together, play songs, and pass around song binders with all the lyrics in there, and this great singalong happens.

When I first went on retreat, it was maybe a guitar and a ukulele. And now, I bring my keyboard, we’ve had a violin and an oboe, and pitched percussion. We have a box drum, and we’ve had tambourines. Leaders for next year are asking, “Can I bring my bass?’ Or, “Can I bring my saxophone?” things like that. So it’s really evolved. And I think for some people like that really becomes a highlight of their time there.

CM: There’s something so moving about group singing, everyone joining together to harmonize and come together, regardless of talent. It can sound hokey, but also so affirming.

Nick: There’s a reason why we do it. ESCAPE is a 34-year-old program and the music component of it has been there from the beginning. Back when it was run by one of the Jesuits, they would actually be the one directing the songs. We’ve always ensured that there’s been like, a student musician as a member of the staff, of the ESCAPE team, someone who’s directing the music. And that’s because, as hokey as it is, it breaks down these barriers, you know? It’s a low-stakes way of opening up because your voice adds on to the larger whole of people. Music is a way of encouraging people to be more comfortable in the environment, so that, once we do more reflective and vulnerable activities, more of those barriers have already been broken.

CM: In addition to your studies in Math and Chinese, your work as a staff member for ESCAPE, playing in the Pep Band, I also understand you are part of the Grilling Society and a participant in the Mr. Georgetown pageant. What are some of the things you would share with students who are in the thick of it, still finding their way at Georgetown?

Nick: Oh, I’d say, “Don’t be afraid to try new things. Try all the things out!” When I was entering freshman year and going on the ESCAPE retreat, just to see how it was, and obviously that panned out very well for me. Just give yourself the chance to do that. At least you can say, “I’ve tried this, I can say that I did it, and now,  I know what that’s like.” I’d hate to have that “what if?” in the back of my mind. We have a very finite amount of time here. I might as well be okay with saying yes to opportunities, while also being intentional about the opportunities that I am saying yes to.

What you do in your first week of Georgetown is not going to define who you are for the next four years. There’s always time to change, to try something new. And there’s always time for you to be you, whoever that may be—in that current moment, in a previous moment, or in a moment that you haven’t even had yet.

Nick Vianna (C’25) graduated with a degree in Math and a minor in Chinese. While his next steps are still unfolding, he’s looking forward to some well-deserved free time—and to discovering what he wants to say yes to next.

Photos courtesy of the ESCAPE First-Year Retreat Program.