Attending St. Stephen’s University is nothing like I expected it to be. I knew it had a small student body and a history grounded in Christian values which, while I didn’t consider myself religious, I figured I could handle. What I’ve discovered since the beginning of my first year is that this university is an absolute treasure; I’ve met some incredible people, been educated by high standards in captivating ways, and most importantly, discovered myself like never before. The stable and loving communal environment here has created the space I needed to best explore myself in depth, and beginning a few months into my first semester, I began to do just that.

            In the midst of a crumbling relationship, piles of procrastinatory-induced homework, and my inevitable adolescent angst, I experienced what I can only think now to call my very own existential crisis. At this time, I questioned everything. I had no idea what to make of the life I’d been living, along with the critical thoughts and emotions I had swirling around in my head at the time: a perfect storm of sorts. Finally, one night I sat alone in the main room on campus, picked up a guitar, and with the help of my phone’s virtual notepad, wrote this song in one sitting: