Megan’s Story

from Catholic Trojan Summer 2022 Newsletter

Dignity of Life with the Sisters of Life

Relationship with Christ Megan’s

STORY

Coming in as a sophomore transfer, I had essentially no sense of direction. I was excited to be here in a new environment at USC but had absolutely no idea what this next phase of life would bring me. I spent my freshman year at UC Davis and while I enjoyed my time there, I really struggled to see my worth outside of academics. I was involved in the UC Davis Newman Center, which was fairly active, but I didn’t know my faith deeply or have a close relationship with God. When I got to USC, however, all of that changed. I went to the New Student Encounter Retreat and quickly realized that the Caruso Catholic Center was going to be a constant throughout the next three years. I started getting to know the FOCUS missionaries, attending their bible studies and community building events. Adoration and Daily Mass became a normal part of my routine and I began to meet some of the people who have had the most positive impact on my life thus far. For the first time in my life, I had a community of people who encouraged me to pursue a life of holiness and a life rooted in Christ. And for the first time, I felt like a greater sense of purpose--my worth was far more than how I was doing in school. I think something that is so unique about the Caruso Catholic Center is the abundance of resources and opportunities we offer to students to grow deeper in their faith. Not only do we have so many ways to encourage students to go to Mass or pray, or learn more about Catholicism, we also offer a community that allows students to feel valued for who they are, rather than how they can perform academically.

At our center, I believe that we should be a real, authentic representation of the Catholic Church, and allow students to experience Christ’s abundant love through a deeper relationship with their faith. For me, growing and learning more about Catholicism has allowed me to see beyond the things of this world and understand why our faith is the truth. More than anything else, my faith has given my life an immense amount of purpose that I didn’t realize I lacked until I started getting more involved here at the center.