As many high school graduates prepare to leave for college, the Associates of St. John Bosco works to ensure that they maintain their faith through the next graduation.
Throughout the summer, the organization hosts College Nights for incoming freshmen, offering a chance to connect with Catholic peers, hear student testimonials and take home a “Bosco Bundle” filled with spiritual resources.
Founded in 2011 by Father Christopher Vaccaro, parochial vicar of St. Theresa Church in Ashburn, the associates are a nonprofit that addresses the challenges that youths encounter in college. The organization estimates that approximately 80% of students abandon their faith by the time they graduate, according to Danielle Zuccaro, executive director.
“The work of the Associates of St. John Bosco grew from my deep admiration for St. John Bosco and his ministry to young people,” said Father Vaccaro. “I saw a need to better support young adults as they transition to college — whether through College Nights, scholarships or spiritual formation — and felt that this nonprofit could be a valuable way to serve them during this critical time.”
The first College Night took place in 2013 with one student in attendance. This year, the associates served more than 200 students from 55 parishes throughout the diocese, an organization record.
The final College Night of the summer was held at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church in Fredericksburg July 29. The event began at 7 p.m. with an opening prayer and ice breaker before hearing testimonials from three students about their faith journey.
Katharine Reyes, a student at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Mich., began her speech with a personal story to highlight how easy it is to obsess over personal image and mistakes in college. She encouraged students to change their perspective on their faith. “Your faith is not something you do, your faith is who you are,” she said. Reyes ended her speech urging students to bring their faith to their campuses.
Erin Elliott, a recent graduate of Christopher Newport University in Newport News, emphasized the importance of prioritizing her faith with friends and fun in college. “It wasn’t until my faith came first when the other two things really fell into place,” she said.
The final student speaker, Gabriel Diaz-Bonilla, a student at the Universidad de Navarra (University of Navarra) in Navarra, Spain, shared what he wished he knew before starting college. They were defining three top priorities; scheduling your days intentionally; having time for silence; protecting your academic integrity; and starting every day with Jesus.
Students then broke up into small groups for further discussion about the transition to college, their expectations, how to find friends and more.
The night concluded with a talk by Deacon Gerard Anthony from Holy Trinity Church in Gainesville. He used the acronym “PLAY” — standing for prayer, lineup, attention and your dignity — on how to stay faithful and grounded throughout college.
The ability for young people to use their faith as a rock and cornerstone throughout college and life is key, according to Zuccaro.
“There is a beautiful call to be faithful, Catholic college students and that’s what we want for every single student that comes through our doors,” she said. “To show that it’s possible to be a faithful college student and to live a virtuous life in college, that’s the goal and that’s our hope. That’s the mission.”