I was born and raised into a big, Catholic family with six siblings. Early on my faith consisted of attending mass on Sunday and reciting night prayers with my family, but I never truly made my faith my own. When I arrived on campus at Southern Methodist University, I was struck by an immense loneliness that overcame me from being away from home. The security of my family had been replaced with hundreds of college students with far more worldly ideals.

In search of friendship, my path led me to the Catholic Center, where I immediately got plugged in with a freshman small group. There I formed the friendships I had desired since arriving; friendships grounded in faith and meaning. The following year I encountered FOCUS through the missionaries on campus and was challenged by their witness to truly put into practice what I believed. It struck me that many college students hold worldly ideals not out of defiance but because they lack virtuous friendships and a shared pursuit of the good. Truth alone doesn’t transform lives, seeing it lived out in a friend does.

It is through friends that we find the strength to reach our sublime ideal, communion with God in heaven. Reflecting on the way the FOCUS missionaries impacted my life, I said yes to giving back and offering the same invitation to authentic friendship that I received. True joy is found in intentional companionship, and the greatest companion we can offer anyone is Jesus! College students are the future leaders of our world, and they will need the companionship of Jesus to be effective leaders.