Baccalaureate Mass: A Conversation with God...

Graduation week has come and gone. After four long years, I am officially done with my Rockhurst undergraduate career and I have walked across the stage to receive my prize--a piece of paper. JUST KIDDING!

It is obviously more than a degree that I am graduating with, but also a Jesuit education. On Thursday at Baccalaureate Mass, Fr. Curran was able to highlight one of those benefits during his sermon.

When he spoke to some students about the singers to perform at this year's Spring Rockfest concert, he discovered that country songs often describe the lives of Rockhurst students. Although it was a joke, he offered one song called: "If I could have a beer with Jesus..." by Thomas Rhett as a reminder for us to keep close to our faith even after leaving.

As graduates of Rockhurst, we have to reflect on our lives, not just as professionals, but also as responsible children of God. Fr. Curran also made it a point to remind us that prayer can take many forms. Perhaps we like to pray the rosary, but prayer can be as simple as a conversation with God.

As a gift, each of us received one of the coasters pictured below:

We promised to keep it in a place where we would see it frequently, and that whether or not that drink was alcoholic, he hoped that we would be able to have these conversations frequently.

The Mass ended with one of Fr. Curran's "true stories" and we walked across back to campus to enjoy a small reception with our families. Below are a few pictures from the reception:

 Hawks walking back to campus. 

Cathy Phillips (my first college roommate) and I. 

Lorie Castilleja and I.

Yummy dessert kabobs. 

Fresh fruit kabobs.

Paloma Carmona, Lais Carvalhinho, & Hero Balani by the Bell Tower. 

Hero Balani, a student from Belize, waving his country's flag.  

Hero posing for his sister.

Afterwards, the SOL seniors that could make it, headed over to the SOL room to carry on a tradition that has been alive for many years--the addition of our hands to the SOL alumni wall. Here are a few pictures from the actual event:

And to wrap up, we celebrated with cake. How could we resist doing the tradition Mexican cake bite?

I know...we are just too cute. 

With that picture and a promise to carry on as a strong Latina Hawk, I would like to say my farewell. Thank you to Rockhurst University for allowing me the opportunity to share my thoughts and life as a Hispanic student. I have many great memories as a Hawk and I really think that the challenges I have faced throughout these years has helped shape me as an open-minded and confident person. 

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope that you too will have a meaningful and unique college career. 

Hasta luego!

--Jackie 

As I see it...

"Two finals, a ten-page paper, and a presentation stand in between me and graduation!"

"Four finals and a capstone presentation until summer!"

"Only three exams to go!"

These are the kind of statuses that are flooding my Facebook news feed. No matter what the combination of obstacles is, graduation is so close we can almost smell it! Kinda...

I've picked out my outfit and I'm ready walk across that stage on Saturday just like everyone else. Walking through the halls of Massman just to get lunch has never felt this way before. Perhaps it is because I know that I will never walk through campus again as an undergraduate. Not as SOL president and not as a student, but today as I sat down in a pew during my sister's high school graduation Mass, I realized that I shouldn't be sad about leaving.

As I walk across that stage on Saturday, so will thousands of other high school students across the nation. What came to mind during my sister's Mass was that while I am on my way out, others are on their way in.

The first few pews were full of Bishop Ward High School seniors getting ready to graduate. Just like me four years ago, their eyes were full of so much promise. I just thought to myself, "Where will they be four years from now?"

I prayed that their lives would be illuminated and that God would help them find their individual and unique callings. It was a special moment for me as a Latina and as a Catholic, because I felt excited for what their lives could become.

Now, I am able to look at graduation not just as me leaving a place that I have grown to know well, but as an opportunity for others to come in and start their own lives.

Below are a few pictures from this afternoon that I would like to share with you:

My two beautiful sisters. Three very different sets personalities and traits, but we understand that at the end of the day, we'll always be there for each other. 

My father embracing my sister to congratulate her. When I see my father I think of everything this man has had to do in order to make sure his daughters were going to be have a fair chance at life. 

My mother's loving kiss. I think of all of the times my mother has had to put up with a stubborn child and my heart feels heavy because I understand that her love is infinite and unconditional. 

As I approach graduation, I promise that I will feel proud of my accomplishments and happy that I am paving the way and also getting out of the way so that a new generation may come and accomplish their  own dreams. 

Jackie