A place I call home

A PLACE I CALL HOME A PLACE I CALL HOME HomeA place I call

by Lekabel Abul ‘20

As I type away on my keyboard, I cannot help but reminisce on the past. It seems like only yesterday that I was frantically trying to decide the next step in my life – which college I would soon call home. I admit that I was still undecided until I spoke to Dr. Michael Griffin, the vice president of Holy Cross College, over the phone.

“Lekabel, have you ever thought about attending a school in the Midwest?”

“What exactly is in the Midwest?”

“A tri-campus community that will help you obtain your aspirations. A place where we value our students. A place where spirituality is at the heart of everything that we do.”

A place that I can call home, I finished in my mind. I decided to take a leap of faith as a Beninese girl from Washington, D.C., and move to South Bend, Indiana. My passion lies within the engineering sector, which is why I joined the 2-3 Driscoll engineering program with Holy Cross College and the University of Notre Dame as part of the first cohort (class of ’23). I had big dreams and even bigger plans for myself, but I could not begin to imagine the opportunities that I would encounter at the doorsteps of these two institutions. During my journey to reach my academic goals, Holy Cross made it easy to embed myself into its community, and so I do. By working at both the Admissions Office and the Office of the President, I discovered a combination of communication skills, organizational skills, and initiative that molded me into a student leader. Later, I used those skills to help start the first Black Student Association (BSA) at Holy Cross and engage in a variety of clubs and organizations.

After walking across the stage with my Associate Degree in General Studies in the fall of 2020, I transitioned into the University of Notre Dame as a second-year computer science student. Recently, I applied to one of the prestigious programs that the university offers, the Silicon Valley Semester Study Abroad Program, and it is with great honor that I announce that I have been accepted into the spring 2022 semester program.

During this time, I will tackle rigorous computer science courses while working at a technology company in Silicon Valley. If I could describe how I feel in one word, it would have to be ‘grateful.’ Grateful for those who believed in me. Grateful to Holy Cross for challenging me to step outside of my boundaries and propelling me to develop a certain degree of perseverance and optimism. Grateful for the arduous classes that forced me to struggle, fail, overcome, and finally prosper. Grateful to the faculty and staff who wholeheartedly dedicated time and effort into making Holy Cross a great college experience.

Without this chapter in my life, I could not have achieved all the attainments that make me a remarkable individual or, simply, who I am today. Wherever I go or whoever I end up becoming, the Holy Cross motto, Ave Crux, Spes Unica: Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope, will always be engrained within my heart. Go, Saints!

Life experiences inspire career path

by Lisa Kochanowski, Assistant Director of Communications

Tori Jones ’21 has been interested in science since high school and knew she wanted to be in the health field. The avid athlete spent most of her formative years around teammates with sports injuries and found herself called to a career where she could help others. This past spring, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science and will continue her education in the Trine University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), becoming the first Holy Cross College alumna to attend a physical therapy school program directly after undergrad.

“After my sophomore year, I knew 100% I wanted to pursue a career in physical therapy. There are not many physical therapy schools in Indiana, but I knew I wanted to stay local. Trine interested me for many reasons. The first being that my fiancé lives in Fort Wayne where the program is located which means I would be close to him. Another reason I was drawn to Trine University is because of its reputation. Many therapists I shadowed praised how well-educated Trine students were. The program is big on professionalism which I think is a key trait to have in a career. I did a school tour in early 2020 and felt very welcomed like everyone was family,” said Jones. “The program itself is a 3-year, full-time program where there is a summer, fall, and spring semester.”

A strong foundation

“Holy Cross has provided me with life skills that I can integrate into my future career. Being a small liberal arts college, Holy Cross College has helped me build close relationships with my peers as well as the staff. I have become open-minded to all types of backgrounds, and am no longer afraid to speak my mind. The liberal arts education has taught me how to interact with others, especially people different from me, and understand that the world is not just about work. Having the spiritual knowledge to care for others, as well as our environment, has formed me into a well-rounded person. Most of my science courses have helped me develop strong problem-solving skills that can be used in my everyday life. The biggest skill I have developed from Holy Cross College is the ability to adapt based on my changing environment,” said Jones.

“Over the past four years, there has been a lot of change in the science department, and being open to new things as well as evaluating the old has helped me evolve. Since I am a part of the third graduating class in the science department, I feel a sense of responsibility for the growth of the program. This responsibility has given me the confidence to show that my educational success at Holy Cross College has an impact. This is a sense of confidence I plan to take to grad school. I know my impact is small, but it influences others in the future. I am lucky to be a part of the growth here, and I want to keep that growth going somewhere else. All my experiences at Holy Cross College have properly prepared me to feel confident about the next steps to my education/ career,” she continued. “I am looking forward to my next journey in life, and I am very blessed to have had the opportunity to get my undergrad at Holy Cross College. I am not sure what my future will look like after physical therapy school, but I plan to keep my eyes and ears open for any opportunity that arises.”

– Tori Jones ‘21

The future

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes the employment of physical therapists is projected to grow 18 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for physical therapy is expected to come from aging baby boomers, who are not only staying active later in life but are susceptible to health conditions, such as strokes, that may require physical therapy. Also, physical therapists will be needed to treat people with mobility issues stemming from chronic conditions, such as diabetes or obesity.