You Only Need to Say "Yes"

When I was first told I would be living with the ACE Baton Rouge community for two years, it struck me just how unfamiliar I was with that part of the country. Moreover, I had only ever lived in or around cities, and, in about a month, I will be living in Plaquemine, a town with just 6,000 people. I should have been worried about the humidity, lack of public transportation, or even the gators, but I found myself feeling excited. Oddly enough, my only worry was if I would have to share a bathroom (I do), but that concern seems so minor that it’s probably not worth mentioning. Still, I am ready to say “yes” to this opportunity because God has helped me practice saying yes to His blessings over the past few years.

During my freshman year, I figured life would eventually fall into place. I found myself waiting for life to happen, but I took no active steps to find what God was calling me to do. As such, I had no idea where I would be after graduation. I had always been curious about teaching, but the desire seemed secondary to living the life I thought I should live: working a “real” job, making money, and gaining status. As I began to discern, God never really pointed me to a “real” job. He did, however, keep dropping breadcrumbs for me to follow.

One such breadcrumb was the countless advertisements for ACE just about everywhere on campus (they have a great marketing team). Every time I saw ACE’s logo, I found myself more and more interested. Maybe I could teach for a few years before moving on to a “real” job? I said “yes” to God’s invitation, and I started tutoring local South Bend elementary students with TutorND. While working with these students, I encountered inequalities in America’s education system. Maybe my “real” job was working towards education reform.

Even after a year of waking up every day at 7 AM to help students learn to read, the call to work in education did not diminish. That summer, God extended another opportunity: the PATH program. I said “yes” to this invitation and taught at a Catholic summer school in Tucson. Through PATH, I lived in community (with four future ACE teachers) and taught some of the most inspiring middle schoolers in the country. While braving Arizona’s triple-digit heat, I heard my students’ stories and realized how much they valued their Catholic education. Maybe my “real” job was to help fortify and build strong and effective Catholic schools.

The following summer, I said “yes” once again to God and ACE and worked in the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Catholic Schools through the Frassati program. In helping the Archdiocese extend scholarship opportunities to families, I was able to see the role Catholic schools play in helping to build a more just society. Maybe my “real” job wasn’t one specific “real” job, but a vocation to serve Catholic schools in whatever way I could.

Now that I’ve fully committed to ACE, I’m no longer worried about finding a “real” job because I have begun a vocation and a career. In ACE, God guided me to a community of people structured by faith, working towards making God known, loved, and served. God led me to a program where I can get my master's while also serving others. God introduced me to some of the kindest, most selfless people who encourage me to be more kind and selfless. ACE helped me find something more than a “real” job. It gave me a mission and purpose that I will carry with me down whatever path I take. It can help you find more, too; you only need to say “yes.”