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| Alyssa Pellegrino photo by: me, Katrina Marie |
Alyssa Marie Pellegrino
Class Year:
Class of 2012
Major(s) / Minor(s):
Nursing
Current on-campus activities:
Kappa Tau Gamma Social-Service Sorority, Office of Campus Activities, Orientation Advisor, Servant Leadership Lunches
Past on-campus activities:
Chapel Choir, DC-Reads
Where is God present in your everyday life?:
God is present in my everyday life through my environment and the people I interact with. I constantly have moments when I feel the presence of God in everything from the shining sun to a friend's smile.
How do you take time to notice God's presence in your life?:
Although I find God throughout all parts of my life, sometimes it is important to really focus on where He has been. I like to reflect on my day in prayer each night before going to sleep, noticing where God was in my life. Also, on those days when I am really in need of reflection and focus, I may go for a walk around the Basilica or get up and go to daily mass.
In regards to current and past, on and off campus activities, what initially moved you to get involved? What were the feelings that moved you to serve in the way you have and do?:
I think the main thing that moves me to get involved is a love for others. I have always enjoyed helping others and giving back. That is why many of the organizations and activities that I am involved in center around service and giving back to my community. Another thing that has moved me to get involved is my love for CUA. I truly love the CUA community and I want to work to continue it and make it better.
As baptized Catholics, when we serve others we have the opportunity to grow in our faith and extend (and express) agape. By "being" love we are moving beyond ourselves and honoring the dignity of all human beings. What ways have you invited others to encounter Christ?:
I have always believed that the best way to bring others to Christ is to show them how great it is to be loved by Him. If I live my life every day, following the example of Christ and I am happy and others see that, they are going to want what I have--Christ. So by loving others as Jesus would and leading a faithful life, I will draw others toward Christ, inviting them to share in His love.
As a young adult in the Catholic Church what challenges have you come across? How have you overcome them?:
The main challenge I face is living out my faith and my beliefs in such a tempting society. Many of today's "norms" go against the beliefs we share as Catholics. So, one of the hardest things has been standing strong in those beliefs in the face of the typical college temptations. I work hard to overcome these challenges through not only prayer, mass, adoration, and the sacraments, but also finding friends and others who are going through the same challenges. They say, strength in numbers, and I believe that is very true because the support you can receive from friends is incredible.
How often do you truly look in and examine your inner self?:
Throughout my time at CUA, I have used Wednesday night worship and praise adoration as my "me" time. During the hour I spend there each week, I allow myself to get lost in song and praise while looking in at who I am and what I have going on. This has proven to be a good tool for me. I do not miss adoration ever, and it is because I enjoy it so much and I know that I need that time.
Did you attend private or public school prior to college? (If private, Catholic school?)
What advantages do you see with a private (secular or religious) education? What disadvantages? What advantages do you see with public education? What disadvantages? [Can you expand on your own personal experience]:
Why did you choose to attend a private non-secular institution for your higher education? What are the advantages and disadvantages with attending a university like CUA versus a secular private or public institution?:
(Combined Answer): I have received a Catholic education my entire life, from Kindergarten until now, and I have truly loved it. Although most of the credit goes to my parents, I think that part of why I have the values and faith that I have today is from Catholic education. Growing up in a setting where most of my friends were being raised Catholic and most of my friends went to youth group and Church, I found it easy to make friends who shared my morals and values. Not to say that everyone was or is the same, but it is comforting to be surrounded by people with whom you have something in common almost automatically. It has truly shaped me into who I am. However, there are definitely advantages to a public/secular private education as well. Many public schools are large with plentiful resources and they create environments which shape independent individuals who have friends of different values, religions, ethnicities, and backgrounds. I think when it comes to deciding, public/secular private or Catholic, it has to do with the individual and the desires of the family. I love God and my faith and spirituality, and I chose CUA because it has a strong Catholic identity, which I wanted to be surrounded by every day.
