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| Erin Flynn photo by: me, Katrina Marie |
Name:
Erin Flynn
Class Year:
Class of 2012
Major(s) / Minor(s):
Theology and Religious Studies Major
Current on-campus activities:
President of Best Buddies (2009-2011), Relay For Life Co-Chair, Catholic Daughters of the Americas CUA Court Regent, CUAlternative, ELP Mentor, Cardinal Ambassador
Past on-campus activities:
Relay For Life food and beverage committee chair
Current off-campus activities:
Girl Scout, member of the Handbell Choir, Eucharistic Minister, Lector
Past off-campus activities:
Mercy Mentor, Leaders Club Officer (captain), JV/Varsity Volleyball and Softball, Liturgy Committee, Sacristan
Where is God present in your everyday life?:
I see God in my life in many situations but the place I see Him the most is in the face and spirits of the members of Best Buddies, both the students and the buddies themselves.
How do you take time to notice God's presence in your life?:
Everyday, I take 30 minutes and reserve that for “me time”, this normally consists of prayer, reflection, and or just walking around by myself to be grateful for everything I have.
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?:
To be honest, the main reason I got involved was because my older sister was doing it, so naturally I wanted to be involved. I stayed in the organizations because of the look on the face of the people you are serving after the fact. The look is there for only a few seconds and if you blink you could miss it. But in the look, you see gratitude and thanks. A gratitude for being there with them in solidarity and thanks for showing them the dignity they deserve.
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 believe that I have invited people to encounter Christ through Best Buddies. I believe that everyone has a piece of Christ in them but working with someone who has special needs puts the piece right in front of your face and says "look at me!" People with special needs have unconditional love for other people and accept them for who they are – not for what you might be or what you have done. I have personally experienced the life change effects “the buddies” have had on me and other people and I believe, that in the past 3 years, they have brought me closer to Christ.
As a young adult in the Catholic Church what challenges have you come across? How have you overcome them?
One challenge I have come across is the being what I consider a “liberal catholic." I like rock masses, don’t enjoy Latin in masses and firmly believe that in order for the Catholic Church to move forward, the older generations (in my parish it is classified as the Altar Rosary Society) have to step aside and allow for younger members of the church to hold leadership.
How often do you truly look in and examine your inner self?
In my life I don’t do this consistently. It normally happens after major events or life altering situations that I step back and think about who I am, what have I become, and where I want my life and faith to go in the next few years.
Did you attend private or public school prior to college? (If private, Catholic school?):
Private; I went to Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset, NY (all girls school - woot woot!!)
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]:
Ok so I have been in catholic school my entire life so I honestly can’t comment on the difference in education I would have received if I was in public school. But I can tell you that attending a school where faith and service was central was amazing. I loved being able to walk into school and sit in the chapel and pray before classes and that every morning, no matter what, the student body president would come across the loudspeaker and lead a prayer for the whole school. Also at my school a point was made to make sure we learned about our faith and our personal spirituality but also commented on the importance of other religions. So we not only grew as a local community, we grew as a global community.
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?
As I said before, I went to a Catholic grammar school so going to a catholic college was an easy decision. Attending a non-secular school allows people to find themselves and their faith throughout class and clubs. Most importantly, if provides a structure of hundreds of other students going through the same thing so they can walk on the journey together with you.
