It was a few weeks before
graduation and I had heard back from all of the colleges that I had applied to.
Being from California I was quite content with the idea of staying in-state to
attend college and had narrowed my choices between UCLA and UC Berkeley. There
was another university in the running at this point, the University of Notre
Dame, but I was deterred from accepting their offer right away for a few key
reasons which included the prospect of snow and living in temperatures nowhere
near close to what I was used to, going to a primarily all White institution,
being thousands of miles from any of my family members, and paying nearly fifty
thousand a year for tuition, room and board. As I narrowed my scope to these
three top notch colleges I began to think of the pluses and minuses to each
institution.
I started to write UCLA off my list for being too close to home and
leaving me unable to grow into an independent adult. UC Berkeley was just the
right distance away to where I could leave and be able to stand on my own two
feet, but also be just a few hours' drive from grandma's house and family get
togethers. I went to Berkeley to visit and my experience was amazing, I loved
the way the people connected there and I especially liked the camaraderie
amongst their Black student population. It was reassuring to see how the
students cared for one another and took the freshman under their wings and
guided them until they were comfortable in their new surroundings.
By the end of
my weekend at Berkeley I was convinced that it was the school for me and that I
would sign my statement of intent to register (SIR) and be on my way for
orientation. However, the night before the deadline to submit my SIR I called my
best friend and told her that I had decided to go to Notre Dame. She was shocked
to hear my news since we had both agreed that Berkeley was where we were headed.
I told her that I loved Berkeley but there was something in me that said to go
to Notre Dame. Perhaps it was that video that the recruiter showed to us during
our Junior and Senior year of high school with all the happy people smiling and
interacting together, the beautifully laid out campus and the Sacred Heart
Basilica. I had thought long and hard that night about if my decision was the
right one. God knows I couldn't afford to attend Notre Dame and at the time that
I committed I had yet to receive a financial aid package. I just prayed and
hoped that in the end everything would work out.
I am a firm believer in the
saying that "God is always on time," and about a week after I had committed I
received a letter in the mail detailing my financial aid award and the
University had paid for just about everything. My mom was very happy to see the
answer to her prayers. All my life my mother worked hard, at one point she
worked three jobs, to put me through Catholic school. She knew the value of
Catholic education and therefore, pushed for me to go to Notre Dame. Needless to
say I accepted the offer and it has been one of the greatest decisions I have
ever made. There are so many caring and Christ-filled individuals at Notre Dame
whose sole purpose is to be there and love and care for others.
Being at a Catholic University has changed my life
for the better in so many ways. When I was growing up I used to go to church all
the time with my mom and grandma though when I got older and as my mom started
working more, our church attendance took a fall. I always wished that I could
have gone to church more often because I loved to sing and participate in all
the youth activities the church had to offer. I figure that by attending a
Catholic University I could finally take ownership over my church involvement
and grow in my faith and relationship with God. However, my first year went the
complete opposite of what I had planned. I struggled academically and felt that
I was not as prepared for college as my peers and I struggled emotionally and
spiritually. I was going through a state of confusion and doubt and at one point
thought about converting from the Catholic faith to some other religion. It was
not until the end of my freshman year and beginning of my sophomore year that I
began to see what was really important in life.
After attending my best friend's
confirmation in the Basilica I was reaffirmed that Catholicism was right for me.
I enrolled into confirmation classes and joined the Gospel Choir my sophomore
year. I began attending a local church in the community that was smaller and
more diverse and I started volunteering with their youth ministry program. I
have been going to St. Augustine's ever since and the people there have been
like a second family to me. They took me into their homes for holiday meals when
I couldn't afford to travel to my own family and they prayed with and for me
when I was going through rough times. They encouraged me to be the best and they
stood behind me in whatever I set out to do. They had faith in me and all that I
was capable of and they showed me what it really means to be a Christian and to
love others as Jesus loved us. As I grew in my faith and spirituality other
areas of my life began to improve as well. My grades went up and I even made the
dean list one semester and came really close to making it again the next
semester. I excelled in my Psychology major and was inducted into an honor
society for my Africana Studies Minor. I chose to major in Psychology because I
love to work with people and help others. I felt that with a degree in
Psychology I could have infinite opportunities to help others, whether it is
through counseling or social work or teaching. I have also traveled from city to
city with the gospel choir at Notre Dame, ministering to people all over the
nation, sharing the love of Christ, and volunteering in shelters and low income
schools.
Being Christian and in particular Catholic plays a major role in my
identity, especially as a Black woman. I was raised Catholic and will raise my
future children to be Catholic as well. There are those who think that Black
Catholics are few in number, but I have witnessed otherwise. We are a strong
people that through all of the struggles have come to know Jesus and his love
for all. I am proud to be Black and I am proud to be Catholic. God has made all
of us in his image regardless of the color of our skin and as the Catholic
Church teaches we are to love everyone as God has loved us.
Chantelle graduated from the University of Notre
Dame in May 2010. She received her Bachelor's in Psychology with a minor in
Africana Studies. She was accepted into the Alliance for Catholic Education
(ACE) and will be working on her Master's in Education and serving in a low
economic Catholic school in Richmond, Virginia for the next two years. Upon
completion of the ACE program she wishes to go on and pursue a career in law and
help fight the injustices of unequal education and help to close the achievement
gap.
