It’s that time of year again! Now that you’ve officially settled yourself into the semester, taken your first exams, and written your first papers, it’s time to start thinking about the ~future~ and what you will be doing this upcoming summer. Most people are probably in a hurry to apply for every big name internship they can come across, but I’d like to pick your brain about another amazing opportunity offered right on Notre Dame’s campus.
Notre Dame Vision is a summer camp offered to high school students from around the world. While the camp is in session, those in attendance will be challenged as intellectuals and as children of God by attending talks, discussion groups, Catholic services, and other fun events all put in place to help the students to grow in their faith. This summer, I had the honor of serving as a Music Mentor for Notre Dame Vision and I can truly say that there has never been a time in my life where I felt so transformed by the end of the experience. As much as it hurts me to say, the 2017 season officially came to a close this past week as the program held their annual information night for this upcoming summer. If you missed the information night, no fear because below I will tell you all of the amazing reasons you simply MUST apply for this fantastic program. If you aren’t sure it’s for you, hopefully, after reading this, you will change your mind!
1. The Community
I can’t express enough how much I love my fellow mentors. Obviously, if you are accepted into the program, you will not be exposed to the same group of people I had the pleasure to work alongside, but I assure you, the hiring process ensures that nothing but amazingly kind individuals get chosen for the job. You will make tons of new friends and you will get to know them very well. There is something about working with people for close to 18 hours a day that forces you to form incredible bonds. Beyond just growing closer to your peers, you will get to know some of the best staff Notre Dame has to offer. Father Pat and Father Matt are two of the coolest people I have ever spoken to, and don’t even get me started on Dr. DeLorenzo. The head staff will blow your mind each and every day and you will love them for it.
2. The (Practical and Financial) Benefits
Notre Dame Vision mentors do not work for free, and if this is your only incentive to apply, that’s fine. In all honesty, the money was one of the only reasons I even put Vision on my radar last fall. You get a pretty hefty stipend for only four full weeks of work. On top of that, you’ll get five theology credits, the opportunity to check off your second theo requirement in a class that doesn’t want to make you bang your head against a wall, and you’ll have access to free room and board for a decent chunk of the summer. While you’re not going to get rich from working for Vision, you will have the opportunity to grow your mind and your spirit while spending only half the summer doing any actual labor. You’ll still have a whole two months off to do whatever your little heart desires.
3. The Kids
The students that come to Notre Dame Vision are such a brilliant group to work with. Each week brought me pure joy as we welcomed the students to campus. They came from all different backgrounds and have some of the most amazing and sometimes, heartbreaking, stories to share. Many of the students I had in my small groups left a massive impact on me and made me question things that I had never considered before. After working at Vision, I can easily say that the best part of the job was making our students smile and laugh every day. It was magical to see their faces light up, if even for a moment.
4. The Music
Vision does not mess around. If you like praising Jesus and singing to the heavens, I am telling you, Vision is for you. Yes, I was a Music Mentor, so I am slightly biased here, but oh my Lord, was it a blast in a glass. The band bonded so well and because of this closeness with one another, we were able to work together in order to get the best outcomes possible. There were many times over the four weeks where I’d be a blubbering mess from the beauty of some of the arrangements. In contrast, there were many times I found myself jamming along to the catchy beats of some epic praise and worship pieces. If you like to jam, this is your place.
5. The Talks
I hate sitting in lectures as much as the next person, but the speakers at Notre Dame Vision will make you fall in love with Theology. Each week, the same people came and pretty much gave the same talk over and over again. However, each week, I learned something new or felt something different than I had before. I would genuinely go back and work for Vision just to hear some of the talks one last time. They were beautifully crafted and really made the students and even us mentors question our faith in new and exciting ways.
6. The Transformation
Finally, I loved how I felt at the end of the four weeks. Besides feeling disappointed that the fun and games had to come to a close, I felt empowered and very much in love with Christ. I felt a stronger connection to God and to myself than I had in years. My sophomore year of college was extremely challenging for me both academically and emotionally, and while Vision is not some magic pill that cured me, it did help me see things differently and since its end, I have been in better spirits than I have been for years.
I feel unbelievably lucky to have served as a Vision mentor this past summer and I one hundred percent would recommend anyone who even has a flicker of interest in the program to apply. There is no harm in turning in an application and who knows, you may just have the best summer of your entire life; I know I certainly did!
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Images 1,2, and 5 provided by Notre Dame Vision, images 3 and 4 are provided by author