Investing in a Jesuit Education
By Erin Robinson
Why invest in a Jesuit education? Why choose to attend Gonzaga over a state school or a non-religious private school?
Well, my reasoning comes from my experience as both a transfer student and as a student who has experienced going to two different Catholic schools: one Vincentian and Jesuit.
But first, I’ll give you a little more background.
Being a Zag was always in my blood. But, it took me a few years, moving halfway across the country, and going to a different university first to figure out why.
I’m from Seattle but I was raised spending many of my weekends traveling to and from Spokane for Gonzaga basketball games, as well as visiting my brother who attended GU from 2006-2010. My brother was a Zag. My cousins were Zags. My dad, grandfather, and great grandfather were all Zags.
But of course, I wanted to do something different than the rest of my family, so I moved to Chicago.
For the majority of the time I was in high school, I thought I wanted to go to school far away from home. So, Chicago seemed like a good place to start my college career. I applied to a school out there, got in with a big scholarship, and committed before even hearing from the rest of the schools that I had applied to.
Once I moved to the Midwest, I thought everything was going to be a cakewalk from there on out. I was totally wrong. From my many visits to campus and hearing all of the good things that my family members had to say, I believed that what I had seen at Gonzaga, I could find at any university. I couldn’t help but compare my experience in Chicago to what I had seen at GU. But what was it that was drawing me back to Gonzaga?
After sitting back and re-evaluating my experience, I knew that something was wrong. I called my dad, a Regent at Gonzaga, and told him I was ready to transfer. It took me one quarter, yes, 10 weeks, to realize that there was something so special about Gonzaga that I desired as part of my college experience.
Once my time in Chicago came to a close, I packed up my things and headed to GU for the spring semester of my freshman year. After being on campus for only a day, I realized what it was that made me compare my first school to Gonzaga; it was the community here. The community, which is lead and influenced by Jesuit traditions and foundations, is what makes GU such a special place.
I’m pretty sure if you ask any Zag what their favorite thing about Gonzaga is, they would tell you it’s the community. There is something about the people at GU that is so unique, that there is nothing that compares to it.
To give you a picture of what I mean, I’ll tell you about my first day on campus. I joined the choir to get involved and meet people. A girl named Molly walked right up to my at the first rehearsal and introduced herself, invited me to dinner, then introduced me to all of her friends. (Who, as I start my senior year, are still all of my closest friends). I’m pretty sure she could see that I was scared to be in a new place, so she helped me out. The Jesuits believe that we need to be men and women for others, in everything we do. Molly was clearly doing just that. She saw that I needed help and reached out to me. Once you all get to campus, you’ll see that in all of the people here. There is a sense of inclusion here on campus and everyone understands that anybody who wants to be here, belongs here.
Not only will you find this special community in your peers, but you’ll find it in your professors. At my old school, my professors didn’t even bother learning my name. Here at GU, they’ll not only learn your name, but wave to you on the street, invite you to coffee, and be there when you need a helping hand. Once again, men and women being people for others.
I have to say, the Jesuits know what they’re talking about. You will not only learn values that you will maintain through the rest of your life, but you’ll become wiser, you’ll grow into yourself, and you’ll be able to pass on what you learn here to everyone that you encounter. Gonzaga is a community, but it’s so much more than that. It’s not just a school, it is a home. And I can’t wait to welcome you here.
With love,
Erin Robinson