Set the World on Fire

In 13 days, I will be graduating from my college, Saint Joseph’s University.

I just paused to re-read the sentence about four times, because it is a phrase I never thought that I would type.

There is simply no way I could adequately put into words what the last four years have meant to me. When I chose to come to Saint Joseph’s University, I came here because I wanted to stay close to home and I thought the campus was pretty. I had no idea that SJU would shape me into a completely different human being. I have been changed in the best possible ways, I cannot even begin to thank my professors, mentors, and peers enough for that.

When I started my time here as a freshman, I still remember so vividly moving into my freshman dorm and meeting my suite mates. I had a picture in my mind of how college was going to be, and I was truly only concerned with partying and meeting people. The joke was on me, because SJU had other plans for my time here. Within my first three months of school I knew that this was not going to be a typical educational experience.

My classes, service opportunities, and spiritual development at SJU have made me realize that it is my moral obligation to become a member of society that is with and for others. I believe that it is my job to live my life fully, ethically, and with the spirit of Saint Ignatius within my heart.

Saint Ignatius often ended his letters with the phrase, “go forth and set the world on fire.” I believe that SJU prepares it’s students to do just this. I never want to lose feeling of setting the world on fire, so I decided to have the Ignatian sun symbol tattooed on my back last week. I hope that each and every time I look at this symbol, I can remember what I learned at SJU, and that it’s up to me to set the world on fire.