Article by Kassiani Livanos

The Best 10 Days of My Summer

by Kassiani G. Livanos

This summer I participated in a program that became one of the best experiences of my life. I went away for ten days and came back with not just a wealth of good friendships, but more knowledge and experience that will help me to shape my life as an adult. So what was this program? It was called CrossRoad, and was created by, and held at, Hellenic College in Boston Massachusetts. Applicants had to be going into their Senior year to apply for this program.

According to the Lilly Endowment, there are more and more people who don't know how to chose a career that will not only benefit them, but one that they also will be good at. So the Lilly Endowment has asked an number of Christian colleges in the United States to create and run programs for youth that will teach them about vocation not just from a secular perspective, but a Christian one also. In turn, Lilly sponsors the entire program, making it free for the participants (with the exception of travel costs).

I'm sure each program is different, but the one that I went to was really incredible. The ten days were split into three stages, which were as follows. 1) Wrestling with vocation; 2) Vocation and Christ; and 3) Vocation and the neighbor.

In the first Stage we talked about what the world's view on vocation is generally, how the media defines who and what we are, and how other people define who and what we are. We also discussed different pressures in our lives concerning vocation - our families, friends, even ourselves, and how we deal with them.

In the second stage we talked about how Christ is a part of our vocation, how the word "vocation" doesn't mean "just a job", but a calling and that calling comes from God: can we serve God in whatever career we chose and are called to? This stage which lasted five days, also included a daily class on Theology, which was taught by one of the priests who is professor at the college, and a church history class, which was taught by another one of the college professors. Both classes were really informative.

In the third and final stage we learned about the universal calling from God, which is to love and serve one another. We learned of some ways we can do this through a two day project that was led by an Orthodox priest who is in charge of a ministry called Orthodox Youth Outreach. The first day he talked to us about poverty-specifically in the United States. The second day we went out into the city for a community service project. This part of our program was really fascinating, cause I learned so much about poverty that I didn't know before - like the fact that 1.2 billion people live on less than one dollar a day! In addition to these things, we also did a three day class on discovering what our character strengths are and how we can use them to find a career that we will be suited for, and that we will enjoy because it uses are strong points.

Throughout the program we visited different Orthodox churches in the Boston area of all jurisdictions, learning about each one and it's ethnicity-that was really interesting. We participated in the liturgical life of both the school and the surrounding churches each day, with Orthros each morning, and Vespers each evening. We also did fun stuff like go to the beach, visit Faneul Hall and Quincy Market, go to a Red Sox game, play sports and games, and just hang out with each other. The environment was also really incredible. Because of our diversity and yet common ground in our faith, it was a really stimulating environment, both intellectually and spiritually.

So how did the program impact me? It was amazing-I had so much fun, I learned so much, and I came home feeling changed for the better. I have a new, better outlook on several things, and have been encouraged in several aspects of my life. The people there also had a great impact on me. They were really incredible; the staff were really nice and fun to be with, and the other kids who participated were more than just "really nice kids-they were awesome! In just ten days we all grew very close, which not only benefitted us then, but also benefits us in the future because we have in each other a wonderful network of support. I highly recommend that anyone eligible attend this program. The experience will benefit them both now, and in the future.

This article was originally published in the Fall issue of the GOA Metropolis of Pittsburgh Illuminator.