“The Lord Sends Us Forth”
When Alina Rodriguez was in high school in Houston, Texas, two things happened that drew her more deeply into her Catholic faith. The first: She attended a Steubenville Youth Conference, where she had a powerful encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist.
“I had a relationship with God before that, but I never knew that Jesus really, personally wanted to know me in the Eucharist,” Alina says.
The second: When her Protestant friends began to question her Catholic faith, Alina began reading books about apologetics and soon found herself fascinated by theology.
“I realized, wow, I could study this my whole life and never get bored of it,” she recalls.
When she came to Franciscan University, Alina knew she wanted to major in theology. She added a minor in psychology as she discerned a possible vocation as a counselor.
On campus, Alina formed authentic Catholic friendships that helped her not only to grow in faith but also to recognize gifts of leadership she didn’t know she had. Since freshman year, she has been part of the Center for Leadership and the Great Books Honors Program. She also spent two years as an RA and is currently the coordinator of her household, Daughters of Zion. Now a senior, Alina is a mentor, through the Franciscan Quest Program, for five freshmen with whom she meets individually every week.
A gifted musician, Alina also leads music for Masses and Festivals of Praise. For the past two summers, she has played violin for the Steubenville Summer Conferences—a role that has brought her full-circle from her first powerful conference experience back in high school.
“I’ve seen the connectedness of being called into the University that forms you, and then being part of their outreach through the conferences,” she explains. “The Lord takes us in, he forms us, and he sends us forth.”
Since coming to Steubenville, Alina has carried her love for Jesus to places far and near. She went on mission trips to Belize and Calcutta, India, which she says helped her learn to love at home better.
“I realized if I could have this kind of attentiveness with someone across the globe, this is the kind of attentiveness I’m called to have here in my life right now.”
She also volunteered for two years helping inner-city teenagers through Vagabond Missions in downtown Steubenville, where she learned lifelong lessons about loving those who have trouble accepting love.
“You just continue to show up even when it’s hard and not rewarding,” she says, “and show them they matter to you and they’re worth your time.”
While she waits to see what God has planned for her after graduation, Alina is grateful to be receiving exactly what she came for: the chance to grow in knowledge and love for him.
“Franciscan University is deeply attentive to the whole person and to the understanding that this is not just an intellectual pursuit; this is about your whole heart,” she says. “People understand how to love well here.”
