As many college students become seniors, they rue their year as freshmen, seeking to distance themselves from those first awkward months of settling into a new life. Larissa Spare, however, sees promise and excitement in freshmen where others see only fear and uncertainty.
“I really love freshmen,” said Spare, fifth-year student in speech and theater education. “I think it’s amazing to be around them. Their view on life is so fresh ... you get to watch them transform from high-school seniors to college freshmen, and it’s one of the best things.”
To assist students in making that transition, Spare started leading a Bible study group for freshmen women in Navigators, a campus ministry that attracts as many as 500 students at a weekly worship service. She has met with the same group of 8-10 girls for two years now and said they enrich her life immensely.
“Being involved in Navigators has been really cool — hanging out with young women who want to grow in their relationship with God and who are just figuring out where they’re headed,” Spare said. “They teach me so much about life because they share their experiences with me.”
Spare said working with a campus ministry has helped her become more steadfast in her faith, and she seeks to offer the same opportunity to the women in her group.
“I feel like when we come to college, our worlds are very small,” she said. “I challenge the girls to enlarge their view of life.”
To make her own world larger, Spare spent six weeks in Nigeria during summer 2007. The mission trip, which involved working with other college students, opened her eyes to realities she said many people in the United States do not consider.
“They have to trust God a lot more, just for simple things like food and water,” she said. “It was an adjustment to come back here.”
The Larned, Kan., native spent last year as a resident assistant in Boyd Hall but said she was grateful she was not chosen to be an RA the year before.
“I was very prideful when I applied the first time, like ‘I deserve this,’ and I didn’t really want to do it for the right reasons,” Spare said. “The second time, I really wanted to do it to be another influence and resource for students in residence halls.
“I wanted young women to embrace who they are, to be OK with their weirdness and the fact that they may like tortilla chips with their mac and cheese.”
Spare, who said she loves theater because “it’s a representation of someone’s view of the world” and a “collaborative art,” hopes to teach middle-school English or high-school theater to continue helping people to find and pursue their passions. Though her interests have pulled her in many different directions, Spare said one key component will never change.
“I’m not a compartmentalizer,” Spare said. “Everything that I am is founded on my faith. When it comes to sharing my faith, I’m not about kicking the door down, though. I desire to love everyone first, and people do desire to be loved and have a purpose in life.
“I never think of myself as a leader, but I just love people ... This world really isn’t about me, but it’s about what I can leave behind.”
Student relies on faith to help freshmen in uncertain times
Published: Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Updated: Tuesday, September 2, 2008
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7 comments
Rob
Awesome!
DawkinsForPrez
God can't give you food and water....get it yourself or else you will die
to Your Name
What part of this article is preaching at you?
Your name
Since when did the Collegian become a forum for preaching?
Katie H.
I really enjoyed this article. Kudos to Rebecca Bush for writing it and to Larissa for her passion and love for Jesus.
