Reflections from the Curate Summit

The beginning of my last semester of college was emotionally charged from the very first day of class. I was excited to reconnect with friends and continue treasuring the season of lasts. Little did I know the ways Jesus would work in my heart to grow me in the coming months, and I am so thankful for the timely influence of Curate.

Looking back on my journal pages from January, I see the beginning of themes and lessons that would resound in my heart for months. The 2021 Curate conference connected me with wise women in the Hillsdale community. They humbly provided answers to questions I struggled to put into words on my own. I want to share with you some advice from the 2021 Curate conference that continues to resonate in my life.

“Vulnerability is a healing gift to yourself and others.” This quote from Tori Petersen captures the a message I received from many of the Curate speakers. These words have become even more relevant and influential for me in the wake of graduation. Vulnerability is a choice to invite other people into my life, and it is a gift both to give and receive. By sharing openly with the people I trust in dark and difficult seasons, I recognize my own limitations. And I hope that my openness shows that my friends can trust me to bear their burdens too. Vulnerability allows us to lay our brokenness at Jesus’s feet together and trust that he is faithful to heal us through challenges. Sharing my pain and my needs with other people requires a careful combination of frank boldness and gentleness. I’m still learning that balance.

Having jumped from student to Hillsdale staff, my perspective has shifted. Now, I have the opportunity to humbly offer to others the gift I received as a student. I can’t wait to share this year’s Curate content with you and invite you to participate in this rich community of Hillsdale women. I hope that you encounter the same kind of timely advice in our upcoming articles that Tori’s presentation held for me.