Cultivating a well-balanced life helped me find a sense of stability and peace during a time of uncertainty and change.

That is your unique and mysterious vocation as a woman: to expand the glory of God on the earth; to bring life, order, and beauty to the wilderness. Clearly, motherhood fits neatly into this calling, but I want you to realize that is not where it ends. If you are reading this you are most likely not a mother, but that does not disqualify you from this calling. You are able to answer the vocation of your womanhood right now, as you are.

As college students, in a temporary season of life, we may not have the resources that older women have, but we do have the opportunity to serve in small, quiet ways. Service can be difficult and draining, but when we serve, “content to fill a little space,” we begin to build meaningful homes and find a sense of true belonging.

How can you get the most out of the Curate Summit? I have a few suggestions for you to consider based on my experience at the last two years of Curate.

Cultivate community, inspire authenticity, and discover purpose. These are the three things we strive to accomplish in all Curate does on campus - but what does that mean? And what does that look like for an on-campus women’s conference?

I’m here to tell you what the Curate Summit is meant to be - how we’ve envisioned, designed, and planned it - from the very first ideas of the Summit to what it’s become today. But don’t just take my word for it, we’ve also added quotes from previous attendees about what they enjoy most at the Summit. Take a read!

As a woman who works with students at the College, I overheard a conversation that struck me. A student said, “I thought about taking that path, but it’s not what I want for my future family.” I was immediately brought back to what I was planning for my life during my early college years. I was knee-deep working for what I wanted for my future. Looking back, I wish I had thought more like the student who was seemingly wise beyond her years.

In this week’s blog, Gianna and Lily dive into the topic of body image – a topic so many women struggle with, but something we rarely talk about. In fact, I think a lot of us assume we’re alone in our struggle. I hope this conversation, at the very least, convinces you that you’re not alone. I hope, too, that it sparks some reflection, and maybe even a conversation with a trusted friend or mentor. Most importantly, I hope you take to heart these wise words from Gianna: “Having a healthy body image starts on the inside and radiates outward.” Although we’re focusing on body image this week, don’t forget that true beauty includes the whole person – body, mind, and soul.

Self-care must be rooted in authentic self-love. I mean the kind that you must have so that you may love your neighbor (“as yourself”). It’s very important to have a sense of real worth and inherent dignity from which you develop habits that order your life towards the good. If you struggle for that, it is extra important to seek spiritual and mental supports to inspire hope and motivation. (The free counseling at the health center is a real gift. I’ve used it myself in recent years and have benefited tremendously.)

Tell us about your experience in leadership roles as a student.

The first leadership role I stepped into as a student was as a sophomore when I began co-leading our softball team Bible study. As a senior I took on two new leadership roles as a captain of the softball team and joined the leadership team with Athletes InterVarsity.

After two years of teaching high school mathematics at a small classical Christian school in Kentucky, along with having a younger sister of my own who attends a large public high school, I have gotten a fairly good glimpse into the average experience that many high-school or young adult women go through in our current society, regardless of their surroundings.

And I don’t think you need me to tell you all the things wrong with it.

Q: How did family dynamics impact your college experience?

Although I always knew my family had dysfunction, my family underwent additional severe mental health trauma and I experienced my parents' divorce during my time at college. As much as I fought it, it felt like the effects of my family's difficult dynamics inevitably infiltrated my college life. On a small scale, I often felt guilty I didn't come from a better family, as if that meant something was wrong with me or my public image was marred. No one (especially prospective dates) could look at me and say "she comes from a great family." On a bigger scale, I realized how deeply my relational interactions (whether in friendships, dating, or otherwise) had been affected by my upbringing.

You are at the beginning of your senior year, and you know exactly what your life is going to look like after graduation because you are utterly single-minded in your motivations. You are going to graduate with a BA and honors in chemistry. You will then earn your PhD at a prestigious school like Berkeley or Stanford, and profess at a liberal arts college near the twin cities in Minnesota. There is nothing in your plan beyond that. Just graduate, PhD, teach.

How do you define your personal style? Do you express your style through more than physical appearance?

Personal style is a visual representation of our personal brand (our values, personality, likes, dislikes, etc.). Style is a non-verbal way of communicating with the outside world. I define my personal style through the values I want to show to the world: bold, authentic, inspired, classic, approachable. So, when I choose an outfit in the morning, I try to embody these values in my clothes and in my life.

Q: Tell us about your health journey in college and beyond.

Health has always interested me—perhaps because I’m a lousy sufferer. Only in recent years have I become more passionate about enjoying good health through healing. My leap into motherhood is probably the reason: it’s much more fun raising a family when everyone has energy and feels well!

As an overeager, perfectionist college student, I was perpetually drowning in assigned reading: thirty pages of Plato, a hundred pages of Dante (make that two hundred, still behind from last class), two chapters of the biology text (can I skip that?), etc., etc. At a certain point—around 1 AM—my eyes started to blur. The last thing I wanted to do was keep up with the philosophy assignments, let alone read for fun.

One of the purposes of Curate is to cultivate community. Now, cultivate is an interesting word, isn’t it? It literally means to foster the growth of or to improve by labor, care, or study - it is, by definition, hard work. Each community you create is a journey; it takes effort, time, and resources to grow, it has its own ups and downs, its own beginnings and ends. Through high school, college, and beyond - each new community will refine you and teach you something about yourself.

Everyone seems to be full of advice these days. From your favorite celebrity to that travel-blogging insta-influencer you stumbled across, there’s no shortage of people out there telling you how you should live your life. So why should you add Curate to the cacophony of voices trying to convince you to go this way or do that thing? It’s a fair question, and I’ll try to give it a fair answer. Before you dismiss Curate as just another how-to blog, allow me to explain a few reasons why I think it’s worth joining the Curate community.

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.