This weekend, members of the freshmen class have the opportunity to go off-campus for the night, meet fellow classmates and make new friends. The Companions Overnight Retreats, taking place Friday and Saturday nights at the Incarnation Center in Ivoryton, Conn., have proven to have an impact on students’ years at Fairfield.
Kate Bouzan ’10 recalls that during her first weeks at Fairfield she was having a difficult time adjusting and taking part in the retreat helped her immensely.
‘The people I met on the retreat made all of the difference,’ said Bouzan. ‘Those people are my closest friends now at school and I thank God for giving me the opportunity and setting me on the path to being who I am today.’
Even two years later, she can still recall the fun she had sitting around the campfire listening and sharing stories with classmates.
These retreats are led by upperclassmen, like Bouzan, who share with the newest members of Fairfield their own college experiences and encourage them to find an outlet if they are having difficulty adjusting to college life.
Bouzan said this outlet could be ‘an upperclassman, a new friend, or their spirituality.”
The retreat leaders conduct small group discussions as well as lead new prayer experiences.
Cristina Bowen, Campus Ministry’s director of retreats, was very enthusiastic about the upcoming overnights. She said she hopes that ‘by having student leaders share their experiences and ways of living out their faith on campus and in the world,’ freshmen will have an easier time centering themselves during their first year at Fairfield.
Companions Overnight Retreats, formally known as the Freshmen Retreat, was renamed this year as ‘the name was chosen because like Jesuits, we are companions of Jesus and one another on this adventure which right now is life at Fairfield University,’ according to Bowen.
Along with the name change the retreat has changed from years past.
It is taking place earlier this year was made into two separate overnights in one weekend.
The retreat has also been growing in popularity.
Last year’s retreat doubled the capacity of students because of a strong amount of interest in the program.
The program is said to provide a unique opportunity for freshmen to adjust to the rigors of college life and an easy way to meet new people.
College can be a stressful time for new students, but the Companions Overnight Retreat gives students life long companions, said Bowen.
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