MayaZier

Sophomore retreat was held on Sept. 6 at Camp Rivercrest. This unique retreat is a chance to grow both spiritually and closer to classmates. At Marian, each grade goes on one retreat a year. Freshman and senior retreats are overnight, while the sophomore and junior retreats are held during the school day. 

The retreats cover the six Marian core values. To begin, compassion is a core value that is stressed numerous times throughout students’ time here at Marian. 

Students are given opportunities to show their good character in and outside of the classroom, to care for other students and teachers and even begin to understand the importance of a good attitude. 

“I was surprised by the whole retreat. I didn’t have any idea of what we were doing or where we were going, so it felt like a surprise all day,” sophomore Camryn Veldhuis said. 

Spirituality is emphasized in the students’ everyday lives at Marian. Students start the day off with prayer over the intercom. They get time to reflect on their spiritual journey in theology classes, but beyond this, spirituality is also a center focus of retreats. 

During sophomore retreat, students participate in a Mass, hear witness talks and connect with God through nature.

Sophomore Paige Dillon said, “The retreat was a nice break before really getting into sophomore year.” She added, “I got to talk with my group about my faith, and also we learned about relationships, so I got to grow my faith more with God.”

On these retreats, empowerment is of the utmost importance. Retreat leaders do their best to create a safe space for the girls so they can open up and share their stories. 

Over the course of these four years, girls are given the opportunity to be self-advocating, and are encouraged to handle conflicts themselves. 

Service is another core value these retreats focus on. The students focus on not just serving their Omaha community but also each other. They treat everyone with respect and dignity, and there’s no “I” in retreat. This is because these retreats are focused on community. 

In every retreat here at Marian, you are split into groups and are given chances to grow closer with the people in your group. You get a safe space to share your thoughts and feelings with your peers. 

“Some of the girls I talked to during this retreat were girls I have never really got to talk to before, so it’s fun getting to know more of my classmates,” Veldhuis said. 

Last but not least, these retreats focus on a student’s Marian identity. Marian identity means to be like Mary, the mother of Jesus. Faculty, staff, and students do their best to behave and act like Mary. She was a kind, loyal and honest woman who helped others with a smile on her face. Marian girls strive to embody her, too.

With all of these core values, students learn to be confident, independent thinking leaders inspired by faith. 

Sophomore retreat is a way for students to truly grow in their Marian experience and core values and look to the future with the support of their class. Retreats are a special time for students to explore their faith and connect with their classmates.