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For many high school students, summer break is synonymous with beach trips, camping adventures and family vacations. But for best friends senior Ava Moore and junior Reese Eggers, this summer was about something deeper. Their destination was not a sandy shore or a mountain trail, but the Steubenville Catholic Conference.

Moore and Eggers have been friends for more than two years. This year, the girls went to Springfield, Missouri for a week end dedicated to exploring their Catholic faith. Neither of them knew exactly what to expect, but both were excited about the experience.

The girls’ journey began early on July 12. They piled into a bus with dozens of other teens from St. John’s Church. Upon arriving, they were greeted by a sea of young people, all gathered with the same purpose. The Steubenville Catholic Conference, held at Missouri State University, is renowned for its vibrant worship, inspiring speakers, and sense of community. For Moore and Eggers, it was an entirely new experience.

The conference schedule was packed with sessions on faith, worship and personal growth. Eggers found herself particularly moved by the stories shared by the speakers, who spoke candidly about their struggles and triumphs in faith. “My overall experience at the conference was a good one; I felt like my faith life grew and it was powerful and illuminated a lot of things for me,” Eggers said.

One highlight for Eggers was the women’s speaker, Jackie Angel. “She gave some very powerful talks about shame and brought light to the fact that if you are struggling with an issue from your past, God forgives you and that they don’t define you.” Moore was captivated by the worship sessions. The music, the energy and the collective spirit of the crowd filled her with a sense of belonging she had never experienced before.

One of the most memorable activities for Eggers was the adoration of the Eucharist. “It was almost three hours long but felt like only 30 minutes. It was an extremely powerful time of prayer for me,” Eggers said. Moore also had a special moment during adoration. “We were all just praising Jesus as He was present in the Eucharist, and that was just really special to be face-to-face with Jesus,” Moore said.

The sense of community at Steubenville was another standout aspect for both girls. “At Steubenville, there is no shame in worshiping the Lord. In my normal environment, it’s hard to be forthright with my faith because there is a stigma around teenagers sharing their faith publicly. But at the conference, it was a prideful thing,” Eggers said.

Moore enjoyed the social aspects of the conference as well. “I enjoyed hanging out with the girls I met there and spending time with them at the block party where we ate good food and had lots of fun,” Moore said. As the weekend drew to a close, Moore and Eggers found themselves reluctant to leave. The conference had given them more than just memories; it had given them a new perspective on their faith and their friendship.

They returned home with a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to carry the lessons they had learned into their everyday lives. “The conference strengthened my relationship with God and opened the door for me to grow deeper in my faith,” Moore said. Eggers echoed this sentiment, adding, “Attending the conference just called me out on my spiritual habits and how I’m not fully committing myself to my faith. It brought light to the changes I need to make and helped me feel the peace that comes with a deeper faith connection.”

Moore and Egger’s story is a testament to the power of stepping out of one’s comfort zone and seeking deeper connections. For these two friends, the adventure didn’t end when they returned home. They have plans to catch up with the new friends they made at the conference and participate in other faith-related activities together. As summer break stories go, Moore and Egger’s trip to Steubenville stands out. Not for its exotic location or thrilling adventures—but for its profound impact. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful journeys are those that take us inward, challenging us to grow in faith and friendship.

Dominican Republic

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Senior Lucy Gerraughty and junior Isabella Valencia Valbuena, along with eight other Marian students, embarked on a service trip to the Dominican Republic from May 25 to June 5. Their mission to build an aqueduct for the community of Angostura was not only a testament to their dedication to serving others but also a powerful example of how such experiences can impact both the volunteers and those they aim to help.

Gerraughty and Valencia Valbuena landed in the Dominican Republic with a clear goal: to contribute to the aqueduct project and immerse themselves in the local culture. Gerraughty recalled her initial feelings of being overwhelmed by the bustling airport and unfamiliar language. Valencia Valbuena, too, felt a mix of excitement and nervousness, but their determination to make a difference drove them forward. Every day, the students trekked 1.3 miles to their worksite, dedicating themselves to building the aqueduct. Their tasks included digging trenches, laying and gluing pipes and recovering them to ensure a steady flow of water.

Gerraughty’s most memorable moment was celebrating with the local men when they saw the water finally flowing through the aqueduct. “Seeing their appreciation for our work and the impact we made was incredibly rewarding,” Gerraughty said. However, their work went beyond just physical labor. It was about creating lasting change and improving the quality of life for the community. Valencia Valbuena emphasized how the project was more than just building a structure; it was about ensuring access to clean and safe water, which is crucial for the health and well-being of the community.

Gerraughty and Valencia Valbuena were embraced with open arms, and their interactions extended beyond mere exchanges of service. Gerraughty admired the local people’s gratitude and hospitality, from sharing meals to playing games. “They were always quick to start a pot of coffee or pull out some dominoes,” Gerraughty said. Valencia Valbuena appreciated the local generosity and the opportunity to spend time with community members. “Working with them in the mountains and learning about their lives was a beautiful experience,” Valencia Valbuena said.

The trip was not without its challenges, though. For Gerraughty, the language barrier initially posed difficulties, but she learned to embrace silence and connect in other meaningful ways. Valencia Valbuena faced challenges adapting to the local lifestyle, including the humidity and cold showers. Valencia Valbuena and Gerraughty returned from their trip with a renewed perspective on service. Valencia Valbuena realized that true service is not measured by the speed of completion but by the positive impact on others. “It’s about how your service affects the people you’re helping,” Gerraughty said.

Valencia Valbuena’s experience broadened her understanding of community service. “It showed me that volunteering is much more than simple tasks; it’s about connecting with people and understanding their lives,” Valencia Valbuena said. Their time in the Dominican Republic instilled in them a sense of gratitude and appreciation for their own lives. Gerraughty learned to value the small things and remain thankful for what she has, inspired by the local people’s resilience and faith. Valencia Valbuena admired her host mom, Inocencia, whose strength and leadership left a lasting impression. “She showed me how to live with calmness and empowerment,” Valencia Valbuena said.

Gerraughty and Valencia Valbuena’s dedication to building the aqueduct and their connections with the community illustrate the profound effects of meaningful service work, leaving a legacy that extends far beyond the duration of their trip.

Central Europe

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4,656 miles away from 7400 Military Ave, Marian girls found community within one another. Over the nearly two week long trip, students traveled to Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, making lifelong connections along the way.Junior Sofia Bostrom said her favorite location was Berlin, noting that “it’s like new doors were opening, my world got so much bigger.”

For Bostrom, her world not only grew geographically, but also socially. “There were some girls in my art class who I didn’t really know, but on this trip I was able to really get to know them,” Bostrom said. Bostrom also added that “I got to know so many seniors, too, which was really nice; it really did make my world just feel that much bigger. We really bonded.”

For many students, including senior Nora Murnane, the trip was an opportunity to not only see the world, but to really understand it. “I obviously knew about some of the history in Europe since we study parts of it in school, but to really be there was something else. I remember standing in front of Auschwitz [in Poland] and experiencing this incredibly sobering moment. I was standing on the ground of one of the worst human violations in history. Being there is really something I can’t quite describe – it made it so much more real,” Murnane recalled.

The connections made on this trip “will carry on with me forever,” Murnane said. “Beside meeting the person I would now call my best friend, I feel like I met the world in a sense. I felt like I became a part of something bigger – a bigger global community, I guess,” Murnane said. Murnane expressed that even when she wasn’t standing in front of an “ancient church older than our own country,” that she was still so in awe of everything she was experiencing. “Getting to know our tour guide Matthias was an experience of its own; this guy lived in East Berlin and had the secret police after him for the music he was trying to make! That’s insane!” Murnane said.

The lifelong memories and the unforgettable experiences on this trip deeply impacted the students who attended. Bostrom said that she “learned a lot while in Europe. My dad jokes that everyone is ‘the same, but different’ and I really felt that while there.” Murnane echoed Bostrom’s thoughts by saying that she “really started to look at the world differently. I have a wider view now. Really at the end of the day we’re all the same, we’re all connected by some invisible string even if we don’t see it all the time.”