LAUREN PAK

BLACKSBURG, Va. – After leaving home, Virginia Tech students of all years strive to find community in college, gravitating towards religious organizations and developing their identities.

 

Bria Qaradaghy, a sophomore, found community in the Muslim Student Association (MSA), which helped develop his understanding of Islam and provided a comfortable place to share beliefs.

 

 “When I'm hanging out with Muslims, I know for sure there's not going to be any alcohol or for sure no pork,” Qaradaghy said. “I can just do whatever and not have to worry about those small things." 

 

Similarities, such as culture and upbringing, can resonate among peers involved in religion-based communities. Peer influence may strengthen religious practice, contrasting harmful habits, such as drugs and alcohol.

 

 "To see someone that physically kind of looks like me and socially speaks like me, it feels like family,” Qaradaghy said. “MSA is like a foundation for me; they're helping me become a better Muslim. Without them, I probably wouldn't be this far." 

 

Regardless of level of involvement, students are able to develop deep friendships through spiritual connections.

 

"One of my roommates is Jewish and the other one jokes that she wants to be Jewish because we're always going to these events,” said Robin Marx, a sophomore and public relations chair at Hillel, an international Jewish organization. “I think more than learning anything, it's going to be making those connections that I'm going to have for a long time. I've met some really great people and I think it's really cool, the relationships that are built from the community."

 

Students who gravitate towards religious communities find themselves growing religiously and personally in a distinct university setting.

 

“While today’s entering college freshmen clearly expect their institutions to play an instrumental role in preparing them for employment and graduate or advanced education, they also have high expectations that college will help them develop emotionally and spiritually,” according to a national study done by the Higher Education Research Institute of the University of California, Los Angeles.

 

Flisha Choi, a junior, considers her peers at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship (CCF) her community and second family.

 

“To some people, it might not be as effective, but to me, I met people who had such different experiences but at the same time, understood mine very well,” Choi said. “Being around a lot of people who were all unified under one cause, one faith, one God - that really helped create a second family for me."

 

Choi, Marx and Qaradaghy echo an encouragement: come into college with an open mind. Through temptations of college, religion is an outlet and the community is a place for students to can unite, grow and find themselves.

 

"For people who worry about finding that niche group, don't limit yourself and really put yourself out of your comfort zone,” Choi said. "College can be an extremely divisive time where you can stray from your faith very easily but at the same time, if you seek it, then you can become extremely strong in your faith or learn a lot.”