When 2024 graduate Arlette Silva wrote to Campus Minister Jim Dippold, she shared a remarkable year of spiritual and personal transformation at Fairfield University.
“I got confirmed,” she began, noting that although she did not grow up attending Sunday Mass regularly, she felt strongly that it was time for a change. “I really felt like I wanted to change that, so I took that big step.”
At Fairfield, Arlette became involved in Campus Ministry through a letter-writing program for local second graders. That experience helped prepare her for something even more meaningful: a pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee Year. “I got to see the pope and visited beautiful basilicas. It was truly a life-changing experience.” It was also her first trip outside the United States.
Arlette shared that the start of this academic year was challenging mentally, but turning toward her faith helped her regain her footing. She began attending Mass regularly and completed training to become a Eucharistic Minister. Her first Mass in this role will be on November 30.
Service remains an important part of her life. She recently took part in an eco-immersion weekend on a farm in Connecticut, where students learned about simple living and caring for the poor. They also visited Casa Amistad, a community of tiny homes for people experiencing homelessness. “It was so sad,” she said of hearing how residents often have their belongings thrown away.
Her commitment to justice continues through the St. Oscar Romero Immersion Trip, originally planned for Peru but now set for Costa Rica. She and her group meet weekly to prepare and discuss readings such as Tattoos on the Heart by Fr. Greg Boyle.
Arlette closed her message by thanking Mr. Dippold for the foundation she built at CRSM. “I wanted to thank you for igniting this fire inside of me to want to continue to do good for people. I truly think it is the reason why I am the way I am today.”
Her words are a powerful reminder of how the values learned at CRSM continue to guide our alumni long after graduation.