“Cornerstone is like the beginning of a journey closer to your faith”- senior, Alfonsina Santucho

Cornerstone, a retreat specifically geared for freshmen and held this January, aims to open participants’ eyes to the religious impact ILS could have on them. For years, Cornerstone has shown so many students that being active in their faith helps with everyday struggles; having faith is always a good support system.

Campus Ministry consistently does such an amazing job to make these retreats work effectively, always making sure that having fun is a priority as well. 

“I remember my Cornerstone; the leaders really had an impact on me and when I left it felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Santucho.

The two days are filled with fun activities, such as skits and dances, play time in the gym, games, and jokes. In addition, there are also activities that bring the presence of God into the live of participants. As freshmen, some have never experience spirituality, holiness, or even retreats like those sponsored at ILS, so Campus Ministry, student-leaders, and faculty volunteers make sure Cornerstone is as inspiring as possible so students are persuaded to participate in retreats every year.

Some students are skeptical because of the no-phones policy, but creating real-life connections is so important for so many different reasons. The bond they make when they can be open about their lives is an amazing alternative to being on the phone, ignoring others around you. Students really never know how much a person can have an effect on them. As such, this is an amazing way to create friends in a meaningful way.

“I met Maya in Cornerstone freshman year, and we are very different but at the end of the day, we bonded over so many things and she is a true friend; I would’ve never met her if hadn’t gone to Cornerstone,” said junior Alexandria Emirzian 

The main theme of Cornerstone is understanding relationships between friends and family, but especially how a retreatent treats him or herself. They really dig deep into who one is and who one can become. This is why it is the beginning of understanding the life journey and what path to chose.