If someone had told me a few years ago that in my future I would be giving a speech about Principia, I would never have believed them. In high school I was never the one to follow the rules, to take a stand for morality, or to even believe in God. I stand here now giving a speech about how grateful I am to be a part of this Christian Science community. I am one among many at this school that are striving to understand God more. We are all here for one reason, and that is to serve the cause of Christian Science. With that as our primary goal, we can overcome limitations and exceed our expectations like we never thought we could.

There is an incredible sense of peace, love and purpose in being a part of a community of practice like Principia. Christian Scientists from all around the world have come here to express God in everything we do. Through academics, athletics, performances, presentations and all other endeavors, we are forced to overcome limitations and to grow in our understanding of a limitless God. Being a part of the Principia community is a privilege. It’s up to the faculty, the staff, and the students to apply our knowledge of the Truth in everything we are a part of. To recognize daily where our true intelligence, motivation, strength, and peace come from is one of the most important things we can do to have a successful experience at Principia.

Mary Kimball Morgan, the founder of Principia, wrote, “Not only intellectual development but moral and spiritual growth are essential to a man’s real progress.” This statement to me proves that although classes, papers, and studying are a key part of our time here at Principia, there true purpose is to allow us to demonstrate Christian Science. My first quarter here at Principia was very challenging. My classes were difficult, my time felt very limited, I was dealing with a physical challenge, and lastly I was trying to adapt to a completely new environment. I struggled to find peace because I felt there was so much to be concerned about. I constantly had to make sure I was putting God first and removing self-will from the equation. No matter how hard it was, I made sure that I met the suggestion of stress with the affirmation that God was all in all and was taking care of everything in my life. I declared that my time was not limited, but eternal, meaning that there was plenty of it to go around to get everything done. The result was a very harmonious quarter, where everything seemed to fall into place perfectly. Any sense of worry was replaced with peace, and I am still very grateful for what I learned that Fall. We’re presented with challenges everyday at Principia. We grow spiritually as we work out these challenges through Christian Science. We can attain this growth as we are more patient with our peers, more loving to strangers, and more humble in our daily life. If we embrace this community that we are all a part of and we all sincerely strive to express God, nothing but good can result.

We live in a community that refuses to accept what is presented to us materially. Whether it be mediocrity, imperfection, or any other lie about our true identity, we know that here at Principia we our looked at as flawless. Imagine what we could achieve if everyone worked on only seeing the Truth. Our achievements would be endless, and we would break the limitations that are set upon us by world belief. If I had accepted the fact that I would fail my first quarter at Principia because it was just too much to handle, then that would have been the outcome. However, I insisted on seeing the spiritual fact that all was under God’s control which led to only good.

I can’t think of anywhere else in the world where there are so many people ready to help. I have been shown time and time again that everyone on this campus is here to support others. Whether I just need to talk to my resident counselor about an issue I’m dealing with, or I’m having a hard time understanding a concept in class, I always receive the help I need. The faculty here has gone above and beyond my requests for help. Professors genuinely care about their students success, and our willing to do whatever it takes to make sure they do well. Their interest and confidence in the students, coupled with their love for teaching, makes the academics here at Principia one of a kind. My enrollment here at Principia has brought so many good influences into my life, and for that, I am forever grateful. It’s very rare to live in a place where everywhere you look there is a selfless individual.

Another essential aspect of practicing at Principia is being conscious of how we treat others. It all comes down to “loving thy neighbor as thyself.” My first night here at Principia, I was sitting in my room feeling pretty lonely and missing home. A person who is now one of my very best friends, walked into the room, sat down and just started talking to me, asking me all about myself and really showing an interest in developing a friendship. I was so amazed at his willingness to get to know me and pure love for his neighbor. Reaching out was natural. I truly believe that reaching out to others creates a better, more harmonious community.

Every student here should be filled with gratitude each day for this opportunity to live in a place that is so different from everywhere else in the world. To be able to look in any direction and find a Christian Scientist is amazing. Coming here after attending a public high school, I kept thinking to myself how great it was that everyone – even my professors, shared this Science that no one understood or even knew of at my high school. People actually knew of Mary Baker Eddy and her book Science and Health, and I could have a conversation with anyone about it. I began to think about how much strength we must have as a community if we are all demonstrating this healing religion, and how much potential we have to be even better. The 4 years that students spend here could very well be the most important 4 years of there life. It’s here where one can learn how to practice Christian Science and how to effectively use that Science for the rest of his or her life.