For Sam Abdalla, college may still be a distant thought, but the soon-to-be senior in high school is using this summer to start to bridge that gap. He’s familiar with Calvin University, with his dad being an alum and his current high school (Forest Hills Northern) is just 10-15 minutes away. But over the past few weeks, through the Entrada Scholars Program, he’s been experiencing what it will be like to be out of the house, on his own, and for the first time what it will look like to integrate his Christian faith with his academic journey.
How has your view of college changed since attending Entrada?
It's really helped me to see how college is structured and how your everyday goes. I used to think it would be really stressful. Sometimes it is. But it’s manageable with time structure, accountability, and by learning how to say no to friends and events.
What is your greatest takeaway from this experience?
We’ve had bible study here in the dorms and I’ve been thinking a lot about James 3, about holding my tongue and not speaking too much, doing more listening than speaking and how that’s more beneficial to others. If you speak brashly, it can hurt people. I realized that here.
Because of Entrada, I feel more confident in …
What I’m going to do with my life. We talk about leaving a legacy – it’s the theme for this year and I have been thinking about leaving a legacy of positivity and kindness wherever I go and being a leader. I am more confident in my leadership ability and in being able to talk to people and help people in whatever they are going through.
How would you have felt had you not completed this program before college?
If I didn’t come to Entrada, I’d be very apprehensive about meeting new people and learning about different orgs and ways to get supported at Calvin. I know where to get support from now. I know who to talk to. Even though I’ve been on campus throughout my whole life, I really know how to get into different places and Calvin feels like a bit of home now.
Anything else you’d add?
I really like the community. It’s so tight knit, you will find a friend in two minutes if you look. The first day I got here, I was scared for about five minutes until I met the first person here. Genuinely the staff and other scholars are such welcoming, focused people who want the best for everyone around them.
