By Shiza Noveer, ’23

My first introduction to the Center for Faith and Vocation was during the fall semester of my junior year. I had decided to apply for the Interfaith Council after hearing about it from numerous friends. After my first Interfaith Council meeting, I was hooked. Those meetings became something I looked forward to every other week. When the end of the year rolled around, I decided to apply for an internship with the CFV. I ended up getting accepted and became the Interfaith Council Chair for next year.

The backbone of my internship consists of planning out and executing the IFC meetings. I am responsible for picking out a topic for discussion and planning questions that the rest of the council can engage with. It was always a rewarding experience after planning out a meeting and seeing the council actively engage and lead discussions. I enjoyed the autonomy that my internship allowed me to have. I could execute my vision however I wanted. Of course, I had a lot of help available, both Daniel and Marguerite helped my vision come to life. They supported me and my endeavors along with giving me a space to work.

Apart from IFC, I was involved with the CFV wherever I could be. I led two Refresh ’N’ Reconnect sessions with one of my fellow interns. These sessions consisted of leaders from various CFV communities around campus coming together to talk about leadership, growth, and struggles. As leaders you often have different perspectives, you can gain insight and ideas from other leaders while engaging in collaborative work. In my role as the IFC chair, I was able to utilize the knowledge from these conversations to better my own leadership style.

I had many successes and areas of growth during this semester of my internship. I learned what it meant to be a leader and conduct a group. While it was necessary to exert my role as a leader at times, I also wanted to convey the idea of equality to the group. I wanted the rest of the council to know that I am on the same level as they are and this is “our” group not just “my” group. Together we will have discussions beyond the limitations of a classroom, authentic discussions where we can be our true selves.

Halfway through my internship, I can confidently say I have grown and gained a lot of knowledge since I started. Being surrounded by people who are different from me, different majors, different viewpoints, different ideas, and different traditions has allowed me to be exposed to so many new things. I am thankful for this internship for allowing me to interact with people that I wouldn’t have crossed paths with. I was also fortunate enough to be able to experience practices from a couple of different faiths. It is one thing just learning about them, but it is another experience putting yourself out there in new environments with people who are different from you.