Agustino
he/him
Finance Major from Adelaide, South Australia
Agape, to me, is the definition of community. I discovered Agape by simply walking past, seeing the free pizza sign and was welcomed so politely by Greg and Darin to join in. This became a ritual for me, each Wednesday I would attend Agape's community event and I am very grateful I did. Greg and Darin create a genuine space, where one can be themselves and enjoy a sense of unity - I particularly appreciated that (as someone who questions their relationship with God a lot), I was never made to feel out of place irrespective of my views on religion. My favourite aspect of Agape (other than the sense of community), is the opportunity for one to have very different beliefs and backgrounds but still made to feel a part of the group - I love Agape's take on inclusivity. I wish more groups shared these values. I also made a couple of friends whilst attending who had similar interests to me - I needed this as I very much struggled with my time at SDSU in a few ways.
As an exchange student from Australia who arrived in August for the fall study term, I was not ready for the mental challenges that the following semester would involve. I found myself opening up to Greg and Darin from time to time and they were always willing to listen to my problems. I particularly felt a strong connection to Greg as I feel I spent the most time with him - he’s an amazing man. I genuinely wish I had gone on the semester retreat (unfortunately I had booked tickets to a concert with some friends) but regardless, the fact that Agape offers this to any student that just wants to break away from the college life for a weekend and have a mental escape speaks volumes. Additionally, on the final pizza event at school, I was gifted an Agape shirt (fits perfectly) and a gift that I'm proud to wear during my graduation from The University of South Australia in my hometown of Adelaide.
I appreciate these so much and it just shows how much this group really cares. When I look back at my memories at SDSU, I’ll definitely view this time with Agape as one of my favourite things I was involved with. Thank you Greg and Darin for being fantastic, inspiring humans - I couldn’t recommend being a part of this community enough.
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