Olivia Kassebaum isn’t a typical college sophomore. As a finance major at The Citadel Military College in Charleston, South Carolina, she must adhere to wearing an authorized uniform and hairstyle and keep her barracks clean and tidy at all times, for example.
The Citadel’s strict regimen is preparing Kassebaum to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduation. The program, she told Episcopal News Service, is “not for everyone” and “very stressful at times,” but she still finds time to relax and grow her faith during the school year though the Citadel Episcopal Cadet Fellowship. Every Monday, volunteers from the Diocese of South Carolina cook and serve homemade meals for nearly 100 students, who stay after dinner for group discussion and socialization.
“Monday nights are absolutely amazing and a breath of fresh air. The dinners … have really been a lifeline,” Kassebaum, a cradle Episcopalian from Charlotte, North Carolina, said. “But the big thing, of course, is getting to meet all these wonderful people around me who are involved with the same faith and who care about the same things or similar things that I do. It’s been very nice.” To read more, click here
