Kelsi McLaughlin

Current City: New Orleans, LA
Year Graduated: 2018
Major: Environmental Studies
Job: Transitioning out of FOCUS and going to nursing school

Tell us your story:
I am a Kansas girl born and raised but was sure I would end up out of state for college. After spending my freshman year at a school in Florida I realized that I really desired a different college experience. So, I found my way to KU for the rest of my college career. Through the FOCUS missionaries in FL and at KU I was quickly connected to the St. Lawrence Center. I was able to find a good community where I got to learn more about my faith and my life was transformed by participating in the sacraments and formation that the SLC provided. It was a catalyst to me becoming a FOCUS missionary and desiring to live out this faith to the fullest.

Share your favorite memory of St. Lawrence:
There are many good memories, but some of my favorites were during finals weeks. It was always such a joy to be studying together, taking hide-and-go-seek breaks, eating meals together and going to Mass, and praying together.

How are you living differently because of St. Lawrence?:
Having daily Mass and adoration was the most impactful thing that the St. Lawrence Center provided. Being able to participate in this sacramental life with my friends on a daily basis taught me about who Jesus is and has been carried with me in the last few years. It grew a desire to invite others into this life of prayer with Jesus and eventually led me to be a missionary. I have seen that parishes after college might not have a great community, but they will always have Jesus present and that is something constant that I can rely on.

Describe a situation where your faith impacted someone else:
Being a FOCUS missionary has given me a lot of opportunities to share the faith. One of the most memorable experiences was getting to walk with a junior that had a lot of questions about the Church versus other Christian denominations. As we grew in friendship, I got to answer some of these questions. Eventually, we were able to both go to confession on the same night. This was the first time she had been to confession in 6 years. Afterward, you could visibly see the light and presence of Christ within her. She was beaming and never stopped!! This experience led to her being so confident in our faith that she started inviting other teammates to Mass and to pray. It was convincing to me that confession is truly a grace-filled experience and was an inspiration to keep sharing the faith even if it seems fruitless.