As the child of a military family, Olivia attended 10 different schools before arriving at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), often navigating new spaces from the sidelines. “I’ve done my share of sitting in a corner, waiting for a chance encounter,” she reflected.
Drawn by a desire for connection, Olivia sought a community that encouraged exploration and openness. That led her to The Pace Center, an inclusive, multicultural, interfaith VCU student center. It is a partnership between these denominations: Episcopalian, Lutheran (ELCA), Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ, and United Methodist.
“There’s such a wide assortment of people at Pace,” Olivia said. “It pushes me to connect beyond what’s familiar.”
“We’re all here because we want meaningful connection and a place to belong.”
That spirit of experimentation inspired Olivia to help launch a morning prayer group. “I like praying in community and wanted a prayer service with people my age on campus,” she said. “Morning Prayer gets me up, gets me moving, and helps me set an intention for the day.”
Through Pace, she connected with students from nearby St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and coordinated with them to start the ministry. “It’s been a really nice bonding activity, to pray together.”
Students from other religious traditions have joined Pace’s morning prayer service. “I love being in Episcopal churches. I love the Episcopal Method of worship, but I also love seeing how other people worship,” Olivia said. “Hearing different perspectives keeps me grounded and helps grow my appreciation for new expressions of faith.”
Now a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Olivia continues to deepen her involvement with Pace. This year, she helped develop and teach Pace’s leadership curriculum, equipping students with the tools to build community. Through this work, she gained both practical skills and a guiding insight: “We’re all here because we want meaningful connection and a place to belong.”
That belief shapes how Olivia shows up for others. At a recent Pace event, she saw a new student sitting alone. Olivia struck up a conversation. “Sometimes quiet people just need someone energetic to get them out of their comfort zone.”
Through experiences like these, Olivia has become a confident community organizer, sharing her skills with the wider world. “Recently, my tattoo artist said that they want to start hosting community events in their space. I was like, ‘I can help you do that. I know how to make community happen.’”
Olivia’s story first appeared on The Pace Center website and social feed.