Feedback from Participants in the 2018 Quo Vadis Retreat
“It was a great opportunity for self-reflection and connecting with some of my classmates. The conversations brought a lot of insights and renewed my energy.” — Aml Mohamed
“The opportunity to reflect on my current college experience and my future in a relaxed and open setting allowed me to get into a new, more positive mindset in regards to my life and my future.” — Anna Barnard
“I now have accepted that I don’t need to have all the answers to my life right now; they will come in the future.” — Brandan Weed
“More knowledge of St. Olaf’s resources that I can take advantage of, and a better idea of what opportunities exist after St. Olaf” — Emily Nolan
“I came back with many important questions about my future that I wouldn’t have pondered over had I not gone to this retreat. One of those questions is to find a middle ground between who I want to be and what I want to do.” — Poonam Rawat
“The ability to reflect on my major or double major options.” — Matt Hallahan
“It was just nice to hear from other students who feel just as lost as I do and to hear about alumni’s journeys and the different turns that they have taken.” — Ivet Reyes
“I learned a lot from personal reflection time after each of the speakers. One of the most important things that Quo Vadis gave me was a time to recenter myself and realize that focusing on my health and my happiness in the present will give me all I need for a bright future.” — Emily Rennhak
“It was a great opportunity to set aside time to reflect on my future and my path in life, thinking about where I am going and where I want to go. I gained confidence in my decisions and was comforted by the fact that many of my peers are seemingly as uncertain as I am.”
“I don’t know if I could say one thing at this point but I got a lot of material for personal and professional reflection from this weekend! Just a whole lot of wisdom and perspective from older students and alums.”
“General confidence about the future and motivation and direction towards deciding a major.”
“Being able to talk about any worries I had about choosing a major and hearing other sophomores express the same concerns.”
“Self-reflection, a break, and a change of space.”
Feedback from Participants in Previous Quo Vadis Retreats
“I took away motivation, confidence, relief, reassurance, new friends and role models and new resources.”
“[This retreat] expanded my thoughts about possibilities after graduation.”
“ [The retreat] made me realize that I am doing what I want to be doing but now I know why I’m doing it”
“…I will take away the simple message that IT’S OKAY. It’s okay not to be perfect, and it’s okay if you need to change something to make yourself happy”
“…I strengthened relationships with classmates and friends as well as met new people, helping me to feel even more connected to the St. Olaf community”
“…lessons and perspectives about myself, confidence in myself, a sense of calm and comfort, deepened friendships, a fresh breath of myself and nature, a new perspective on life and how I can build and support interactions with others”
“I will take self-discovery and reflection with me, especially when I am having an academic low-point…”
“Aligning my values and goals with what I want to get out of St. Olaf—my major is not the end-all-be-all…”
“A stronger sense of self and confidence in the uncertainty of the future…”