By the time I arrived on campus in August 2020, we were in the middle of COVID, and most of my day was spent online, teaching Fifth Form English and conducting college counseling meetings. 我对同事和学生的大多数介绍不是通过电脑屏幕，就是戴着面具. 我迫切需要一种方式与周围的人联系，感觉自己属于威斯敏斯特. 

To find my footing in the community, I turned to watching the 教堂 Talks again, 我觉得他们让我了解并适应了国会山的生活.

然后, at the beginning of this year, I had the honor of becoming the faculty advisor to the John Hay Society, a student-run program of about 25 students from the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Form who manage the Andrews Memorial 教堂, 从整理每一排的赞美诗到引导学生进入礼拜堂，以及成为每年冬天烛光仪式的核心和灵魂. 如果没有约翰海学生的努力皇冠2021app下载地址学校的善良文化，教堂讲座就不会有今天的样子. 

While many schools have student speaker 项目, I feel that our chapel talks, held every Tuesday and Friday, are more intimate and compelling — and far less scripted. 在教堂演讲可能是学生在威斯敏斯特的职业生涯中一个重要的仪式，因为它彰显了他或她的勇气, writing and public speaking skills. Each student works exceptionally hard on their talk. There isn’t a formula or a template for the talks. Students can speak on any topic, but many choose to discuss their growth during their time on the Hill. They often include favorite songs and quotes. Some feature musical performances by friends; this year, several students read poems.

Our students feel at home at Westminster, 因此，他们被迫分享自己的故事，并确保别人有宾至如归的感觉, 太. It is this sense of belonging, 相互支持, 理解和同情使我们的演讲者有勇气讲述他们独特的故事.

As the advisor to John Hay, 我一对一地与学生演讲者合作，了解他们想要传达的信息，以及如何最好地与他们的同学交谈. Sometimes this process is easy, 今年1月，第六名前蒂亚·麦当劳(Tia McDonald)在教堂演讲中讲述了她表姐的去世，以及她在国会山找到了自己的位置. 有时需要花更多的时间来写作、重写和练习. 也就是说，教堂里的谈话很好地反映了学生是什么样的人，他们将成为什么样的人.

第六届前麦琪·麦卡锡在学年开始时的演讲是我今年最喜欢的演讲之一. As the president of the John Hay Society, the oldest student organization on campus, she spoke about how Andrews Memorial 教堂 is her happy place. While Maggie is always bubbly and talkative, 当她谈到教堂如何让她在国会山最困难的时刻站稳脚跟，并在她最快乐的时刻鼓舞她时，她的谈话更加慎重. 

我的前任, 艾米史蒂文斯P ' 07, ’09, ’12, 做了一件令人难以置信的工作，使教堂项目成为威斯敏斯特体验的一个标志, and I am committed to tending the garden that she has planted. It is an honor to oversee a program that has allowed me to feel that I, 太, belong in this community.