By AMANDA GIGLIO
Michael Prescia, FCRH ‘14, uses collages to express his artistic side. (Samuel Joseph/The Ram)
If I had to identify one person who embodies Fordham’s Jesuit traditions, Michael Prescia would be the first to come to mind. From the same little town on Long Island as I, Michael has been nothing but kind in helping me transition to college life. As a senior, he has one semester left to leave a mark on Fordham — not that he hasn’t already.
Michael came to Fordham with the assumption that he would go into medicine or politics, but soon he declared his major in theology.
“I went through the list of majors from A to Z, crossing out ones that would never apply to me and finally ended with theology,” he said. “I love the theology department, and all of the faculty have been amazing.”
Michael chose Fordham on a gut feeling and has since come to feel at home with Campus Ministry and the Jesuits. Michael participated in GO! Glenmary, which furthered his love for community service. This feeling only grew when he took the pilgrimage to Spain for Youth Day the summer before his sophomore year. The pilgrimage was in celebration of Catholic faith and was organized by the Society of Jesus in Spain.
“We took the pilgrimage to Spain and followed in the footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola, doing social service,” said Michael. “This trip formed my background in Ignatian spirituality.”
Since then, Michael has greatly contributed to expanding Fordham’s Jesuit roots, especially with Campus Ministry. Most recently, he played a large role in Fordham’s first Prism retreat, which was specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students. With the help of a generous alumnus benefactor, Fordham was able to create a safe environment for LGBTQ students to explore their spirituality. As student director Michael, along with Erin Hoffman and Joan Cavanagh, was able to create this new retreat from the ground up.
“I was very happy with the outcome, especially with all the work that went into it,” said Michael. “Prism was the greatest sense of community I have had on a retreat in the four years I have been here.”
Michael is a retreat leader for Campus Ministry. This year alone, he has been a leader for three retreats, with weekly reflections and regular team building projects. With all the time and energy he puts into his schoolwork and Campus Ministry, one may wonder when he has any free time to relax and have fun. But he still manages.
“You should see my Instagram. I love to bake and am always posting what I make. And arts and crafts are so much fun to do, too. I am taking a collage class this semester, and it is a great way to be creative.”
When asked about what he plans on doing after graduation, Michael says he already has some plans in mind. He is applying to the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and City Year. JVC is in collaboration with the Society of Jesus and is an organization that serves the poor and marginalized in the U.S. and developing countries. According to the organization’s website, City Year’s mission is to build democracy through citizen service, civic leadership and social entrepreneurship, and is dedicated to fighting the national dropout crisis.
“Community is a big part of my life and has grown stronger through my time at Fordham. I look forward to doing service learning and helping out the city community,” said Michael.
With his last semester at Fordham coming to a close, Michael is ready to expand his horizons. He is wholeheartedly striving to infuse Fordham’s Jesuit traditions into his everyday life.
“I am excited to move on in certain ways. I am finally comfortable here at Fordham, but I am ready to grow,” he said. “I am excited to ‘put men and women for others’ into action.”
