I Am Not Alone

by Elizabeth Li, Open Circle student

Throughout my undergrad and master’s degrees, Open Circle has been one of the most impactful communities I have been a part of. To me, it is like a warm ray of sunshine on a gray winter day. It brightens the lives it touches and its effects ripple outward to impact many people beyond those directly involved. I’ve found that as a student, so much of my growth in the past 4 years has been inseparable from my involvement in Open Circle, which is a sentiment that is shared by many other students I’ve spoken to. Beyond the direct positive impacts Open Circle has on student-lives, it benefits the Hamilton community and the people that the students will go on to meet in their future paths. I am so glad that such a service exists on campus.

When I started university, I was scared and deeply unsure of myself. The uncertainty about the future mixed with the heavy course load in my first year really threw me for a swim in the deep end. What would have been helpful is a strong support network. However, I didn’t have many people to turn to, as none of my friends ended up attending the same university as me. I didn’t join Open Circle immediately, even though it was one of the first clubs that interested me during my first days here. I think it just never fully sank in that such a program could actually exist. I struggled through the first half of first year, just trying to find some balance between coursework and project work and the many other demands. Then, COVID hit. Everything went online, and the number of people I interacted with became even fewer. It was during this time that I connected with Open Circle and attended the online Becoming Yourself Series. I am so glad I took that first step, because it opened the door for me to many wonderful experiences. The Becoming Yourself Series and the Spiritual Companioning offered as part of the series, propelled me on a path of immense growth. 

I gained more clarity, confidence, and skills to face challenges. It introduced me to many mindfulness practices that I otherwise would not have been exposed to, and that I still benefit from. I learned how to be more compassionate towards my own experiences, and the experience of others. It was here, and in many other Open Circle events, where I learned that I am not alone. I met other students who are also on their own journeys of growth, who became dear friends and part of my support network today. Even though we are all from such different backgrounds -- programs, countries, religions, cultures -- our stories reveal that we are so similar at our core. No other groups I have been a part of celebrate and bring out these kinds of deep human connections like I have felt at Open Circle. I feel seen, safe, and supported in this community, which Marybeth and Jeff do such an amazing job of facilitating. Love and compassion breed more love and compassion, and I know that what we have felt here will bleed into our other experiences in the future. For myself, I will find ways to continue practicing these Open Circle values no matter where I go in the future, so that more people can experience its effects.