Katja Fair: “Open Arms” (Grad Sunday)

I started attending Pres House my freshman year of college, went on fall retreat, did Freshman Connection, and then went MIA until junior year. I was afraid to return, and I put it off for a while, feeling guilty for ghosting a community which had been nothing but kind to me. But when I finally came back, I was welcomed with open arms, no judgement and no questions asked other than, “How have you been?” And I feel like that summarizes the people at Pres House better than anything else. It is a community where we light each other’s candles, pass each other Bibles with Post-It notes and pens for reflection, and break bread every Sunday night.

I have come to Pres House following my greatest accomplishments and deepest sorrows of my undergraduate career. I have laughed in worship as many times as I have cried. I have swayed to the beautiful songs of the music team and spilled penne sauce on my shirt right after. I find peace in knowing that every Sunday at 4:30, I can check my baggage at the door and celebrate God with a loving congregation, no matter what happened during my week.

In my unending streak of freshman year social blunders, my sophomore year absence, my  moody junior year, and my senior year marked by uncertainty, Pres House has met me with unconditional love, acceptance, and encouragement. I am a stronger, more resilient and compassionate person because of Pres House and the connections which I have made. My faith  is deeper and constantly developing, and church has become something that I look forward to every week, which is in stark contrast to my teenage self who would sit in the pews, doodling on the prayer request cards with golf pencils and waiting for the coffee hour after so I could talk to my church crush.

My advice would be to embrace your time here in this community. Attend the events, help clean up after dinner (I wish I did this more often), commiserate in the finals study lounge, and do not drink five cups of coffee and try to nap in the dojo immediately after. Also, go on the retreats if you can. Those short weekends at Lake Waubesa Bible Camp will become some of your fondest memories.

While I am sad to graduate and leave Madison and all the wonderful people in it, I am so thankful to have experienced this community at all. To have been a part of something so rare and so special. While I cannot recall every conversation, every joke, every epiphany I had in the makeshift pews, I will always remember how great it felt to have found a home here – to have had a place where I could rest amidst all of the chaos. Thank you to everyone who I have met on this journey, and please don’t be a stranger.

Katja Fair (she/her) graduates in May 2025 with a B.A. in psychology and communication arts (radio-TV-film).