College Catholics

Faith helps family adjust to college life

From left, Roncalli High School senior Katie Carson, her mother, Terese, and older sister, Ali, relied on each other during Terese Carson’s battle with breast cancer. Ali, a sophomore at Purdue University, said it was hard to leave her family, including her father, Steve, during that difficult time. (Submitted photo)

By Kamilla Benko

While students unpack their bags and adjust to a new routine and vigorous academic schedule, families at home must grow accustomed to one less person at the dinner table.

“Our family dinners were a little more quiet with one less child in on the conversation of the day,” said Terese Carson. Her eldest daughter, Ali, left for Purdue University to study

pre-veterinary medicine in the fall of 2008.

“I missed seeing Ali’s beautiful, smiling face every day, and sharing in her day and mine,” said Terese Carson, a vice president at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis.

And while it’s a hard adjustment for all families, for the Carson family it was especially poignant.

At the start of Ali’s senior year of high school, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. When Ali left for college, her mother was still undergoing radiation and surgeries.

“It was hard leaving my mom, but I knew she was in good hands,” Ali said.

It was also difficult for Ali to leave her sister and best friend, Katie, who will be a senior at Roncalli this fall, during that stressful time. But, Ali said, “I knew Katie could handle it.”

Instead of getting mad at God for what was happening to her family, Ali said her faith grew. While Ali admits she did not attend Mass every single Sunday at college, she said Mass was a comfort because it was the same liturgy her family was attending at home.

Her mom also drew comfort from her faith.

“My faith changed a lot during my illness,” said Terese Carson. “I am much better at prayers of thanksgiving so I am sure to thank God every day for my health and my family. I just thanked him for helping get me through the next phase, whatever it was.”

With all the changes in the Carson family, both Ali and her mother said technology was extremely helpful to stay in touch.

“We used video chat a lot so we could talk in the evening and still see each other,” Terese Carson said.

Though technology helps, it doesn’t make up for not being together.

“I would always look forward to the next time Ali would be home for the weekend,” said her mother, whose cancer is now in remission. “There were even days when I just drove up to Purdue to take her to lunch and buy her groceries.”

And that helped with the empty kitchen chair at home. †