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Making cookies the old fashioned way with my grandparents

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Making cookies the old fashioned way with my grandparents

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I was raised in a strong Catholic environment, and have attended Catholic school for my whole life. From preschool to college here at Xavier, faith has always played a huge role in my everyday experience. Once I got to middle school, I had the opportunity to become an altar server, and I jumped at the chance to be even closer to the Catholic Mass. I would attend church often more than once a week, and when my parish needed an emergency server, I became the girl that would get to leave class to help with Mass. This role was very transformative to me and my faith, and I learned so much about the church and my faith. When I graduated 8th grade, I earned the Most Outstanding Altar Server Award. Me and my siblings became a dynamic trio during the time we all served together. The Grube kids were very well known in our church circle, and we even took on serving the Easter Vigil Mass, a nearly 2 hour service that involved many sacraments, for multiple years in a row.
Faith has always been very important to me, but as I grew through high school and now college, my dedication has definitely waned. I rarely go to church or pray, and although I still hold some of the main beliefs of Catholicism, my trust and respect for the Church has been put to the test over the recent uncovering of scandals that priests have committed for decades. It is hard for me to support and institution that preaches such lofty ideals while they sweep their secrets under the rug with no accountability. This change in my feelings towards the Catholic faith was a slow and subtle deterioration, but my belief and trust in God is still present. It has been hard coming to terms with my current feelings being at such odds with the way I was raised, and I do not want to tarnish the memories I have that are related to the Catholic church. I am thankful for the environment I grew up in, but as I have gotten older and looked more critically at religion, I see many problematic issues with the church and I don't know if I will ever have that same faith in a religious institution again.

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When I think of the shows and media that have shaped my view of the world and myself, one that comes to the forefront of my mind is Avatar the Last Airbender. My family has been big on road trips for as long as I can remember, and the ATLA series is one of the most prominent memories I have from these trips growing up. My siblings and I would fight often during our childhood, but watching this show was one of the few things that would bring us together.
I can remember watching each season countless times, and I feel that this show is a great choice for kids because of how it deals with friendships, family dynamics, and identity. This show also tackles issues of poverty and war and the effects of these in a way that is easily understood. I feel this show gave me a great example of leadership and empathy for others, all while being funny and interesting enough for me to rewatch it as an adult. The show holds a lot of happy memories from my childhood, but I feel like the themes that were explored are applicable in many ways in my adult life.

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Soccer is my sport, my family's sport, and honestly one of the only activities that I really felt like I excelled at. My dad has played soccer his whole life, so when I was only in Kindergarten, I began my soccer career. I played for my school team, but also a travel club team that became my home for years. I love soccer because I love the adrenaline of sprinting to beat your opponent to the ball, the power I feel as a defender knowing that my team trusts me to handle any striker that comes my way. I was that girl who had a growth spurt in the 3rd grade, so my long legs were not something to be embarrassed of on the soccer field, but rather an advantage that gave me the strength to chase down anyone who dared challenge me.
Soccer taught me how to work hard and have fun at the same time, it taught me how to be a good teammate and lift up others. It taught me how to deal with loss and how to pick yourself up even when you feel like you can't. My team was one of the first places where I truly felt loved and accepted for exactly who I was, which was hard for me to find as a young girl.

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I was raised in a wonderful, loving Italian family, with a strong love for cooking and baking. For as long as I can remember, a visit to my grammy and grandpa's house would mean pastina, homemade meatballs, chicken cutlets and mashed potatoes. Food is our love language, and my grandparents took it very seriously, from growing their own tomatoes in their backyard garden to making dozens and dozens of every variety of Italian cookie and dessert you can think of.
Now that I am older, I realize and reminisce on those meals packed full of love and care. My Italian heritage has influenced me to become to woman I am in the kitchen today. Even since I have moved into my own college house, I have realized how lucky I am to have the culinary knowledge that I do. There are many subtle traditions in my family that have made me appreciate the environment I was raised in, and now that my grandpa has passed, I honor him and connect with him in the kitchen in many ways. From crumbs falling just so, in the shape of a smile, or finding dish towels that just happened to spell out his initials, food and acts of service are how I honor and live out my family's Italian legacy.

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Hi there! My name is Grace Grube, and I am a 20 year old white female from the suburbs of Philadelphia. I was raised in a middle class 2 parent household, and I am the oldest of three with two dogs. As you read, you will get to know a little bit more about me, but some of the most important aspects of my life growing up are my family, my faith journey, my soccer career, and my favorite childhood show.
Some of my current favorite things include Harry Potter (always), tea, long hot showers, making fancy grilled cheeses, butterflies, sunsets, cheetah print, candles, journaling, and flowers. I love surrounding myself with beautiful things, people, and experiences. I love taking pictures and Polaroids and curating good energy around me. I hope you enjoy learning more about my background and seeing how I have evolved to become the woman I am today!