Junior Michelle O’Brien is slowly taking over ENC. Well, maybe not, but she is managing to take several leadership positions on campus this year. O’Brien is running a student-led ministry Prayer Warriors, as well as Big Sister/Little Sister, a campus-wide yearly tradition.
Her first experience with Prayer Warriors was last year when former ENC student Sydney Karr ran the club, and she attended a few meetings and really enjoyed the atmosphere. This year the ministry needed someone to run it, and Michelle jumped at the chance to do so.
Prayer Warriors is under her leadership this year and is steadily amassing followers.
“[My vision is] for this time to be a safe and supportive space for students. So many students are going through a lot and are stressed, and I want to ease that,” O’Brien explained, “I want to show people how powerful and important prayer is.”
This group meets every Monday night at 8 p.m. in Angell Chapel. A typical meeting involves O’Brien leading a group of students by asking if anyone has something to share, or has any prayer requests. She then leads the group in a devotional, and discusses this devotional and transitions to talking about other Bible verses or stories that are chosen by the members of the meeting. Finally, they all pray together: for each other, their families and the ENC campus.
“Prayer is the most powerful thing to me,” O’Brien maintained.
In addition to running Prayer Warriors, O’Brien is also in charge of another unique campus event, Big Sister/Little Sister. Traditionally, a female upperclassmen chooses a freshman female student and over course of the first semester anonymously sends her notes of encouragement or gifts. Finally, the upperclassman big sister makes a poster to celebrate the student that they chose while getting to know them and guiding them, until they are revealed at a BS/LS mixer. O’Brien is looking forward to the mixer, which reveals the big sister. The affair is happening on Nov. 19.
With Big Sister/Little Sister, her hope is “that the older female students will be a great mentor to their younger students.” When asked if she has a Little Sister, O’Brien responded with a happy “I do,” and a big smile. She released a tangible aura of excitement over this event, and a passion for providing the benefits of an older student befriending and guiding a younger student.
“Everyone needs a big sister,” she said. She does not want any students to feel left out or ignored and hopes that older students will continue to be involved and just as excited for this event as she is.
“[During] my freshman year I didn’t really have a lot of guidance or mentoring. And I’ve come a long way from who I was my freshman year to now, and I really just want to give back to the ENC community,” O’Brien commented.