A Story of Belonging: Patrick Ryan ’27
Each student's journey at Holy Cross is unique. After arriving on campus, emotions can range from the excitement of starting something new to the sadness of leaving something familiar behind and everything in between. It may take time to feel like they belong. So we’ve asked our students: when was the moment you fell in love with Holy Cross?
For Patrick Ryan ’27, a historical moment connected him to the entire campus – and to something bigger than himself.
For a moment, no one cared about their papers, exams or due dates. The only thing that mattered was seeing the moon pass in front of the sun thousands of miles away. For whatever reason, being outside with everyone let me know I was in the right place.
"The moment I fell in love with Holy Cross as a student was the solar eclipse during the spring of my first year. The eclipse had been on everyone’s mind for weeks leading up to the big day. On April 8, hundreds of people – students, faculty and administrators alike – wandered outside to get a good look at the sky. Everywhere you looked – whether it was the Jo Patio, Easy Street, or the Hova – the campus was flooded with onlookers staring upward. For a moment, no one cared about their papers, exams or due dates. The only thing that mattered was seeing the moon pass in front of the sun thousands of miles away. For whatever reason, being outside with everyone let me know I was in the right place."
