Living faith through transitions

For 15-year-old Emily Cusick, Jesus is "the ultimate friend, the most accepting person you'll find in your life. He accepts all your faults."

That's important during the many transitions that happen in middle school, growing up and cultivating healthy friendships at a time that can be tough and tumultuous for many teens, she noted.

Youth need to build mutual trust in relationships, Emily said -- to know "that someone's not going to talk about you behind your back." She gave as examples Jesus and His disciples, who "stood by Him" to the end.

As a sophomore at Shenendehowa High School, Emily has firsthand experience with her subject matter. In middle school, she was teased mercilessly about her height; now, in high school, she volunteers for Clifton Park's CAPTAIN Teen Talk hotline, counseling young callers who are looking for advice about issues with friends, family and peer pressure.

Walk the talk

Emily said she still gets some criticism for wanting to stick to her values in an environment where that always isn't the cool or popular thing to do. In cases of peer pressure, "it all comes back to knowing yourself: setting out who you are, what you're going to stand for and where your boundaries are," she explained. "Make a contract with yourself and God that you're not going to do something that you regret later. You've got to live it."

Not long ago, church attendance was just another item on Emily's long to-do list -- until she went to the National Catholic Youth Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, last year with a group from her parish.

"There were thousands of screaming kids who were so enthusiastic about God in the same way that I was internally enthusiastic," she remembered. "Everyone believes it while you're there. Everyone knows what you're talking about, shares fears and hopes -- and that's what gives me the strength to wear a cross around my neck or a ring around my finger that says I'm going to stay chaste until I get married.

"When you have people who back you up, you have so much more strength inside. You get closer to God and closer to the people you're with."

Bonding time

Those ties grew stronger after Emily attended the Christian Leadership Institute in St. Johnsville in February and made new friendships with other Catholic teens. They formed community and trusted one another; they were people she said she "could talk to for hours," instead of simply waving at them in church.

Those friendships helped her grow into a "strong faith. One thing that stuck [at CLI] was the friendship and the acceptance there. Sometimes, it's hard to stick up for your religion and your values. You're so tempted to join in and make fun of someone, but you have to realize that's not right. It was so empowering to be with a group of people that felt the same way I did."

Now, Emily is on the youth ministry core team at Corpus Christi Church in Round Lake, planning retreats, lock-ins, movie nights, volunteer experiences and fundraisers.

Being involved in youth ministry "has been such a great experience. It's more personal, and has really helped me get involved with my faith," she stated.

Activities galore

Emily serves on Shenendehowa High School's student senate and is vice-president of her class. She has traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in youth leadership seminars, and is entranced by the study of history and government.

She hopes to someday study law and work in politics, saying that going into government gives her a chance to help people on a "larger level. I like the fact that one person's actions can influence so many people."

She is also a member of the junior varsity volleyball team and participates in track and field by throwing discus and shotput. She has been involved with musical productions at school.

(6/1/06) [[In-content Ad]]