I am a senior at Smith College in Northampton, Mass., and I will be graduating in several weeks. I hope to continue my work with the church on peace and justice issues. This summer I will be interning with the F.A.S.T. program (Faithful Advocates Serving Together), a partnership between the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ, in Appalachia. After this summer, I plan to intern in science and public policy in Washington D.C. before returning to graduate school.

Justice and activism have always been central to my faith journey. Throughout my college years I have really struggled to understand why some people who call themselves Christian actively spread hatred instead of justice and love. At times, this struggle has caused me to try to live out my faith journey alone. A year ago I joined the STEP Leadership Team, and through this experience I have come to understand the importance of community.

In December of 2004, STEP hosted the Joshua Generation Leadership Conference, and at the conference I led a workshop about social justice issues such as sweatshops, the Killer Coke campaign, and the Taco Bell boycott. The compassion I witnessed in my Christian peers at this conference renewed my hope in the community. They were inspired to write letters, to stop drinking Coke, and to share information about the Taco Bell boycott with their home churches. Two young women even told me that they were going to return their Christmas presents to Gap and tell the manager that they couldn't wear clothes that had been produced in such painful conditions.

Upon returning to campus in the beginning of 2005, I continued to work on the campaign to end Smith's contract with Coca-Cola when it expires in two years. The end of the school year brought a small victory for us; the Committee on Policy is recommending the President send a letter to Coke threatening to cut the contract if they don't clean up their act. (Coca-Cola is accused of human rights violations across the world, including murders in their Columbian factories, pollution in India, denying workers AIDS drugs in Africa, and a racial discrimination lawsuit in the United States.)

One of our worship leaders at Joshua Generation metaphorically described us as pumpkins trying to grow within the confines of a glass jar. When we no longer have any more room to grow, our community chips away at the jar, helping us to grow in certain areas. I think this is a beautiful analogy, and though it may be a struggle, the ecumenical community will always be the most important part of my faith journey.

The amazing people I met this school year, including Javier Correa, president of Sinaltrainal, the Columbian bottle worker's union, have helped to guide me in my activist leadership. This semester, I was also president of Liberation, Smith's animal rights organization. This experience taught me to be a leader through a variety of frustrations. As for my campus church activities this year, I joined the Genesis Gospel Choir at Smith. The choir led worship most Sunday mornings, and being a part of it provided me with a unique cultural and spiritual experience and a new-found love of gospel music!

In the end, I can't do justice to all of the factors that helped foster my leadership skills this semester. However, I think it's important to note that it is often the people with whom we share our experiences that encourage our growth, just as much as the experience itself. My internship director at the Seymour Planetarium, my special studies advisor, Dr. Lowenthal, and the people I've met through STEP and F.A.S.T. have made a unique impact on my life. Please consider supporting the ministries of STEP because of the wonderful opportunities it provides our youth.

Sharlissa Moore is in her second year on the STEP Leadership Team and is a member of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Rapid City, South Dakota.