I wanted to attend the most Catholic college I could find, so I chose the Catholic University of America, in Washington DC. There I found a vibrant community of students, clergy, religious, and professors who didn't just talk about the faith, they lived it.

I’ve always loved stories. From fairy tales and folktales to sci-fi and fantasy novels, I’d read anything I could get my hands on growing up. There were Catholic books in the mix, too—Bible stories and lives of the saints. But for a long time, I thought all the best stories had nothing to do with God.