My Mission

Anne Otto
Meet Me at the Mission
2 min readMay 25, 2023

When an opportunity came to me early Freshman year to help out at the front desk of Mission And Ministry, I was almost too scared to take it. I felt overwhelmed with so many new experiences at DePaul that I began to doubt if I could handle taking on this responsibility. However, I knew this experience would shape me into being a stronger leader, a stronger person. And after my first day, it was very clear that I was in good hands.

Over the next four years, I would learn how to form strong bonds with others who were going through a similar spiritual mission. I’d assist Joyana with countless little tasks around the office, discuss classes with Gina, and reminisce about life (and coffee) with Karl. I learned what a difference a simple smile and a “Hello!” could make to a person’s day as they walked through the door of Mission and Ministry. I learned to forgive myself over small mistakes I would make, like jamming the printer or photo-copying the wrong book chapter, and how to ask for help from others, who were often very patient and understanding. I learned that I was a lot more resilient and strong than I had previously assumed I was, earning me a much-needed and sharp boost in confidence in myself. I also learned that a cup of coffee was needed in the morning to really achieve any of this, but, hey, we’re not all perfect.

My DePaul Vincentian journey jumpstarted a big change in my life to becoming who I am today, and I’m so thankful to have spent four years alongside my friends at Mission and Ministry. I will remember my time here very fondly and wish everyone well as we continue on with our Vincentian journeys! Love you guys!!

Below is a comic I made one day at the front desk (the scrap paper we would keep at the front desk was great for jotting down quick sketches and jokes).

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