Say Hello and Wave Goodbye: Our short but sweet time with ND student, Cyra.

A famous song by David Gray sums up our fast and fabulous time with Notre Dame student intern, Cyra, this summer! Cyra joined the L’Arche Atlanta community for eight weeks as part of Notre Dame’s Institute for Social Concerns. By the time we all were getting to know Cyra, we had to say our goodbyes.

I had an opportunity to sit down with Cyra and talk about her experience living at Clairemont and joining our community—one which she didn’t know much about before arriving.

What interested you about taking this position at L’Arche Atlanta? I wanted a program that focused on living in a community and working with people. Coming from a big family, I felt right at home with the idea of a shared household.

What were your first impressions: I felt nervous on day one and I was worried I might feel like an intruder in people’s homes. But those feelings faded quickly. I began to build genuine connections, made friends, and felt completely comfortable.

If you had to describe your time at L’Arche in just three words, what would they be? Laughter, community, and care…and FUN!

Beyond daily life, Cyra worked on a research project exploring the sense of belonging and well-being of L’Arche assistants. What Cyra learned was that care at L’Arche is not transactional. Core members and assistants care for each other equally. The Clairemont home, where she lived, felt “centered on friendship rather than formal rules and procedures.”

What did you find most memorable living in our L’Arche community? The daily routines of cooking and cleaning felt normal to me thanks to growing up in a big family. I really enjoyed the potlucks, celebrations, and helping Kiah prepare for the online trivia games. The highlight of my time was attending the Stone Mountain Laser Show with everyone and discovering that I am pretty good at e-bowling.

If someone were to apply to this program next year, what advice would you give? Aside from my interview, I didn’t talk to anyone about L’Arche before making my decision. I think it was good to enter the program without any preconceived notions. It made me more flexible and open to what was asked and expected of me. Also, always try to say YES to everything and enjoy each moment because the eight weeks fly by fast!