USD Magazine Spring 2026

welcoming space where students can come together for music, fellowship, food and faith,” added MacKay. Coffee House is led by students and features student speakers who either incorporate music into their stories or share raw, relatable stories from their lives — all based on a theme that the student planning committee feels can connect with how students are feeling in that moment. The goal is also to be a welcoming space for all students, religious or not, to listen to each other and find moments of peace and camaraderie. “I hope it continues to serve as a bridge between the real world and a lived faith,” said Adam Bretsch ’25, another original Coffee House committee member. “To hear other students who are very similar to one another, as students and as people, who are all going through the same things, to continue to emphasize that no one is alone.” As Coffee House continues to inspire more students, Santa Maria can’t help but find the parallel in students sharing their truth in the Ministry Center, where tapestries of great spiritual leaders line the room. Just like the students, these great religious leaders were also on a journey of self-discovery, spirituality and finding their truth decades ago. “You have all these figures, Mother Rosalie Hill and Bishop Buddy, who are, in many ways, looking down [on the students],” said Santa Maria. “From different majors, from different religions and different spiritualities, all of us are navigating this collective wisdom. I think the uniqueness of USD is that this space is not something I think could be replicated in other places.” Original Coffee House committee members and new students alike hope this uniquely USD event will continue as a tradition for many years to come. — Elena Gomez

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