We have the pleasure of forming many wonderful relationships here at Rochester Network for Re-Entry. Three students from Crossroads College here in Rochester are no exception. As part of there education they are working as interns here at the Network. They have brought so much with them and become great participants in the Network. The following is an article written by on of our interns Sidney Frye.

There is a tactile side to learning that precludes education from being confined to the classroom. In laymen’s terms, some things you just can’t learn from long-winded lectures, or reading thick books. Some things you can only learn from hands-on experience, from personal interaction with others. I have never been more certain of this fact than in the past few months, during which I began an internship at Rochester Network for Reentry. As a senior at Crossroads College, majoring in Counseling Psychology, set to graduate this May, I thought I knew a fair share of what there is to know about my discipline. During these past few months, I have discovered just how much I have yet to learn. From having the privilege to participate and even lead thought-provoking group Bible studies, to enjoying the fine cuisine of a laid-back fellowship dinner, each unique experience has broadened my perspectives.

My internship at RNFR has afforded me the opportunity to gain something the classroom could not – a bird’s eye view of the real world – real people, real relationships, real problems, and yes, real solutions. Somehow, these most poignant of lessons have seemingly managed to remain excluded from the margins of most textbooks I have read. Lessons such as the power of a loving relationship to change the decadent, the downtrodden – the joy of seeing transformation steadily bud. In addition, I have been reminded that change is a gradual, sometimes grueling, process. It requires hard work, and dedication on both sides of the ball. All in all, I think I personally can attest to the fact that I have changed as a result of my short tenure at RNFR. Several naïve perceptions have been altered, and my eyes have been reopened to the miraculous transforming power of God’s love.

Sidney Frye II is the son of Pastor Sidney and Evelyn Frye. A long-time Rochester resident, he is a 2002 graduate of John Marshal High School. Currently, he attends Crossroads College, where he is a senior majoring in Counseling Psychology. Sidney is active in various extracurricular activities at Crossroads, and is also very involved at his local church, Word of Life Church of God in Christ. He is planning to attend seminary and possibly pursue a Master's degree in Divinity and Marriage and Family Studies after he graduates this May.