When Faith Finds Its Footing in College: A Parent’s Reflection on OCF

Featuring: Dr. Randa Karadsheh Anderson
Parent of Elias Anderson, Former Student Leadership Board Chair, Orthodox Christian Fellowship

When Orthodox Christian students begin college, they face a world full of opportunities and challenges. Amid late-night study sessions, complex ideas, and newfound independence, their faith can either grow deeper roots or begin to fade. For students like Elias Anderson, Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) became a steady source of guidance, community, and growth during those pivotal years.

Dr. Randa Karadsheh Anderson, mother of Elias and a longtime supporter of OCF, knows firsthand the value that this campus ministry brings.

“One of the best things that happened to my son during college was his involvement in OCF,” she reflects. “It didn’t just shape him spiritually. It helped him become a better leader and a better person.”

A Family Foundation in Faith

Before Elias even entered college, the seeds of OCF had already taken root in the Anderson household. Dr. Anderson recalls how her own experience in graduate school at the University of Chicago was transformed by an active Orthodox student group. “We had guest speakers, liturgies on campus, and real fellowship,” she says. “That community helped anchor me during a formative time when I was far from home.”

Her husband, then a graduate student at Northwestern, had a similarly profound experience. Though not Orthodox at the time, he was curious. A local priest who served as the OCF chaplain met with him regularly. That relationship led to his baptism into the Orthodox Church, surrounded by fellow students who welcomed him with open arms. “We’re still friends with many of them today,” Dr. Anderson says.

This family history made it natural for them to encourage Elias to find his local OCF chapter when he went to college. But even as a parent who believed in the mission, Dr. Anderson was initially skeptical when Elias considered joining the national Student Leadership Board. “I remember thinking, ‘Elias, you do not have time to do anything else!’” she laughs. “But I was wrong. Turns out, when you don’t have time to waste, you don’t waste time.”

Leadership that Shapes a Lifetime

Elias learned to manage his time more effectively than ever before through the leadership training that OCF provided. He took on real leadership responsibilities, helped plan national events like College Conference, and worked with staff, clergy, and peers from across the country, all while staying on the Dean’s list in both his engineering and music majors.

“He learned how to lead with purpose and how to serve with humility,” Dr. Anderson explains. “Now, he works for a company that values those leadership skills. He leads interns and manages projects.”

The experience, she believes, was not simply extracurricular. It was transformational.

For many Orthodox parents, one of the biggest concerns during the college search is whether their child will stay close to the faith. Dr. Anderson encourages families to make that concern part of their decision-making.

“Particularly for parents of high school students going through the college search process, I would look carefully at whether a campus has a local OCF chapter or, at the very least, a nearby parish,” she advises. “If we want our kids to stay close to the Church, we have to make it accessible and easy for them.”

According to Dr. Anderson, proximity to Orthodox life matters. Without it, she says, it’s far too easy to drift away.

“It’s too easy to sleep in on a Sunday morning. But with a good OCF on campus, students have the opportunity to go to church together or to meet and talk about things that really matter.”

This proved to be a life changing blessing for Mitry, Dr. Anderson’s older son. When he was a sophomore in college, he met his future wife on the train to the local Orthodox Church, riding with other Orthodox students. One of Mitry and Julia’s close OCF friends was recently a bridesmaid in their wedding.

Lifelong Community and Lasting Impact

This shared experience is not limited to liturgy and lectures. One of the lasting benefits of OCF is the community it fosters. Elias, like many OCF alumni, has maintained deep friendships formed through the organization. These are people who walked with him through some of the most formative years of his life, who stood by him in prayer, and who have remained in his life long after graduation.

“Some of his closest friendships today are with people he met through OCF,” says Dr. Anderson. “They’ve supported each other through weddings, job changes, and life’s transitions. It’s a real blessing.”

Another powerful aspect of OCF is its student-led structure. The national Student Leadership Board partners with OCF staff and clergy, but the ideas and initiatives originate from the students themselves. For Elias, being part of this leadership structure gave him agency and purpose. It taught him how to collaborate, how to make decisions, and how to live out his faith in action. So when he had the idea to bus 120 college conference students from a retreat center in Wisconsin to a monastery in Illinois to venerate the relics of St. Mardarije, he figured out how to make it happen with full support of the staff.

“We sometimes want to protect our kids from taking on too much,” Dr. Anderson admits. “But when it comes to OCF, I would encourage parents to let them lead. Yes, it takes time. But it is time well spent.”

The rewards, she believes, are far-reaching. Students develop real-world skills that serve them in their careers. They become confident in their faith. And they walk away with friendships and experiences that will serve them for a lifetime.

Gratitude is a word that comes up often in Dr. Anderson’s reflections. “Looking back, I’m filled with gratitude for the role OCF has played in our lives,” she says. “It helped form me. It led my husband into the Church. It’s where Mitry found his wife. It shaped Elias into the man he is today.”

That gratitude is what drives her continued support of the organization. “We want to make sure the next generation of Orthodox students has the same opportunities we did. We want more parents to know the joy of seeing their child grow in faith and confidence.”

She encourages other parents to get involved, whether by supporting their local OCF chapter, encouraging their children to attend a retreat or College Conference, or by making a financial gift to help expand the ministry to more campuses.

“Raising Orthodox children in today’s world is not easy,” she says. “But we’re not alone. There are people and programs out there that want to walk with our kids as they grow into adulthood. OCF is one of the best I’ve seen and experienced myself.”

For students navigating the complexities of college life, OCF offers something rare and essential: a place where they can be fully Orthodox and fully themselves. For parents, it offers peace of mind, knowing that their children are not walking that journey alone.