Graduate Students & Young Adults (GYA)

Welcome
GYA is a group open to all graduate students and young adults, married or single, from the Evanston community who are in their 20s and 30s. Members come from different places on their spiritual journey. We welcome you wherever you are on yours. We are built around social, spiritual, service, and educational initiatives. We gather regularly for a variety of events built on these cornerstones. GYA is focused on developing a community within Sheil by providing multiple venues to meet, mingle, and grow in faith together.
Get Involved
Join GYA most Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. during the academic year in the lower level of Sheil's Evanston Campus, located at 2110 Sheridan Road, Evanston. All graduate students and young adults are welcome! Meet new friends while exploring your faith. We look forward to meeting you! See our full list of upcoming activities below.
To be notified about this and other GYA events, we invite you to register here with the Sheil Catholic Center as a GYA member to be added to the email list and listserv. Questions about GYA? Contact Tim Higgins, Campus Minister, here or call 847.328.4648.
Upcoming Events
Spring 2023 Events Calendar
Thursday, March 30, 2023 - Game Night
Sunday, April 2, 2023 - Graduate student appreciation week starts next week! We’re kicking it off with a Sunday brunch at Pearl’s Southern Comfort. This will be a joint event with GYA, Catholics at Kellogg, and Chicago Campus Catholics. Come meet other graduate students and enjoy great southern food! Please email Tracey (Tracey.dinh@u.northwestern.edu) if you can make it so we can make reservations.
Thursday, April 13, 2023 - GYA Meeting, Topic: "Church and Community"
Sunday, April 16, 2023 - Cooking for Hilda's Place
Thursday, April 20, 2023 - Art Night
Thursday, April 27, 2023 - Vocations Panel
Friday, April 28-30, 2023 - Encounter Retreat
Thursday, May 4, 2023 - GYA Meeting, Topic: "Church and Community"
Saturday, May 6, 2023 - Habitat for Humanity
Thursday, May 11, 2023 - Karaoke Night
Thursday, May 18, 2023 - GYA Meeting, Topic: "Church and Community"
Sunday, May 21, 2023 - Brunch
Thursday, May 25, 2023 - Bonfire and Picnic by the Lake
Thursday, June 1, 2023 - GYA Meeting, Topic: "Church and Community"
Saturday, June 3, 2023 - GYA Graduation and Farewell Party
Thursday, June 8, 2023 - Naomi's Documentary Screening
To see a full list of upcoming events with the Sheil Catholic community, click here.
GYA Leadership Team
The 2022-2023 GYA leadership team are, from left to right, Ethan Garvey, Yaxin Cui, Tracey Dinh, and Naomi Zidon.