.png)
Faith, Friendship, and a Lifelong Foundation
When Jim and Bibiana Donahue arrived at FSU, they each had some awareness of CSU, but neither expected how deeply it would shape their lives.
​
Bibiana, a Tallahassee native, had heard of campus ministry growing up, but she didn’t fully grasp CSU’s impact until a senior invited her to a retreat. “I went in open-minded, but I had no idea how much CSU would change my life,” she shares.
​
For Jim, CSU was one of the reasons he chose FSU. A family friend introduced him to the community before he even arrived on campus. “I was so impressed,” he recalls. “I saw something different—Catholics who were joyful, confident, and truly living out their faith.”
Both found friendships that not only provided community but strengthened their faith. “I had great friends in my classes, but CSU friendships were different,” Jim says. “They were life-giving, centered on calling each other higher.” Bibiana adds, “CSU took my faith from something I knew in my head to something I lived in my heart and centered my life around.”
The two became close friends, often crossing paths at CSU events, service projects, and even swing dancing nights. A spring break mission trip to Jamaica deepened their bond. “Serving the poor together gave me a new perspective on human dignity and faith in action,” Jim recalls. “It changed how I saw people, especially the outcasts of society.”
​
After graduation, Jim discerned the priesthood while Bibiana became a campus missionary. Jim spent a year in formation with the Dominicans before ultimately discerning out. Bibiana served for two years as a missionary in Boston before returning to Tallahassee to pursue a graduate degree. Years later, they reconnected at a CSU alumni wedding. A few weeks later, Jim called Bibiana and asked her on a date—on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. They married in October 2024.
​
Today, CSU’s impact remains central to their lives. “CSU taught us how to prioritize prayer, build community, and live our faith daily,” Bibiana shares. Jim adds, “It was an investment in who we’ve become.”
To students unsure about CSU, they encourage: “Take a chance. Be open.” And to donors? “Your support forms leaders who carry Christ into the world.”