With “Inspired” being the theme of the year, worldwide Catholic organization Life Teen hosted this year’s Inspiration Tour for the first time in Atlanta to kick off the new season on September 6.

Many people recognize Life Teen primarily for their parish-based program. This program sponsors high school teens and serves as the face of over 1,000 youth programs all over the world. Recently, a few North Cobb students representing St. Catherine of Siena took part in a day of fun at Six Flags with a theme of faith and fellowship.

“It was such a great experience that brought hundreds of Catholic teens from all over Georgia together spiritually and it provided us with the opportunity to unite faithfully as one church,” junior Judy Beddawi said.

Moments after the gates opened, teens hurried to claim their place in line, marking the start of the Inspiration Tour. The first part of the day consisted of conquering fears on Acrophobia and enjoying the rush of adrenaline on Goliath with several of the priests, who made appearances around the park.

As the coaster portion of the day reached its peak, the teens calmed down from the excitement in preparation for the rally, but little did they know what level of joy they would reach when the night ended. Josh Blakesley Band, a Catholic band, made an appearance with Sarah Kroger which created an upbeat vibe on the night and accompanied speakers who took the theme of Inspired to much greater depths.

“The rally had it’s deep and serious moments like adoration, and it’s fun moments, like being able to compete in a funnel cake eating contest, but this was for sure a great way to end the day,” sophomore Natalia O’Neill said.

The Inspiration Tour allowed junior Betsy Benavides her first taste of the several events that St Catherine’s and many NC students get involved in.

“I went into this day with an open heart not knowing what to expect of it, but at the conclusion of it all, I found myself learning a lot more about my faith than I already knew and Inspiration lead me to believe that with anything I could be inspired,” Benavides said.

The tour taught the importance of using good influences to inspire others to reach greater heights, and it allowed the select NC teens to dive deeper into what they came together to believe than they ever thought possible.

“Although riding all the rides expressed lots of joy, nothing compared to the joy I felt with my friends, youth leaders, and continuous love of the Lord,” junior Lauren D’Olympio said.