Jewish Identity #2: What helps a Jew reconnect?

An article of mine was just published on www.aish.com. It's called It's Still Shabbat Just in case you want to read it.

On the same website is the following article: http://www.aish.com/shabbatthemes/personalaccounts/Shabbat_Prom_Queen.asp.
Please read it and tell me something. My experience in school was somewhat similar to this author's. I actually went to a public school with only about 4 other Jewish students, none of whom was observant. But somewhere along the way I locked into observance, mostly around rewnewed love of Shabbat. This author did the same even when her other Jewish friends didn't.

So I have to post this question: What makes some Jews reconnect, even under the same circumstances as those who do not?

I think for me it had something to do with the people who reintroduced me to Judaism, and my lack of of interest for the other people in my school. But what do you think about this?