expiration dates

when i first decided to be a lasallian volunteer, it was only supposed to be for one year. my plan was to spend a year after college in the program and then move on to the next thing- whatever that was at the time! but as my first year as a volunteer progressed, it just seemed like there was more that i could do here and that leaving after only one year would almost feel like selling something short, or cheating, or missing out. sooooo much to my surprise, and im sure the surprise of many others, i decided to come back for a second year.

and now here i am, at just about the 3 month mark for round 2. how do i feel about my decision to stay? it was 100% right and where i need to be right now. is it different than last year? absolutely! even though i am doing the same work and interacting with many of the same students, life is much, much different. am i glad that i decided to come back for a second year? without a doubt!

i have talked with a few people about how the second year as an lv is so much different than the first. you actually go into situations having some sort of idea of what you are doing and you feel more comfortable and confident suggesting new things and proposing ideas. people might actually come to you to ask for help. and the relationships you began the year before are continuously developing and growing stronger.

and that is where i think the biggest challenge of being a second year volunteer comes up. at the end of the year you will be leaving. there isn't really the time you had during your first year where you were deciding if you will be back for another year. when students ask you if you are coming back next year, you already know the answer, but you have to wrestle with finding the delicate balance of telling them too early in the year or not being completely truthful with them.

being a volunteer puts you in the incredibly unique role of really immersing yourself in whats going on around you. particularity in the work that i do, which is after school support, i get to know the students i work with in a different way than their classroom teachers do. i play the part of tutor, listener, activity planner, group leader, and sometimes even counselor. i know what the strengths and weaknesses of our students are regarding their schoolwork, but i also know about their families, their friends, and what they like to do. i live right next door to where i work and walk about 3 steps to get to work each day, which can make it hard to separate what i do at work from what i do at home. but thats the nature of the beast, and in the long run, i think it makes me better at what i do.

so how have i been going about reconciling the struggle of knowing that at the end of the year these chapters of my life will be coming to a close and a new chapter will begin? and how do i react to students offering to pay me a salary to stay and work here? (if only! haha)

i try to remind myself that something is better than nothing. being here for two years has been a complete blessing in my life and i have to be thankful for that! there are too many good things that have happened in my time here to focus on the fact that i will be leaving in june. i have learned many things about myself, how to interact with students, and the education system. and ive even been inspired to pursue a career in education after my time here is complete- an interesting side effect i was NEVER expecting from this whole experience!

i know that the year is far from over and i still have lots of time here, but i also know its going to go fast! my current challenge is being sure to live in the here and now and not let the fact that i need to start preparing for next year distract me from all the good in my life here. i have LOTS of good memories and stories and artwork :) from everyone and everything in my life here and i am beyond thankful for that! :)

stars and gripes

STARS

•  a very successful LV race weekend! it was nice to see everyone, the weather was great, and we got to connect with so many people in minneapolis. we are currently at 72% of our fundraising goal- help us get to 100% by donating HERE!
• the fact that there is no snow on the ground here 
• tomorrow is halloween :) 
• i got an interview with one of the teaching programs i applied to next year! so i am flying back to ny for a weekend in november- wish me luck! 
• i have an appointment to get a hot stone massage this weekend- thanks groupon! 
• its almost november, which means it is almost thanksgiving, which means it is almost time for me to visit stl
• i talked to almost all of my family members today 
• its going to be raining when i go to bed tonight :)
• i am about to fold clothes- my favorite part of doing laundry!

GRIPES

• i am in no way, shape, or form prepared to go back to work tomorrow. i am, however, highly prepared to deal with a terrible case of the mondays 
• getting an interview means i need to prepare and i dont have a ton of time to do that. free time will currently be spent finishing my portfolio and creating and practicing a 5 minute lesson
•  my nook is dead and the charger is in my bedroom in connecticut

lots more stars than gripes- life is good! :)

catching my breath

yes, i do realize it has been over a month since my last blog. and yes, i will once again apologize for not updating everyone on my very exciting life in so long. but things have been really busy lately and although it is a lame excuse, i really havent had much time/motivation to write much. but i finally have some time to catch my breath and devote a little bit of my day to writing.

it would be nearly impossible for me to fill you in on all the events and happenings of the last month, so instead, i am going to fill you in on some conclusions and thoughts i have had over the last month, which will hopefully give you a good idea of what i have been up to and how things are going!  

i really love what i do.
it is true that working with kids can be really annoying and frustrating, but most of the time it is fun and i feel lucky to have the opportunity to work with the students who attend the center! the 99% of the time that they are making me laugh or telling me an over-exaggerated story makes up for the 1% of the time where they listen to nothing i say and refuse to do their homework. my time being a volunteer has been really formative for me and i am so thankful that i not only decided to join lasallian volunteers, but also decided to return to continue my volunteer experience for a second year. this year is much different than last and there are always new opportunities and challenges that arise in the work that i do. there have been many ups and downs throughout my time as a volunteer, but they have been well worth it! here is a video i made for a contest hosted by catholic volunteer network that asked, "why do you serve?". my video got chosen as the winner- an excellent surprise i received last week! :) 

 

i love having visitors! 

at the end of september, my mom came to visit for a weekend, then zac, the lv coordinator of recruitment, and a former lv who served in racine were at our house for a few days, and then kimberly, the associate director for the lv program, came for our fall site visit. our house was a very popular place! but it was really great to have visitors and have the chance to share what we are doing with them. i am a big nerd and always get really excited when someone comes to visit so it was fun times for the end of september/beginning of october with all of our guests. now, we have no one lined up to come visit at all :( *hint, hint* 

being in the present and planning for the future is hard to do!

over the past month, i have completed 3 applications for programs for next year. i have decided that i want to pursue my masters degree in teaching, which is most definitely a change! i have really been inspired by the work that i have done here and feel a little responsible to continue to contribute to the education world. so with that being said, i have applied to programs that will allow me to get my masters at a subsidized cost while teaching and getting paid- pretty good deal. at this point, im in the waiting phase of the application process, which in my opinion, can be the hardest part! hopefully by the end of the month i will hear back from at least one of them offering me an interview. i am definitely keeping my fingers crossed!

there are some amazingly generous people in the world.

a lot of my time recently has also been devoted to helping plan the lvs run fundraising event that is taking place over halloween weekend. we have been working to get all the details ironed out and everything set in place for our group of almost 60 people to be together for the weekend. it has been a bit challenging, but overall i have really enjoyed the process of helping to plan everything and hope that the weekend goes well! we are currently at 37% of our total fundraising goal of $52,000 and i am at 72% of my personal fundraising goal of $1000. if you want to donate, there is still time to do so- check it out here!  

overall, life is good! busy, but busy with all good things, so no complaints from me :)

lvs run!

the lvs are running and fundraising again!

each year the lvs choose a race and use it as an opportunity to fundraise for our program. this year, we are traveling to minneapolis for the minneapolis monster dash on halloween weekend! i am really excited to be a part of this event and will participate in the 5k event to help raise money for the lasallian volunteers. 

with that being said...i need your help! please consider donating whatever you can to help me reach my personal fundraising goal of $1000. i am already about half way there. a special thanks to all of those who have already donated! but if you want to help out, please know that any amount is GREATLY appreciated! and prayers help too! :) 

you can donate by going to my personal fundraising page at https://lasallianvolunteers.myetap.org/fundraiser/lvsrunningscared/individual.do?participationRef=3889.0.147037203 or you can mail your donations (with my name in the checks memo line) to: 

Hecker Center, Suite 300
3025 Fourth Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017

below is a video that has some pictures and quotes from lvs who participated in last years fundraising event in memphis- enjoy! :)

you may not always end up where you are going...

"you may not always end up where you are going, but you will always end up where you are meant to be"

if you would have shared this quote with me one year ago i would have rolled my eyes, laughed at you, and responded with something sarcastic with an undertone of you must be kidding me.

a year later, i am the one sharing it with you and i think that is a great sign of transformation in who i am, what i believe, and where i feel called for my future!

there is no doubt in my mind that i am not the same person that i was when i began my journey as a lasallian volunteer last year. i would even argue that i am not the same person i was at the beginning of the summer. i like to think that the changes that are happening in the way i think and the things i value are positive changes. i am still me of course, but i am most definitely different.

i have seen a whole different side to the world of education and have worked with people who experience poverty on a daily basis. i have challenged myself to live a simpler lifestyle that helps me to better understand what is a need and what is want and how i can tell the difference between the two. i have grown in my faith and spirituality. i am more aware of social issues that surround people of specific cultures and economic status and find it easier to sympathize with people who experience those struggles. i am more patient and understanding with people who would have otherwise "rubbed me the wrong way". i am more flexible and dont allow one thing going the wrong way to ruin what has gone the right way. and ultimately, i have truly learned what it means to be resilient.

so different? yes, most definitely. better? maybe. im not so sure that i would go as far as saying that im a better person because of this experience, but i am most definitely thankful that i have had the chance to be part of it.

with all of this in mind, and with the thought in the back of my mind being a little bit along the lines of "so what happens after this year?", i have even seen a change in where i see myself heading in the future. and despite my previous resistance to working in the education field, i have decided that i want to pursue teaching for the future. completely crazy! definitely not where i was planning on going, but maybe its where im meant to be?!

i spent a lot of time this summer thinking about where i see myself going after my volunteer experience is over. i am still interested in public health and the advocacy that goes along with it, but i dont feel like i can just walk away from the work that i have been doing. i have seen how powerful education can be and how the education system that is in place has so many flaws and i feel somewhat responsible to help do something about it. for many of the students that we work with, the only chance that they have to better themselves is to get a good education. without an education, they are trapped in a place where they will spend the rest of their lives working a minimum wage job and struggle to make ends meet. and they are smarter than that! but without good teachers and people working in education who are committed to ensuring that all students get a quality education, they fall through the cracks and the cycle of poverty just keeps perpetuating itself.

so this is what i feel called to do. and i am actually really excited about it! i hope that this year will help me to learn even more about education and students and how i can potentially have a part in ensuring all students, even those who are often written off because of things they struggle with, have a chance at getting an education and bettering themselves. i feel like i can make bigger ripples by empowering students and helping realize their potential than i could doing something else. i want to be able to make a difference and i think this might be the best way for me to do that going forward.

so now what?! im looking into a couple different programs in nyc (sorry wisconsin!) that offer classroom experience and a masters degree and a salary (yayyyy!) all at the same time. they would all include working at inner city schools and i would end up getting my masters in education and my certification to teach. middle school science here i come?!? :)

back to basics

a VERY quick little update...

the first full week i was back in racine, the center hosted a "back to basics" camp for 20 middle school students. the mornings were spent reviewing basic skills in reading, math, and writing, and the afternoon was spent going on field trips and working with a program that lets the kids build and program their own robots- so fun! :)

i was able to teach the math part of the week, which was a good learning experience. we spent five days reviewing everything you would want to know (or could care less about) regarding fractions. i tried to make it fun so i hope it worked!

overall the kids were really great. it was nice to see some of the kids from last year and get to know some new students who may come to the center once school starts. it was definitely a nice way to start off round 2.

here are some pictures from the week. more updates coming soonnnnnn

racine, wisconsin...take two!

i'm back in the midwest! part of me still cant believe i am saying it, especially when i think about the beginning of my journey as a lasallian volunteer. but there is also a big part of me that is not the least bit surprised that i am back for another year of service after having experienced so many great things last year.

tomorrow we start our "back to basics" camp week with 20 middle school students. we are going to spend the mornings working with them on reading, math, and writing, and use the afternoons to take them on some trips and have them work with a technology group on building and programming robots- pretty cool! :)

i am responsible for creating and teaching the math lessons for the week so that should be a good experience to get me to challenge myself to plan lessons, see what goes well, what doesnt work, and practice teaching to a group of students instead of just working with the students in small groups or one on one.

nothing too terribly exciting to report yet. today i spent the afternoon at the beach until a GIANT cloud rolled in and ruined my fun :(

i am excited for this year to start! i really feel like i am able to better understand my purpose here when i am able to interact with the students. we have some new students coming for the camp and some who i worked with last year. regardless, i can assure you that my blogging will be much more frequent and interesting once i begin to hang out with them :) until then...adios amigos!

schooling and education

something i came across...enjoy! :) 

it is commonly believed in the united states that school is where people go to get an education. nevertheless, it has been said that today children interrupt their education to go to school. the distinction between schooling and education implied by this remark is important.

education is much more open-ended and all-inclusive than schooling. education knows no bounds. it can take place anywhere, whether in the shower or in the job, whether in the kitchen or on a tractor. it includes both the formal learning that takes place in schools and the whole universe of informal learning. the agents of education can range from a revered grandparent to the people debating politics on the radio, from a child to a distinguished scientist. whereas schooling has a certain predictability, education quite often produces surprises. a chance conversation with a stranger may lead a person to discover how little is known of other religions. people are engaged in education from infancy on. education, then, is a very broad, inclusive term. it is a lifelong process, a process that starts long before the start of school, and one that should be an integral part of one's entire life.

schooling, on the other hand, is a specific, formalized process, whose general pattern varies little from one setting to the next. throughout a country, children arrive at school at approximately the same time, take assigned seats, are taught by an adult, use similar textbooks, do homework, take exams, and so on. the slices of reality that are to be learned, whether they are the alphabet or an understanding of the working of government, have usually been limited by the boundaries of the subject being taught. for example, high school students know that they are no likely to find out in their classes the truth about political problems in their communities or what the newest filmmakers are experimenting with. there are definite conditions surrounding the formalized process of schooling. 

honesty

one of the best (or worst) things about the students that i work with is their ability to be completely honest all the time. they dont care what you may think about what they say because if they are thinking it, chances are they are going to end up saying it. sometimes their honesty makes me feel bad for the things that they have been through, sometimes it makes me wish that their situations were different, but most of the time it makes me laugh!

now that i have been home for almost 2 weeks, i have found that i have been able to be a little more honest about myself about this past year and my experience as a lasallian volunteer so far. i think when you are so involved in what you do it is sometimes hard to force yourself to take a step back and really realize and understand what you are doing. and being away from something can definitely help that. so here is what i have thought about and considered since i have parted ways with the midwest for the past 2 weeks...

1. i really do believe and understand why education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. poverty is a cycle. and it has a sneaky way of ganging up on people. many of the students that i work with are "against the odds" in so many ways. they are undocumented which means that they dont have a social security number. without a social security number they cant get a job. and without a job they cant make money to support themselves. but the process to become naturalized is flawed and the amount of time and energy it takes to simply complete the paperwork to become a citizen is excessive. so the only way that these students can change their situation is by becoming well educated. without education, these students ultimately corner themselves into working a minimum wage job for the rest of their lives.

but the issue with education and those who live in poverty is that many people dont feel like its worth it. some of the students that i work with are labeled and put into a category by teachers and school administrators before they even have the chance to be educated. these students are "not college bound" or will "barely graduate high school" or will "work with their family". so the energy and motivation to educate these students isnt there despite the aptitude of the student which is unfair and discriminatory. this experience has definitely made me see even more the importance of education, especially for those who live in poverty.

2. doing what i do has little to do with me and almost everything to do with the students that i work with. even though i have only know some of the students for a few months, i think about them often and laugh about the things that they would do or say when i spent time with them. and even though what i am doing right now couldnt be farther from what i imagined myself doing when i started college, i have to keep reminding myself that this is the right place for me now. for some of our students, coming to the center is the most regular and normal thing that they have in their lives. and as easy as it could have been for me to take the experience i had this year, learn from it, and use it to move on to the next step in my life, i really believe that would be so unfair. these kids look for consistency and dont always find it. so the least i can do for them is spend one more year working at the center so that they may continue to have something in their life that remains the same. 

3. i think being home is more challenging than being away. i love being home and being able to see my friends and family and getting time to catch up with everyone. it is no secret that there has been more than one occasion where i have asked myself why i ever decided to volunteer and there are some days where i still ask myself "what am i doing here?" when i am away from the kids and the center and the work that i do. i really do love what i do but sometimes when i am home i feel like i dont do it justice! being home and catching up with friends who are working or living on their own or continuing with school makes me think about my situation and the decision that i have made to spend my time doing something completely different. i want to go back to school and have a job and live on my own, but right now is not the time for that. and sometimes it is easy for me to forget that when i am away from my work. but im not worried...that time will come and when it does i will probably wish that i was doing what i am doing now instead of studying and working!

other than all this reflecting, life has been good. i have been able to see some people and relax and have even studied for the gre a little bit. i start working on thursday for an academic program for gifted students, which will def be a change of pace for a few weeks. i think it will be a good experience and help me understand a completely different side of education from the work that i have been used to doing for the past year.

im not sure how often i will update this throughout the summer, but we will see...until then adios amigos!

dear catherine

this past weekend, the lasallian volunteer program had its final retreat of the year. it was a nice weekend to relax and reflect on the past year and get ready for the summer. at our midyear retreat that was in january, we were asked to write a letter to ourselves that we would get in the future. of course, i forgot about this project and was surprised to find my letter to myself this weekend. when i read it, it summed up how i was feeling pretty well, so i figured i would share it here...



dear catherine,

you made it! one whole year of volunteering in racine, wisconsin. a place that you NEVER thought you could live, work, or adjust to.

while there have been struggles and challenges throughout the year, there have also been many successes and triumphs. you have been able to conquer many new tasks and have learned what that "i've never done that before" is no longer an excuse!

you have made new friends, kept in touch with old ones, formed relationships, and ultimately changed the way you look at the world- not bad for 9 months time :)

as you continue on your journey of service, never lose sight of who you are, what you are passionate about, and why you are doing what you are doing. a path has been laid for you and good things are in your future!

don't forget to take time for yourself, continue to speak up, and do what makes you happy. you have many gifts and talents to offer and those that you work with are lucky to have you in their lives. and you are lucky to have them too!! :)

love, cath

have a little faith

it amazes me that sometimes no matter how much i do things the same way, i get different results. i can spend one day with kids at the center and not have to ask anyone to be quiet or stay on task and then there are other days when i feel like i all i do is argue, reason, and beg with the kids to do the homework that they came to the center to do in the first place. there is no doubt that it is frustrating, but i cant get mad at the kids for acting like kids. so the next day i just start over and have some faith that it can only get better from yesterday.

this is also the case with one of the high school students in particular. sometimes he can work and finish 5 math assignments in one session and other days he will spend an hour and half goofing around and only end up finishing one math problem. so whats the issue? why is that one day he can come in and do all his work with no problems and the next day i spend 99% of my time with him feeling like i am interacting with and talking to an elementary school student?

this student is BEYOND capable of doing his work and is very intelligent, but his whole life, his family has never expected much of him. his family doesnt see his potential and it is disappointing. on more than one occasion, his mother has told me that there is no way that this student will ever go to college, he is not a good student, and he will ultimately end up working in a technical trade when he graduates from high school. and while choosing to work in a trade is fine, i know that this student can achieve much more than that. he loves to build things and almost understands geometry better than i do. the way in which is thinks would be perfect for pursuing a career in engineering or architecture, but these things are "out of the question" because he is "not college bound".

i suppose that when you have heard for 17 years of your life that you are a class clown, have little academic potential, and are not expected to go to college, it is easy to goof off and not care about your school work even when you are smart enough and have the potential to excel. and while i cant control what has happened in this students past, i have faith that i can hopefully help him realize how smart he really is for the future. i just wish that his family and teachers and the other adults he interacts with would be able to look past his frustrating behavior and be able to see the potential that he has. maybe thats all he needs. im not sure how much of a difference one person can make in changing his attitude, but its worth a shot! maybe all he needs is someone to have a little faith in him and then he can feel the same way about himself.

the homestretch

one of the students who comes to the center always tries to convince me that not doing her homework every night like she is supposed to and then just spending one entire night working on all her missing assignments right before mid quarter grades come out is the best idea that anyone has ever come up with. although i can follow her reasoning, i cant agree with her. i remind her that while this plan works for now, she may not always be lucky enough to be able to finish all her work in one night and remind her that the quality of her work is probably not her best because of the very fact that there is so much of it.

ironically enough, tonight, i find myself in the same situation. i have put off updating this for about 2 weeks because "i havent felt like it" or "im too tired" or "i have too many other things to do" and i have come to terms with the fact that this probably means that what i am about to write wont do justice to what i have been up to for the past 14 days but i am going to do my best...

last time i blogged, we were finishing up our spring break, which i spent in minneapolis visiting erin and lizzy, the two lasallian volunteers there. minneapolis was a great little city and had some cool stuff. i kind of forgot that i was in the midwest while i was there. its much more urban than i expected. it was nice to have a change of scenery and spend some time in a new place, putting me one state closer to completing my goal of visiting all 50 states!

after spring break, it was back to work. i really did miss the kids while i was away although i didnt mind having a break! it was nice to get back into a routine and hear what they did while they were off from school. we got to celebrate cinco de mayo for our activity complete with a pinata!

desiree and i also spent a day in madison, which was a nice little trip. we went to the botanical gardens, the state capitol, an art museum, and spent some time just walking around. it was fun and it was nice to see wisconsins capital city.

today we had an end of the year celebration for the center. all the students, their families, mentors, tutors, and donors were invited to celebrate the success we have had this year and honor those students who will be graduating from high school in the upcoming weeks. it is always nice to see the kids with their families and i usually get a kick out of meeting some of the students parents after i imagine what they are like! it was a nice day and i could tell that the students and parents really do appreciate what we do at the center which is always reassuring.

as for the rest of the year...it is short! in only 3 and a half weeks i will be back on the east coast for summer. and i know that it is going to be a quick 3 and half weeks with all the things that are going on. next weekend is prom, which means that there is a giant parade for all the kids. its a big deal here... check it out! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World%27s_Best_Prom), the following weekend we have our final lasallian volunteer retreat with everyone in the program, and the weekend after that desiree and i are taking the kids mini golfing as an end of the year field trip.

in some ways i think this might be the hardest part of the year so far. i feel like i am so anxious for summer and being able to see everyone again, but at the same time i know that it can be super dangerous to be in that mindset when i have things to focus on and do here. i am trying my best to keep both my feet in one place but it is tempting to want to have one foot in the present and one foot in the future.

nothing too deep or insightful this time around...just a little update on what i have been doing these past two weeks. i promise to not be such a procrastinator for the next 3 and a half weeks when it comes to updating this. but after that im taking a vacation! :) 

reality check

When I agreed to a year service as a Lasallian Volunteer in Racine, Wisconsin, I imagined flat land, cows, and a population of Caucasians. What problems could there possibly be in this small, Middle America town? What service could I possibly provide to people who were probably living pretty comfortably already?

Upon moving to Racine, I realized that I could not have been father from the truth. I live along a river, among many hills, have yet to see a cow in my neighborhood, and spend most of my time working with students and parents of Hispanic heritage. There are a countless number of families who struggle on a daily basis in a variety of areas, for a variety of reasons. And while there are families who live comfortably in my neighborhood, the majority do not.

Each day, I spend my time working with students from the impoverished areas of Racine at John XXIII Educational Center, an after school tutoring and mentoring program. John XXIII provides supervised study hall time, one-on-one homework assistance, college preparation opportunities, and safe social activities for the students that we work with.

At first glance, many would label our students. These are the kids who become statistics by being teenage parents, will spend their whole lives working minimum wage jobs, and will ultimately spend the majority of the lives fighting to make it. Some of them will get involved with drugs. Others will be arrested. And the majority of them are “trouble makers”.

Despite the judgment that is passed on these students, I am convinced that these “trouble makers” are actually some of the most creative, hard working, and entertaining students I will ever encounter. Lucy and Marcos have an incredible talent for drawing. Fabian can always make me laugh. Althena has questions about everything. And Edwin can build or fix anything you ask him to.

    The sad truth is that these students will face judgment and social injustices more regularly throughout their lifetime than I will. My time working with each of them has exposed me to many social injustices and has given me a new knowledge and perspective about the reality of their lives.

Many of our students face the challenge of being undocumented. This means that they have difficulty getting jobs, using government funded programs, accessing basic social services, and receiving education benefits at the collegiate level. Their families will often neglect to follow through on everyday tasks for the fear of being kicked out of their homes or, in the worst situations, out of the country. This also means that many of our families face the struggle of being separated from their loved ones, who are often in Mexico, without the ability to visit them on a regular basis.      

Our neighborhood isn’t necessarily safe. There have been instances of violence and crime right within the surrounding area of John XXIII. Many of our students live in the same area as John XXIII and, because of this, our students must always keep in mind that where they live forces them to be extra aware of their surroundings all the time. 

Most of our students come from homes where Spanish is spoken all the time. The children in the family are bilingual because of their enrollment in school, but often struggle to read and write at grade level because of their lack of exposure to the English language at home. Parents are literally unable to help their children with homework because of their inability to read, write, and understand the English language.

Additionally, many of our students are faced with extra responsibilities and pressures at home. A large number of our families own their own businesses and stores. This means that most of their days are spent working or managing others. These businesses are their livelihoods and many of our parents are forced to spend the majority of their time focusing on being successful at work so that they can be successful at home. Often times, this forces the children in the family to take on extra responsibilities in addition to their school work, which may include working, babysitting younger siblings, or serving as a translator to assist their families.

The long and short of it is that our students take on responsibilities that many adults would shy away from. They sacrifice living a “normal” childhood because of the social injustices that they face each and every day. They are unable to apply to have their first job because they don’t have a social security number. They can’t play outside because it is not safe. They don’t like to read because it is a difficult task. And they often have to sacrifice spending time with their friends because they have extra responsibilities at home.

As someone who had no first hand experience with these difficulties before my time as a volunteer in Racine, I feel lucky to have the opportunity to live among my students, share in their difficulties, and better understand social injustices that many people face on a daily basis. As I move forward on my journey, I know that the best thing I can do for these students is give them the consistency, love, and guidance that they often lack at home. It may not seem like a lot, but I know that even a little bit can make all the difference to these students!

so what happened?

from about 8th grade, i can always remember wanting to be a doctor. what kind of doctor i wanted to be often changed, but i was convinced that i was going to eventually go to medical school and practice medicine. in high school, i spent my extra time volunteering and being involved in extra activities so that i could get into a good college, and in college, i spent my extra time being part of organizations that had to do with pre-med stuff, volunteering, and spending time observing and working at doctors offices and hospitals. i even spent a tonnnn of money and a bunch of time studying for the mcat. which i ended up deciding not to take.

so what happened? i was doing everything "right". i followed all the steps that i should have to be on the right track. and then i just decided that it was all wrong. i could have easily cracked down, studied hard, taken the mcat, and applied to medical school. but i distinctly remember at one point during all of this, thinking about what i was really passionate about and how i could really use that to do something worthwhile with my future. and it wasnt being a doctor anymore.

of course we need doctors and it is a great profession, but it just wasnt for me. especially with the changes in healthcare that were being proposed, i just felt like i would be working for a big company. i would be at the mercy of insurance companies and wouldnt really be practicing medicine the way that i pictured a doctor always did. someone who never studied medicine would be telling me what medicine to give someone and how to treat someone based on if they could pay for it. and thats frustrating to me!

so i was back at square one. now what? combine my interest in science/health care and do something to fight the frustrating "system" that is currently in place. public health! great- i can combine what im good at, what i like, and still do something worthwhile.

but what all that time i spent volunteering and studying and making sure that i was checking off everything i was supposed to be doing so that i could go to med school? sometimes i think about it and feel like i wasted a lot of time and a lot of effort getting ready for something that i ultimately didnt follow through on. its a little dissapointing, but i dont regret it and i think that says something. i really believe that it was "time well wasted" if there is such a thing. knowing what you dont want to do is just as important as knowing what you do want to do, and while it took me a while to pinpoint exactly what that was i am thankful that i have a clear idea now. 

my whole experience in racine has made me even more aware the flaws in our health care system and the need for more advocacy of these benefits. i am thankful that i have had this time to learn more about and reflect on where i see myself heading in the future.

in other news....
spring break starts this thursday and i couldnt be happier to have some time off! i am going to head to minneapolis to visit lizzy and erin, who are lasallian volunteers at a high school there. it should be fun to get a change of scenery and visit a new state. happy easter!

the boss man

this past thrusday, brother alvaro, the superior general (aka the brother in charge of all brothers) was in chicago. he has been traveling around the us visiting all the sites and ministries that have a lasallian presence and asked that the volunteers near and around chicago spend some time with him talking about our service experience.

desiree and i drove up to chicago and 7 of the volunteers from chicago were also there. brother alvaro gave us each some time to talk about how we got involved with the lasallian volunteers, what we do at our different minstries, and how this experience has been for us so far. he asked about our communities and what we find to be the most rewarding aspect of the work that we do.

brother alvaro talked to us about how in europe it is difficult to find young people who are willing to dedicate a year to service and he thanked us for all that we do at our ministries.

it was really nice to meet brother alvaro, even though it was only for a short time. i had always heard about the superior general, but this time i actually got to meet him! its nice to know that he takes an interest in what we are doing and although he lives in rome and cant visit each of our ministries individually, i really did get the sense that he has a genuine interest and respect for the work that we do which is always encouraging! 

glamour girls

for the past 4 weeks, i have been running a group each tuesday during the school hours called "glamour girls". it is for 14 8th grade girls at preparatory school, which will be followed by a second round of the same group for 13 more 8th grade girls. the group is designed to allow the girls a place to discuss "girl stuff" as they are getting ready to transition from middle school to high school. and a way for a school that has absolutely no health curriculum to inform their students about things they need to be aware of. 

the center has a had a glamour girls group in the past, so i was able to borrow some ideas from there, but most of what i am doing i was able to create on my own. its been a fun project for me to explore the health education side of things and get me to try it out in preparation for looking into public health in the future.

when we first talked about starting the glamour girls group with the girls at the school, i thought it would definitely be a challenge, especially after hearing what my mom had to say about how i was in middle school. 14 girls who are 13 and 14 years old in a room with someone who is not much older than them talking about "girl stuff". awesomeeeeee, recipe for disaster, etc. etc. etc.

but as these 4 weeks have passed by, i couldnt have been more wrong about it! i really love tuesday afternoons when i get to work with the 8th grade girls and have really enjoyed my time with them. we have been able to talk about self esteem, healthy relationships, peer pressure and alcohol, and teen pregnancy so far, and i think that it has been going really well. the girls seem to be interested and have been asking really good (and hilarious) questions about all the topics so i am happy with it. we still have two weeks left, which will be spent talking about gossip and bullying and an end of the group party.

especially this past week, the girls really helped me remember why i am doing what i am doing. i feel like giving the girls a place to ask questions and feel comfortable talking about things that are often pushed to the side really has made a difference for them. one of the girls has even reached out and asked to talk on an individual basis about some things that she is dealing with.

so today i am thankful for these 14 8th graders and their presence in my life. i am looking forward to continuing to work with them and to also be able to work with the other group of 8th graders coming up. tuesdays might just be my new favorite day of the week!

just what the doctor ordered

happy april! i cant believe that we are already into spring (even though mother nature refuses to think so!) and heading towards the end of the year!

this past weekend i was lucky enough to have 2 lovely visitors in americas dairlyland! toph and dinorah came to wisconsin on thursday and stayed until yesterday. it was so so so great! i have missed them so much and it was nice to be able to spend some time with my partners in crime :) we celebrated my community "birthday", (finally) got tattoos!, and went on a brewery tour...nothing too terribly exciting but it was exactly what i needed right about now.

i have been itching for spring break and REAL spring weather that will last for more than 48 hours. i will even admit that i have not necessarily looked forward to going to work as much lately. i still love what i do, but we havent had a break since christmas and IT IS TIME!! the kids need one too...trust me! 

i decided to take the bus to minneapolis for easter break to visit lizzy and erin, two other lasallian volunteers. i thought about going home, but airfare was a little pricey. my mom offered to help me pay for the tickets, but i am really trying to challenge myself to live within the stipend that i get while i am here. lizzy and erin both decided to stay in minneapolis for easter and i do want to visit all 50 states at some point in my life so i figured why not?! plus the round trip bus ride was only $30 which is most definitely within my budget! :)

not much else is new here. i am ready for the next 3 weeks after my little pick me up with my visitors. and i will be home soon! june 9th...mark your calendars people!

dear santa

so i know it is almost the end of march but today i got a copy of one of the kids letters to santa and i think everyone should read it!


i love these kids :)

when i grow up

let me begin with my apologies for the delay in updating my blog! like my last post said, i have been superrrr busy and have not really had the time and (quite honestly) the motivation to get a post together.

things the past few weeks have not really been anything too exciting. more kids are starting to come to the center which is always good. we are getting ready for some groups to come visit to see if they will renew our grants for next year. i began the girl group last week and it went really well! we talked about self esteem and self image and ways that the girls can take ownership and responsibility over these aspects of their lives. there are 14 of them so i was a little nervous about them taking over, but they were great! it seemed like they were interested in what was going on and what we were talking about so i think it is going to go really well.

weekends have been busy here too. last weekend we took a group of our kids to see a movie as a reward for our incentive program. nine kids at the movies = many bathroom trips, going to get popcorn, and missing a good portion of the movie. they had fun though and it was nice to be able to get them to do something that they might not otherwise get to do. yesterday desiree and i spent the day in milwaukee. we took an art class to make these very cool mosaic mirrors!

and went out to a cool restuarant and went to a second hand store and then to a bunch of other stores in a mall in milwaukee. overall it was a greatttt day!

in other news, recently i have been thinking a lot about what i want to do when my time volunteering is over. it seems like it is a far way off right now, but i know that the rest of this year and next year are going to fly by and its never to early to start thinking about whats next.

i know that i want to go to grad school to get my masters in public health. so i officially have signed up for the gre! i am going to try it out this august to see how it goes. they are revising the test so it will be good for me to have a chance to get familiar with it and give myself enough time to take it again in the fall if i need/want to. i have also started doing a littleeee research on some schools that might be contenders for my masters. and i am really working hard to focus my time for the rest of this year and next year on pursuing the avenue of public health and advocacy in my work at john xxiii.

i am completely convinced that going into public health (and more specifically into health care advocacy) is where my path is leading. for my summer job, i need a doctor to sign off on a paper confirming that i dont have any serious illnesses, allergies, etc, etc. seems pretty simple, right? wronggggggg! i have been trying to get in contact with someone from my insurance company for the past 2 weeks and have had zero results. and i have health insurance! and english is my first language! and i am a citizen of the united states! and it is quite possibly one of the most frustrating things i have had to do in a while.

then i think about the families that we work with there and the challenges that they must face when it comes to getting health care and seeing doctors and making sure that their kids get the medicine they may need. many of them don't have insurance, and don't speak very much english, and were not born in the united states. so i can only imagine how frustrating this process must be for them.

so thats what i want to be when i grow up. i want to spend my time making sure that EVERYONE gets what they need as far as health care goes. i used to want to be a doctor. but then i realized that doctors can only help the people who go see them and can only do what insurance companies allow them to do. and i dont want to spend my time being frustrated and dictated by what insurance agents tell me i can and can not do. we need good doctors, but thats not what i am supposed to do anymore. there is no doubt in my mind that this work will also be frustrating at times, but i think it will be worth it. why not fight for something that could potentially change? and although many would find this work to be thankless and discouraging and too much work for the results it may give, i dont mind at all :)

busy as a bee

life has been moving at 100 mph lately! i have lots of different projects going on and am super busy but i am still loving it. better busy than bored. plus it keeps me out of trouble :)

since i have decided that i would like to return to racine and john xxiii next year, i have been focusing on trying to get something going with health care resources for our families. the racine community has a TON of free clinics and places that do health care consulting for low income families already which is really great! i want to get all this information together and visit the clinics and see if we can work on building a relationship with these places so that our families can take advantage of the services that they offer. i am excited about it and hope that it will end up being successful.

i am also going to be starting a group at one of the schools here for 8th grade girls about decision making and other issues for them to consider as they begin to think about transitioning into high school. i think this is going to be a really great way for me to test out the whole public health thing to see if it is really something that i would like to pursue in the future. i am excited to get started with it but i have to make up my own plan for it so that has been taking some. i think i have some good ideas and hopefully the girls will like them too. i have about 2 weeks before it starts so there is still some time to get everything together.

last weekend some volunteers from chicago came to visit for the annual "mardi crawl" celebration in racine. it was a really fun weekend and it was nice to have some visitors! this weekend all the volunteers in the midwest are having a retreat right outside of st. louis. we are going to spend the weekend together thinking about where we are headed and taking some time to reflect and relax. it will be nice to have a little change of scenery and the midwest has a good group of volunteers so it should be a good time.

other than that, things are pretty standard. the weather is starting to get nicer so our attendance is back up at the center, which is great but it wears me out sometimes! i think the kids are getting spring fever (as am i!) and sometimes i feel like they just suck the energy out of me. but i dont mind because they are funny and i have no other complaints :)

thats it for now i suppose. life is good!

ill try anything once. twice if i like it.

Dear Lasallian Volunteers Administration,

At this time last year, I was beginning my last semester of college. I was surrounded by people my own age. I spent most of my time wondering what my weekend plans would be, when I would find time to do laundry, or how I would ever be able to finish my lab report that was due in less than a week. I now find myself beginning the second half of my year of service at John XXIII Educational Center in Racine, Wisconsin. I spend most of my day with people who are close to half my age. I now pass most of my time wondering if the students that I work with will have heat when they go home, or praying that their parents will be able to be good role models for them, or hoping that they are able to obtain passing grades and graduate from high school.

In one year, my reality, priorities, and general daily life have completely changed. While one year ago, I never would have thought I would be living in Wisconsin and working in the field of education, I couldn’t be happier. There are undoubtedly struggles and challenges associated with my service, but I feel that I am growing and learning and would love to pursue this opportunity for another year.

It is often said that life is about the journey that you take and not about the place where you end up. “Life is a journey, not a destination.” As I reflect about my journey in Racine thus far, I recognize the amount of change and growth that I have experienced in only four months time. I have gained so much insight into the cycle of poverty, the education system, and my own personal strengths and weaknesses. I have taught my students how to look up words in a dictionary, how to check division by using multiplication, and how to convert from centimeters to millimeters. And most importantly, I have learned from my students the value of laughter, honesty, and the true meaning of resiliency!

With such a long list of positive outcomes from my time in Racine, I feel it would be unfair to end my journey after only one year. A year sounds like a long time, but it is not! I cannot believe that half of my service year has passed and I am planning for next year. My year has been very worthwhile and rewarding thus far, but I do not feel that my work at John XXIII Educational Center is complete. I have many more goals, ideas, and relationships that I would like to continue developing and would like to do so with another year of service through the Lasallian Volunteer program.

In my second year of service, I would really like to focus on not only providing support to the students at John XXIII Educational Center, but also providing support to their parents. Many of the families that we serve struggle with tasks that most would consider completely ordinary. Attending parent-teacher conferences, providing homework help, and accessing the Internet challenge the parents of the students we serve. Upon returning to Racine for a second year of service, I would like to provide parents with the information and resources to make these tasks easy and accessible, specifically in reference to taking advantage of state health care benefits.

Personally, I am interested in pursing a degree in Public Health after completing my service with the Lasallian Volunteers. I feel that with my interest in this area and with the need for assistance in this area by our families, I could begin to offer some sort of healthcare related counseling and advising to our families. I would like to research programs that the state of Wisconsin offers and what healthcare services are available to Wisconsin state residents who are economically disadvantaged. I would like to bridge the gap for these families, helping them to utilize the social programs that are already being offered by the government and assisting them in getting the information they may need to take advantage of these services.

In a second year of service, I would also like to continue to focus on increasing awareness of the services that are offered by John XXIII Educational Center, building relationships with school administrators and counselors, offering safe social activities for students, and developing professional partnerships with various businesses and organizations throughout the greater Racine area.

Looking forward to next year, I anticipate being challenged by being a second year volunteer in the same location. I think it is often very easy to become comfortable in an environment when returning, but I think it is vital to remain eager, active, and seek new opportunities and chances for change in order to maintain progress and productivity. I believe that it is truly important to begin each new year with a clean slate, open mind, new goals, and fresh expectations if there is to be significant progress made. As a second year volunteer at the same site, I want to challenge myself to act as if my second year of service is more like my first. I want to return with new ideas, an enthusiastic attitude, and the desire to make John XXIII Educational Center the best that it can possibly be.

Finally, I would like to thank the Lasallian Volunteers for the opportunity to serve others. My experience as a Lasallian Volunteer has truly been one that has taught me many things, challenged me to push my limits, and forced me to better understand the cycle of poverty. I am appreciative of the growth that this program has given me and look forward to continuing to learn and challenge myself with a second year of service as a Lasallian Volunteer.

In Caring and Service,

Catherine Calogero

thats love!

happy valentines day!

last week, we had a day with the kids to make valentines for anyone they wanted. obviously this lead to many of the kids making valentines for the loves of their lives and one who even made a valentine for himself. but one of our kids made one for his mom. no big deal, right? kids make stuff for their parents all the time. but something about the way that this student spent the time making this valentine for his mom really struck me. he was so precise with everything he was doing- measuring from both sides of the paper to make sure the heart stickers he was using were in the exact same place, turning any extra marks into something so it wouldnt look like he "messed up", and using his best handwriting.

and i know its really not that big of a deal, but it made me happy to see that he was taking such time and care in everything he was doing. especially because many would expect a kid who came from the home of a single parent who is a recovering drug addict to easily dismiss or even disrespect his mom. some might think that a kid who comes from this kind of environment might not even take the time or effort to make something for a parent who has not really been the best role model. but not this student. he even told me about how he had saved up his money to go buy his mom a necklace for valentines day to go with the valentine that he had worked on that day. and all i could think when he told me this was thats LOVE!!!

definitely back in packer country...

yes, i am back in wisconsin! after one canceled flight and a little bit of delay leaving ny, i am back in racine. i still have yet to work a day because of the public schools being closed because of the snow that they got here while i was away. its kind of been a nice break but i will admit that miss hanging out with the kids!

my trip to manhattan was really great...i got to talk to with a lot of people and tell them about my experience and what lead me to decide to be a lasallian volunteer. some people had some really good questions and i think that there will be a long line of manhattan college lvs in the future, which is good news! i also got to hang out with some friends and see some old profesors and whatnot while i was there so overall i would say that it was a successful trip.

i didnt leave ny until thursday because of the snow, but once i got back, packer pride was in FULL force. the airport had special booths selling things and i felt like everyone was wearing some kind of packer thing except for me. our house is still decked out in packer memorabilia which has been adorning our living room for the past 2 weeks. i have been threatened that touching anything could be punishable by death! bring it on...

nothing else exciting to report. the kids have been away so i obviously have nothing funny to share (aka the lives of middle school kids are much more exciting than mine!). i didnt really do anything this weekend, which is exactly what i wanted! but i suppose that i will spend my evening watching the superbowl in hopes that the die hard packer fans provide me with at least a little bit of personal entertainment. followed by watching glee of courseeee :)

Show Your LuV!

Show Your LuV!

pack, unpack, repeat

so january has come and gone- and it has been so fast! january was such a busy month and february is right around the corner.

i came back to racine on january 3. i struggled the first week back a little bit. getting back into the routine here was not as easy as i thought it would be after doing close to nothing for 2 weeks! but the kids were ready to go and still as funny as ever so that definitely helped out some.

two weekends later i was packing pack up and heading to pennsylvania for the lasallian volunteers midyear retreat. all the volunteers from around the country meet up for a weekend to check in with each other, talk about our years so far, and have some time to think about what we plan on doing for next year. i will admit i was a little (or a lot) dissapointed that we were in pennsylvania for our retreat because the idea of new orleans had previously been on the table, but it turned out to be a really good weekend. it was nice to have time to see the other volunteers and have some good conversations about what our service is like and how we are feeling about continuing in the program or moving on to something else.

so what am i thinking? im still on the fence a bit...wondering if i should try something completely new, get back into school, stay in the program but go to a new site, or come back to what i am doing now. i have about 2 more weeks until i have to make my decision final, but deciding is not easy! i think i am getting close to a decision, but im not saying anything yet- just in case!

nothing too terribly exciting at work this week. the usual stuff- laughing hysterically at the humor of middle and high school students. typical :) highlight so far: student- "you know...that thing right before a funeral home" me- "a nursing home?" student- "yes! thats its!"

friday morning i pack my bags again and am off to manhattan college! the lasallian volunteers send an alum each year to recruit and share our story about the experience we have had as a lasallian volunteer. i am excited to be able to visit new york again and see some of the people i didnt get to see at christmas, but i am also really looking forward to sharing my experience and telling others about how much i have come to believe in the lasallian mission.

this will be my third trip in the month of january! so i have felt like i have been living in and out of suitcases alllll month. it has been exciting but flying in the winter is most definitely not one of my favorite pastimes. although i have become pretty good at fitting tonsssss of stuff into a carry on suitcase :)

famous round 2!

Beyond school: John XXIII Educational Center helps students with more than academics

a day in the life

i'm famous! check it out :)

a day in the life of a lasallian volunteer

so why are you here?

i wish i would have counted the number of times i have been asked this question since i moved to wisconsin. "i went to college in ny." "whatttt...so why are you here?!' the conversation generally goes something like this and usually leads to me explaining what lasallian volunteers is and where i work and in fact, why i am actually living in racine.

but even after answering this question a countless number of times, i still feel like i havent really answered it for anyone! i know the answer to the question, but its not anything that i can tell someone in a quick 20 second explanation. so i figured it would be nice to actually be able to explain my thought process in a blog entry :)

when i first moved here, there were zero reasons in my mind as to why i was being sent to live in racine. my answer to this question in august was something like "i am taking part in a year long volunteer experience and this is where i was placed" followed by me thinking "what have i gotten myself into?!"

over winter break i was talking about my experience so far with someone and my response was no longer "what have i gotten myself into?!" but instead it was "this is what i am supposed to be doing right now." and it felt good to finally be able to say that! her and i continued talking and she told me about a service experience she had in ecuador when they were asked the same question. "so why are you here?" and at first there seems like there is not really a clear answer and then all of a sudden, one day, something happens and there are tonssssss of reasons as to why you are doing what you are doing. when she said this i couldnt agree more! i now see lots of reasons as to why my journey has lead me to serving at john xxiii educational center.

so why am i here? as surprising as it sounds, the list is longggg and sometimes i cant even articulate what exactly it is that proves to me that i am in fact supposed to be here. the obvious answers: because the kids here need someone to remind them that school is important, to show them that adults actually value what they think and do, and because without the work of the center, many of these kids would simply fall through the cracks. the other (more important) answers: because i cant remembered a time in life when i have grown this much in such a short amount of time, i can build relationships with students and families that are easily dismissed by others, and because if you dont try something you will never know if you actually like it!

pay it forward 2011

pay it forward 2011



i promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. they must in turn post this on facebook, twitter, a blog, or forward it via email and send something they make to the first 5 people who comment wherever they choose to post it. the rules are that it must be handmade by you, and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011. so leave a comment here, send me an email, or comment on the link on facebook or twitter and you may be getting a handmade surprise from yours truly sometime in 2011! :)

out with the old, in with the new

happy 2011! it is hard to believe that 2010 is already over- it was a big year! i rang in 2010 by traveling to kenya, graduated from college, and moved to wisconsin. i did a lot of good things, a lot of things that i probably shouldnt have, and wished i would have done some other things- but i had fun doing it! and ive learned a lotttttt, which is never a bad thing :) soooo here is my list of wise words from 2010:

1. whoever said change is good was right- sort of. in the end, change is always good, but in the beginning it can be challenging, but thats what makes it worthwhile!
2. i am so so so lucky. i have a house, an education, a great family, great friends, and plenty of opportunities to come :)
3. kids are funny! and smart! and we really dont give them enough credit most of the time
4. you cant miss something or appreciate it if you dont spend time away from it
5. happiness = success!
6. there really is someone who always has it worse than you do
7. dont be afraid to try something new, especially if its something you NEVERRRRR pictured yourself doing- you might like it!

cliche, yess...but true! 2010 was a really great year and although i am sad to see it go, i hope that 2011 will be just as good and maybe even better. plans for 2011? i have no idea...im going in with an open mind, an open heart, and expecting the unexpected!