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