St Ignatius College Prepatory - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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Every day that we lived in Boyle Heights was spent in the classrooms of the Dolores Mission Catholic School. Each day we were greeted by the smiling faces of school children, eager to play dodge ball with us at recess and invite us to help them with homework or an art project. Later on, we would listen to the riveting stories of the homeless men in GHP as we ate dinner with them. Through these people, we learned that solidarity and accompaniment, the cornerstones of immersion, involve a mutual exchange between two people. Through our devotion of time, we impact each other. In East L.A. we learned to not fear having the community impact us more than we impacted them. During the two weeks we spent in East L.A., we were challenged to live simply, without the comforts of home. Yes, we had to experience life crammed into a small apartment with only one bathroom and to deal with a broken shower, but living simply did not just include giving up material possessions. It involved simplifying ourselves emotionally and spiritually, removing any judgments or masks, in order to find meaning in the work that we did. Not until we opened ourselves up to the experience and left behind any preconceived notions did we truly understand our role on immersion. People may also view living simply as having to make a lot of sacrifices while on immersion. But most of the gifts and experiences that we picked up along our immersion journey were wonderful gifts that help shape the whole person and create a more meaningful immersion experience. Living simply helped us see what we need in life and what is just excess. 1. Marise Thadani, Katy Daly, and Natalie Flores all stop for a quick picture. 2. Marise Thadani, Natalie Flores. Kevin Reiser, Mike Frcise. Mr. Dekker. Ms. Boswell. Katy Daly. Erin Mahoney. Brady Borderching. and Laura West on the steps of one of their work sites. 3. Kevin Reiser. Mike Freise. and Brady Borcherding all pose with a new friend. 4. Marise Thadani gets some drinks for the homeless. EAST LA 20 W Immersion

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The Sacramento Immersion trip to Loaves and Fishes realized what it means to live with others. After being homeless for three days, we discovered the importance of relying on each other for support, and developed a willingness to ask for help. For the following two weeks we worked in the dining room, at the service center, or with the homeless children at the Mustard Seed School, where we helped our friends in need. We learned that simply acknowledging a person, whether it be on the streets or in the school hallway, as a human being can change someone's day. We experienced God's presence within the love and friendship that we cultivated each day in Friendship Park, and consequently have carried this appreciation for building relationships with us home. The friends we made at Loaves and Fishes, although ostracized by our society, are human beings too. Sac Immersion will never forget: To those who have hunger, give bread. To those who have bread, give a hunger for justice. 1. Jackie Lalannc and Pai Srukhosit pass out sandwiches. 2. Mr. O'Keefe and his newly made friend. 3. Elizabeth Paulsen. Allison Dana. Sam Arabian, Ryan Fabie. Eric Quesada. Kristen Bcrtiglia. Pai Srukhosit. and Jackie Lalanne with their new friends outside Friendship Park. 4. Kristen Bcrtiglia listens to her friend play the guitar in the park. SACRAMENTO Student Life 19

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SJr- SALINAS Empathy is one level deeper; it brings someone into direct solidarity with those who are suffering. Who is special? I am special. Who does God love? Me. Who do you love? Me. Who else do you love? You. The purpose of Camp St. Francis, an outreach summer program for kids of migrant farm workers, can be summed up in those four questions. Each day we reminded ourselves of these ideas as we enthusiastically shouted the responses. Many of the issues facing migrant farm workers explicitly relate to the notion of human dignity, especially since many suffer exploitation, including impoverished living conditions, scant wages, and questionable working conditions. We think Salinas immersion probably best emphasizes the tenet of building community, since much of what we did involved contact with others and openness to being in an unfamiliar situation. While there, we shared a house with the Franciscan workers, were encouraged to converse with the guests at Dorothy's, and spent a week just having fun at camp. We listened to their stories, asked questions about what we learned, and practiced living in solidarity with the marginalized. As we spent more and more time in Salinas, we learned how the power of listening can mold friendships and how much a person’s presence can touch another’s life. It truly enriched our lives because we were able to share ourselves with them and to witness their struggles firsthand. It is a deeply moving experience when one has the chance to bring strength, hope and compassion to the disadvantaged and minorities. I don't think any of us will forget the faces of those who we served - Fidel, Alejandro. Joe. Isaac, Crystal, Cheese. Jose, Alfredo, Johnny, Alepsis, Juliana, Lupe, and countless more. Their stories our in our hearts, just as our tile rests in the roof of Dorothy’s Place. 1. Jade Batstonc playing with one of the kids. 2. Maggie Matson and Sydney West kissing one of the kids they played with all week. 3. Gabe Hens-Piazza. Andrew Champeau. Maggie Matson, Sydney West. Teresa Marie Carino, Jade Batstone, and Sydney Fogel holding the sign of the St. Ignatius Value. 4. Salinas Immersion 08 having some fun with a camera. Student Life