When 10 College of Saint Elizabeth Women’s College students packed their suitcases for a trip to Mexico, they, unlike many of their contemporaries heading for spring break, left their bathing suits and dancing shoes behind. Instead this hand-picked group headed to the poorer neighborhoods of El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico, from March 2 to 8 as part of the College’s service initiative called the Alternative Spring Break.

 

Although a long established program at CSE, the trip moved outside the country for the first time this year at the suggestion of Sister Pat Dotzauer, director of Volunteer Programs and Vocations for the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth. She approached the program’s organizers, CSE Campus Minister Tim Mulligan and Paula Fernandes, director of the CSE Center for Volunteerism and Service Learning, to collaborate on a joint project.

 

“I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity in keeping with the Sisters of Charity and the College’s missions of service and responsibility for others,” said Sr. Dotzauer. “It was also a good opportunity for students in serving the poor to learn about the important concerns of immigration and border issues.”

 

Added Ms. Fernandes, “It was a chance for students to be immersed in other cultures and to learn something new. Many begin to question their belief system. We hope the experience broadens their awareness and they begin to see that few things are black and white. There are a lot of levels and complexities to most things. The exposure is very transformative for a lot of them.”

 

In Juarez, the group worked at the AIDS center La Tena Di Cristo (The Tent of Christ) and a women’s support center called Centro Santa Catalina. In El Paso, the students visited Opportunity Center, a homeless shelter, and Annunciation House, a hospitality house for migrant workers.

 

The students’ reasons for joining the trip were as diverse as their personalities. Some like Business major Emma Cai, ’11 of China, saw the trip as a chance to continue service work and to learn about other cultures. All seem to return with a new outlook and a dedication to helping others.

 

 

  

(l - r) CSE Women’s College students Ting Zhang, ‘10, and Ruixian Wang, ‘12 package foods for residents at Tenda de Cristo during CSE Alternative Spring Break. Each week, 100 residents are chosen by lottery and receive a bag of food— fruits, vegetables, rice and beans. (Photo by Tim Mulligan)

 

Said Chemistry major Laura Kufta,’09, “Before I went on this trip, I had the stereotypical ideas about immigration and border issues that most people have. These are hot topics in this election. I wanted to get rid of those ideas once and for all and I did. Now I want to help anyway I can.”
 

For Psychology major Laura Munoz, ’10, of Columbia; Marceline Pepe,’09 of Haiti; and Sociology major Aracely Tagliaventi,’10, of Antigua, the experience hit closer to home and had a familiar feel. All come from other countries and know first hand how it feels to be a newcomer in a different culture.
 

“I decided to come because I am an immigrant from Columbia and I can relate to topics like adaptation and language barriers,” said Ms. Munoz, “They cross the border despite the dangers to have a better life.”
 

Added Ms. Pepe, “I saw three people trying to cross the border and the guards swooped down. I thought, ‘Wow! Those people could be me.’ I know that they were trying to have a better life for themselves, their spouses and their children.”
 

All the students cited the people they met as providing their most indelible experiences and memories.
 

For Bio-chemistry major Ting Zhang, ’10, of China, it was the dedication of the people working there that made the greatest impression. “The Sisters of Charity worked there for a long time. We were there only one week, but they were there for 35 years. They are amazing people and they inspired me. I want to be like them. I can’t be as pure of heart, but I want to be something like them.”
 

Perhaps, the most important lesson was what they learned about themselves and the bond they formed with each other. As a group, they have become a strong, cohesive unit based on their shared experiences.
 

Said Biology and Education major Jasmine Griffin, ’11, “We knew each other, but we didn’t know each other. I learned the most in the reflections that we did at the end of each day. I got to see everyone’s perspective and hear what went on during the course of the day.”
 

Observed Mr. Mulligan, “I was most impressed by the level of reflection. There were a lot of different emotions expressed and a lot of critical analysis. They had a willingness to be open, to changing their ideas and to seeing things differently.”
 

Said Sr. Dotzauer, “Meeting these students was the most memorable for me. I saw what I believed in become alive in the lives of these young women who will go to be leaders and to change the world.”
 

The last word belongs to the students whose lives are now forever altered. The group, which also included Psychology major Stephanie Kirby, ’08; Theology major Gina Persico,’10; and Business major Rachel Wang, ’11 of China, gathered recently in the large, comfortable reception room of O’Connor Hall on campus to share their thoughts about the lessons learned. The sights, sounds and the people they met will stay with them for a long time to come.
 

Said Ms. Kufta, “If I had to describe the experience in just one word, it would be indescribable.”