Molly Allen, 13-14, DeLaSalle High School, Minneapolis, MN
“Alright, great I am glad that you like the program and the community. Now are you ready to hear the location?”
All of the different locations of the LV program flashed through my head. My fingers were crossed in hopes that I would be placed somewhere awesome like Chicago or Brooklyn or maybe even staying on the West Coast somewhere.
“Yep. Bring it on.”
“Minneapolis, Minnesota.”
Pause.
“Haha. What?”
Minnesota? Seriously? There was no way that I was going to go from sunny, warm, beautiful northern California to the frozen tundra of the US! I could not respond right away because my brain was having issues processing the possibility of moving to Minnesota.
“Molly, you do know that you do not have to respond right away. Give me a call in a few days after you have had time to think about it and let me know what you decide.”
A few days later I called Jolleen and accepted the position of Campus Minister at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
I have now been at DeLaSalle for almost six months and I feel like I have been here for years. The faculty and staff have been so supportive and some of the best role models that I have had. The students, though some times rather annoying, are amazing, talented, and just all around great kids. Not only has everyone been welcoming and supportive, I feel like I have been accepted by a loving family whose main goal is not to see themselves succeed, but rather to see their students succeed.
Last week I attended the Christmas concert that our choir and band presents to celebrate the holiday season. I was not originally planning on going because it had been an exhausting day and I all I really wanted to do was to read, all snuggled up in my bed, and fall asleep. Needless to say, that didn’t happen. I was coerced by my fellow volunteers to head over for a half hour and then we would all head back to the house. I grabbed my coat, bundled up, and we made our way to the school.
Not wanting to be seen, the other volunteers and I snuck up into the balcony of our auditorium/cafeteria and sat in the corner hidden from sight. As we waited for the show to begin, I kept looking around at all of the students that were involved with either the choir or band. I believe we have close to two hundred students involved with those programs. The students came out in their concert attire followed by two of their teachers who were dressed to the nines in their tuxedos and polished shoes.
The students took some time to get situated, but you could tell that they were excited to be there. The coolest part of the performers getting ready to sing and play was watching the teachers. At times it seemed that the teachers were more excited than the students! The students fed off of their energy and that energy made for a great performance.
To me being part of a staff that cares about their students so much is one of the most rewarding things about serving as a Lasallian Volunteer. Sure there are days where it is a little crazy around the office and school, but at the end of the day, you remember that you are all in it together.
Since I have been here, several people have asked me, “Molly, if you could describe your LV experience so far in one word, what would it be?”
Challenging.
The weather has been a challenge, learning a new job, remembering names, attempting to not jam the copier when there is a line of about three or four teachers behind me has been a challenge that I am still trying to overcome, and the list goes on and on. Like everyone else at some point in their service year, I have had good days and I have had bad days. When I first moved here, I was not sure if I was going to be able to make it through the year, but then something like the Christmas concert happens. Watching the students, my students, perform and seeing the enthusiasm radiating from the teachers and seeing how much they love what they do makes everything, even living out here in negative degree weather, worth it.
I know that I have said this a thousand times, but I just wanted to thank all of the teachers that have had me in class or have worked with me in some capacity. You have all been an inspiration to me. I have learned so much from all of you and I learned that even if it is -12F as the high temperature, that you are not in it for you, you are in it for the students.
“To touch the hearts of your students is the greatest miracle you can perform.” – Saint John Baptist de la Salle
Molly is a current 1st year LV serving at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, MN and is a 2013 graduate of Saint Mary’s College of California.