Ministry: The San Miguel School of Providence
College: Saint Mary’s College of California
What do you do? I work in the Graduate Support Department at San Miguel. We do tracking and outreach to our Graduates who need extra support. Our department runs an Academic Resource Center two days a week for all graduates. We work with high school aged graduates, college aged graduates, and beyond.
Julia with fellow LV, Tom Darnowski serving at The San Miguel School of Providence
Why did you choose to become a Lasallian Volunteer? I chose to become a volunteer because I knew that I wanted to make a difference in the world. I’ve always wanted to help people. I feel extremely fortunate to have the life that God has given me and I’ve always wanted to give back. I know there is injustice in this world and there are many people who do not have the same opportunities that I do. I want to make sure that regardless of a person’s race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, that everyone gets a fair chance in this world. Every single person in this world deserves equal opportunities; unfortunately that is not the case. I know I can’t change the world completely but I know I can make a difference. I know I am making a difference by working at The San Miguel School. This program has provided me an opportunity to help people in need. I’m very fortunate that this program exists because it’s given me the chance to make a difference, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
Which of the core values (Faith, Community, Service) are most important to you?
Julia with members of her community
Each of the three core values are extremely important in their own right. They are all intertwined and you cannot really have one without the other. Each of the core values is very important to me. When I think of the core value of faith I think about my own relationship with God. There have been times during my service where I have needed support and I have found that going to God/church has been helpful. The value of faith is also part of community. As a community we pray together multiple times a week. This is an essential part of community because you get to learn so much more about each other. We get to see what kind of faith background our other community members have, and we get to learn from them. Our community is very helpful and welcoming when it comes to faith, because it is very welcoming to people with all different kinds of backgrounds. We are all able to pray in our own way and share how we believe in God. I think this is a very important factor that contributes to the core values of faith and community. Part of what makes our community so special is our ability to have good and productive prayers. The core value of community is so important to me because it has allowed me to create very strong relationships with the people that I live with. Having dinner together gives us an opportunity to talk about who we are and also allows a support group for us to talk to one another about our days. The first year LVs are able to bounce our problems off the second year LVs and seek advice when necessary. Going out on community events and experiencing things as a community is very important to me. Our community loves to be together and loves to laugh and I think that this fact has made my transition very easy. I think it has helped me a lot.