Just one year ago I was doing my internship at a human resource consultancy, being one of my first real experiences with the real work world. Despite having a great mentor and a great work environment, I was not feeling like I was in the right place. At the same time I was finishing my senior year in college, we all know what that means, you must start thinking what you want to do next. The people around me started to get concerned and asking questions themselves. What should I do? Should I go for an internship? Graduate program? As a business major, people were expecting me to start a career in a big company.
However, I was not visualizing myself there. Not at all. What I was thinking was really different. I wanted to do a long-term volunteer program where I could learn about a mission, the people and find myself while I was helping others. My options had two things in common: they were abroad and education related involving young people. The time was going so fast, and I only had five months remaining to make my decision. I was suffering a lot because it was big step that would affect my short-term professional future.
I was looking for a program with a purpose. By chance, one of the De La Salle Christian Brothers in Spain introduced me to Lasallian Volunteers here in the United States. My heart was telling me it was the right program for me. It was confirmed when I arrived and saw how natural it all felt to me.
It’s really important to listen to your heart, truly follow it, despite all the difficulties. I might have lost some of my friends leaving Spain but here but here in Tucson, at San Miguel, in the Lasallian network, nearly 6,000 thousand miles away from home is where my heart is falling in love and feels like it is in the right place. It is here, in this environment, where I’m happy, feel fulfilled, and have been able to find my true self and my vocation.
It might have not been the easiest path that I could take but it has been the one that is letting me show my own authenticity, essence…I can ensure all of that while I’m with the students, my colleagues and my community. Don’t let the noise of your life stop you from being yourself because your happiness does not depend on others, it depends on you.
Live Jesus in our hearts…forever!
Albert Chic is a first-year volunteer serving at San Miguel High School in Tucson, Arizona, where he serves as the 7thperiod and Lasallian Youth coordinator. He is a 2019 graduate of La Salle Barcelona URL (Spain) with a degree in business and management in technology.