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Los Angeles, CA One week after returning from our Los Angeles Collaborative Winter Immersion, I find today to be a great day to look back and reflect on the week, and to be able to take a day by day look at what we were able to accomplish, see, and learn from the different people and organizations that we were able to visit and work with during that time. For myself, personally, there were three overarching values that everyone I interacted exhibited in such a great way: Passion, Patience, and Perseverance. I'll take you a on a day by day journey to show you how each of the people we worked with was able to be such great stewards of service, as well as give you a overview of the things we did on this trip. Before I start with my daily recollection, I just want to point out that the time before my trip to Los Angeles wasn't marked with the utmost determination to make a difference and to be very open to all ideas. The weeks before going on this trip was a time for me to learn to...

Friday was the fun day for us LA Immersioners with a plethora of fun activities planned for us by our wonderful advisors, Blaise and Chris. We first started off the day with a drive to find the hiking trail to the Hollywood Sign. After a fun hour of finding the sign, we made it to the entrance and began the long and ardous trek to the top of the Hollywood Sign, which took us about an hour and a half. After our hike and a photo-op at the top of the sign, we made it to the bottom where we drove down to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles for Lunch. Afterwards, we went to Hollywood Boulevard for some sightseeing, and walking down the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Afterwards, we headed back to our living quarters in Duarte to have some spiritual reflection with Father Jim Heft who is a Marianist Priest. We had a very engaging conversation with him about Catholic Social Teaching, which we found to be very interesting. Saturday, for me was a very bittersweet day because it was the day where all three...

Today was a rather laid back day for our immersion group. After morning prayer and reflection, we headed to our final service site, which was the Catholic Worker Relief Site. We all went into the day hoping to get some work done at the site. We were rather dissapointed when we only ate at lunch and chatted with the patrons of the mission. On the other hand, it was very nice to be informed of the mission and the various programs that the Catholic Worker Mission provides for its patrons. The mission provides food for anyone who walks in their doors. They also provide foot cleanings for the homeless, as being homeless can be tough on a person's feet. The Catholic Worker Mission has a generally pacifist stance on most issues, and is against war. Given that the mission is not classified as a non-profit, it is come a long way from its origins, and that is something to be admired. After spending our time at the Catholic Worker Mission, we drove to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, ...

These past few days were nothing but a whirlwind of activities for our immersion group. Today, we spent the day at the Dolores Mission Parish and School, where we worked with students from the poorest parish and area in the city of Los Angeles. We learned that the Dolores Mission School, or DMS was a Catholic Charter school, which used to be run by nuns. It was such a uplifting experience to be able to work with students and to "be a little kid again" so to speak. One of the major things that have struck me as an volunteer was the ability for the students to come to school, and not having to worry about the gang violence and the general fear of being harmed right outside the school gate. What also amazed me were that the students seemed to be normal kids who wouldn't have problems at home, or other issues which would be a detriment to having a typical upbringing. After spending a very long day at the Dolores Mission and School, we had dinner with the Jesuit Volunteer Corp...

After a nice long rest after out most lengthy and most rewarding day at the Dolores Mission School I feel that I was able to get more of an insight of a day in the life of Los Angeles. The Dolores Mission School has hands down been my most favorite day. Even More than our "Hollywood    Experience" today. When we first arrived we where placed into different classrooms. I was put into art/computer skills with Mr.S. I found the experience within the classroom. After the lunch I was placed in physical education with none other than Mr. Christopher Cantu and an amazing Jesuit Volunteer Core member, Coach Beth. Coach Beth was amazing with all of the variations of the students, being patient with the little ones and the right amount of discipline with the older students. My favorite class of the day was with the third graders in physical education. The students where so precious. I automatically bonded with this age group because they had so much in...

Tonight, the 12 of us had the privledge of conversing with Father Jim Heft, a Marainist father who left UD in 2006 to write and study all things Catholic here in LA. Father Jim led us in a table conversation about religion and the importance of keeping it in our lives when so many see only the hypocracy to the media protrays about religion. I myself struggle daily with Catholicisms' views on homosexuality,politics, and family values. Recently in my life I have engaged in conversation with many of my friends who have left the Church or religion in general and I have had trouble defending my decision to stay. I knew the reasons in my heart, but could not put them to words. As usual, God brought me to the one person who could answer these questions, the one person He could speak through: Father Jim. Father Jim spoke about religion as an adgent for positive change and community. He spoke of a church and a people who are open and loving to all. A church that not only accepts sinners, bu...

At the end of this immersion experience I cannot say I am a veteran social worker or claim expertise in this area of service. However, I can say that it has been an extremely inspirational undertaking. I come from an island in the Pacific that has no homeless population, and since arriving in Hawaii (Chaminade University) in 2008 homelessness has remained an issue close to my heart. I have worked both through the university and individually to tackle this problem. But as it is with every social injustice, the roots run deep and complete eradication is never a close possibility. Slowly, I began to realize that homelessness cannot be fixed permanently. And gradually, my determination and will power faded. I guess I was exposed to the problem long enough that I had almost accepted it as a part of today's society. The fact that I did not see that much people working together to tackle the issue did not help as well. I was ready to give up. However, all that changed when this i...

We all know or have an idea of the social issues that affect our communities. Coming to Los Angeles it allowed me to view social issues in a different context. It allowed me to see organizations, some of which are not in San Antonio, how they work towards helping the less fortunate. I was also able to meet people from the other universities and to learn of what issues their respective cities face and how they are addressed in those cities. Through this immersion many great things happened. Firstly this was the first time that I travel to another state. Secondly I was blessed to see the community spirit that resides within the marianist universities. Even though we came from different parts of the country we were able to bond and to grow with the help of each other. we learned from each other and shared what our experiences were with dealing with social issues that we face in our commuties and what we understand of them. Not only did we grow in community but we saw other great communiti...

We started our day at the Catholic Worker, Los Angeles edition. The Catholic Worker was founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in the 1930s as a place where people can come to recieve whatever they need, whether that be a place to sleep or a hot meal, with an emphasis on social justice. This mission was instilled in the Catholic Worker movement since the beginning of it's founding and continues to be a cental mission in many Catholic Worker branches throughout the United States. At this particular branch they provide lunch three days a week and today they also provided a foot clinic because living on the streets really wears on your feet. The Catholic Worker also publishes a newspaper about social justice issues, which we were fortunate enough to get copies of. There are Catholic Workers all over the United States as many individuals continue their mission to serve those who sometimes need a little extra help when life has dealt them a rough hand and fight to give a voice to the v...

It has been a busy and thought provoking week. We are currently heading back to our home in Duarte after touring the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels downtown. We were so fortunate to have an awesome tour guide who took us through the over five acre property, and discussed the importance of the architecture, tapestries and artwork and St. Vibiana Chapel and Mausoleum. St. Vibiana, our tour guide told us, has become the "patron saint of no-body's." The cathedral represents a place where all are welcome and can find sanctuary, no matter of religious or social background. This is so important for the city of Los Angeles, where I am struck by the incredibly unbalanced distribution of wealth. We have spent time with those who are impoverished, hungry, homeless, tired, and oppressed, and yet people back home keep wondering if LA is as beautiful and "dreamy" as it is made out to be. Yesterday, I was inspired by the Jesuit Volunteers who have dedicated a year to do s...

Today was quite the adventure! We first started off with reflection and morning prayer, and then departed for Homeboy Industries, which is the largest gang rehabilitation program in the world. Homeboy Industries was started in Los Angeles in 1988 by Jesuit Father Gregory Doyle as a simple jobs program whithin the Dolores Mission Parish. When we first arrived at the site, we were greeted by our tour guide, Elena, who was a former gang member who had an addiction to Methaphetamine. Elena gave us a tour of the building, where Homeboy offers Case Management, Education, Employment Services, Twelve Step Meetings, Legal Services, Mental Health Services, Tattoo Removal Services, and Solar Panel Installation Training to former gang members. Homeboy Industries also has a high school for former teenage gang members who need to get a high school diploma. Homeboy also has five businesses which it runs, called Homeboy Bakery, Homegirl Cafe and Catering, Homeboy Merchandise, and Homeboy Silkscreen. A...

As the adventure continues, Day 3 of our immersion to Los Angeles, California continues as we begin the intense service learning and giving back to the communities here in LA. We began the day with morning prayer and reflections, done by our Advisors Blaise and Chris. Afterwards, we headed out to Downtown Los Angeles to have lunch at a Vietnamese Restaurant run by an immigrant couple. After the filling lunch, we had an informal dialogue with an immigrant named Phoung, who talked about his struggles with coming to the United States from Vietnam as a teenager. Phoung talked about his educational pursuits, and how his culture and identity played a large role in his becoming accustomed to American life. Phoung now works as a youth minister with St. Anne's Parish in Los Angeles, and helps bridge the gap between current Vietnamese teenage immigrants and their older parents. It was very enriching to find out so much about the Los Angeles Vietnamese Community and how difficult times were f...

We do not grow in favor with God throughtout our lives, but instead, over time, we come to realize that we are wholly favorable in our Father's eyes. That's a thought Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., introduced to my heart in his book, Tattoos on the Heart. Homeboy Industries is the biggest gang re-entry program in the United States. Started by Fr. Boyle and based in the heart of Los Angeles, it has not only become a saving grace to many men and women, but also a home, and a place to be heard, to be encouraged and supported, and to be loved. Today we visited Homeboy Industries and the Homegirl Café. After reading even just half of his book, I was hooked on the program and the message Fr. Greg carries with him. Upon arriving at Homeboy, we were greeted by a woman named Elena. Little did we know, Elena herself, a poised, confident woman, had quite a story. What a lady. Easily one of the most remarkable comeback stories I've heard from a woman, she has turned her life around and for that...

Back in San Antonio, I have a friend whose dream is to be a world boxing champion "at least one time." He has hopes of buying his ailing mother a nice house and paying off the debts of his father's business. He said to me once, "We have to get our voices heard for the people who have "lost" their voices in the world or have had them "taken away" by death, forever." He continued, "Today, not all young people understand how fortunate they are to be able to go to school. They just drop out or skip class like I have done. Now, I think about having wasted even one day of learning that a young person in another country would die for." Phong, the Vietamese immigrant whose story we were blessed to hear, told us that his favorite aspect of America was that in this country each person has the chance to be educated. He risked imprisonment and death for such a chance. Reflecting back, he spoke about reaching the ocean aboard an escape boat ...

Today was our first day of doing service. We woke up and went to Chinatown in downtown LA, it was a different experience than what I am used to; we were immersed in a different culture. This has definitely been a cultural immersion; we attended a Spanish Mass yesterday and ate Mexican food, today we ate Vietnamese food and later spoke with a Vietnamese youth leader from the Parish. He gave us his immigration story, which impacted me a lot. I too am an immigrant. Listening to his story enlightened me with his unique perspective on life. Phong, the Vietnamese immigrant came to the US when he was only fourteen. He arrived alone to overcome the obstacles. His enthusiasm to bring life to the parish and support the Vietnamese youth is something to emulate. He has put a lot of effort to help the youth from falling into gangs, violence, and drugs. It is people such as him that motivate me to be better and do better in the world. Claudia Carrete St. Mary's Univeristy San Antonio, Texas

Students on the Immersion from all Three Universities Posing for a Group Photo after Mass at La Placita (Top Row, L-R: Luke V. Megan F., Genevieve K., Katherine S., Frances A., Claudia L., Arturo A.) (Bottom Row, L-R: Joshua T., Grace P., Libby H., Dominique B., Anthony S.) Not Pictured: Advisors Chris C. and Blaise B.      Yesterday, after a long night with the students from the University of Dayton and St. Mary's University, a lot of bonding was accomplished. The day started off with breakfast around 7:30 or 8:00am, where we all were able to get to know each other while having a great meal. After breakfast, the group as a whole had a discussion on what our individual hopes, aspirations, hesitations, and potential barriers in regards to this trip were. Being so used to the 'Aloha Spirit,' I was previously rather closed-minded to the issues that were taking place in the other universities.  On the other hand, there was a general sense of community and Marianist hospi...

Today was our first full day in LA and it has been quiet the cultural expirence. As a Irish and Polish white American from Ohio I have very few opportunities to be a miniority, however today in LA was one of those few times. After waking up and eating breakfast, we met in our main room for an opening discussion. As we began to talk about the differences in our universities I was instantly energized with the Marianist spirit. While there are many differences in our schools, we all found a common ground in the family spirit that is so obvious on our campuses. Sometimes it is easy to forget how blessed we are to have the Marianists and their feelings of community so I was glad our conversation reminded me of why I love UD so much. After our opening morning conversation, we piled into the car to have church at La Placita. When we arrived I felt a little like a fish out of water, in a refreshing way. No one in the crowd looked at all like me and everyone was speaking Spanish, a language tha...