Florida Gov. Rick Scott, left, recently paid a visit to the Mother Teresa museum.
“I’ve been reading and re-reading,’’ she said. “But sometimes we’ll get a question that I have to look something up.” She said the little gestures that Mother Teresa was so famous for is helping her with her service at AMU. “Happiness comes from helping,’’ she said. John Gargano, a freshman from Fort Myers, Fla., helps out at Immokalee Family Services. He plays games with the kids and helps them plant and harvest a community garden. He’s also focused on becoming a Mother Teresa Scholar. A graduate of Bishop Verot High School in Lee County, he’s been on mission trips to Panama and Camden, N.J., but he’s dreaming of the chance to go to Calcutta next year. “I have to go there after this,’’ he said, while working in the exhibition hall. It’s been a learning experience for him, too. “I knew who Mother Teresa was,’’ he said. “But I didn’t know how amazing she was. I didn’t realize the extent of her personal experience with God.” He said he often sees visitors to the hall crying while they watch the videos of her life story. “It’s just so moving,’’ he said. Gargano, who hopes to get his master’s degree in Theology from AMU, and perhaps return to teach at his high school, said the service part of his college life is very rewarding. “I love this university,’’ he said. “With
HOURS
(During Academic Year) Tuesday–Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Noon to 4 p.m. 5060 Annunciation Circle, No. 105, Ave Maria, FL 34142 Call 239.280.2576 for tour information. Private tours are available. Admission: Free
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Scholar idea was an easy choice. “I really always did admire her,’’ she said. “I’m learning so much more about her now.” She said Mother Teresa’s simple message of helping everyone resonates with her. Delaney is involved in the Service Learning program at AMU and works at the exhibition hall. All of this service and learning is making a difference in her life. “It definitely has completely changed my life. It’s made me a better person,’’ she said. Delaney is studying Theology, with a minor in the classics and history. She works as a tutor at the Guadalupe Center in Immokalee, teaching young mothers how to speak English. She’s already been to Mexico on the spring break trip and is hoping to serve with the Missionaries of Charity in the Bronx this summer. Senior Carmela Al-Nagdawi also works at the exhibition hall. The California native is pursuing the Mother Teresa Scholar designation, too. She volunteers in Immokalee for the “School on Wheels” and is helping non-English speaking adults learn some basic conversation skills. “It’s not the title,’’ she said. “It really fills a void, a longing to help. To me, it just feels right.” Working in the museum allows her to learn more about Mother Teresa. She’d known about her when she was younger, but not as much as she does now as she is immersed in the nun’s life.
this service program, I love it so much more.” The Project hopes to generate hundreds of Mother Teresa Scholars. The University will confer this high honor in a special ceremony each year on Feb. 1, the anniversary of the day in 1965 when Mother Teresa first opened homes outside of India. “That will be a big day of celebration to thank God that Mother Teresa now has a home at Ave Maria,” said Towey. Any AMU student who is in good academic standing and who successfully completes the formation program and volunteers locally for 50 hours in approved programs and makes one mission trip either in the United States or abroad qualifies to be a Mother Teresa Scholar. “We have more students enrolled in this program than we can handle right now,” said Grace Cheffers, Director of the Mother Teresa Project. “We are excited about the enthusiasm and interest of our students and we expect to have hundreds engaged in the project next year. The more you know about Blessed Mother Teresa, the more you want to follow in her footsteps.”
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