Beyond our Borders_2017_1

BELIZE: BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY BY: CLAIRE JACQUAT, JENNA BREAUX, MANDIE DIMARCO, VERONICA FLORES

CHAPTER ONE

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE Every student who participated in this immersion trip experienced something significant and different than everyone else. This chapter will focus on our group’s favorite memories and our individual experiences from Belize.

Claire enjoyed meeting the children at the daycare in Belize.

CLAIRE I applied for the Beyond Our Borders program after hearing about Elizabeth Keller’s Belize experience in June of 2015. She described her experience as meaningful, and I wanted to experience the same feeling that she felt after serving the community in Belize. I hoped to receive a new understanding of the word “service� and learn the importance of gratitude on the trip. I wanted to comprehend the real value of material things, and I wanted to feel a sense of change once I returned from Belize.

My biggest fear going into this experience was that I would not be able to express how much the trip meant to me when I returned

home. I knew my family would ask me a lot of questions when I returned, so I wanted to be prepared to vocalize my experience.

The opportunity to serve others in the beautiful country of Belize was what excited me the most about the opportunity to participate in the Beyond Our Borders program. I jumped at the chance to apply for this immersion trip because I wanted to do something outside of my comfort zone and outside of the United States.

I prepared for the trip by attending group meetings throughout the year, which were organized in order to ready the group for the trip.

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Although these meetings were informative, I do not think anything or anyone could prepare me for such an impactful experience.

to post updates on her explorations across the world and about service projects within the Beyond Our Borders club at Ursuline.

I believe the most important part of the first year program was fundraising because it taught me the importance of teamwork. The 2016 Belize group was very dedicated to brainstorming ideas for fundraising, and it resulted in raising a lot of money for the group. One of the most memorable fundraisers was “Brenda the Belize Cup.” Catey Riddick and I named the cup and created a social media account for it on Instagram (@brendathebelizecup). Today, Brenda continues

Building Lunnet’s house was very difficult in the beginning, but our group began to feel more comfortable as the trip continued. Raising the last wall of Lunnet’s new home was one of the most impactful moments during the trip because it allowed us to see the end result of our hard work.

Ursuline students posed for a picture with Brenda the Belize Cup while volunteering with St. Bernard Project.

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My experience in Belize helped me to develop a better appreciation for everything I own, taught me the importance of teamwork, and

sparked my interest in the Ursuline motto, “Serviam.� Although I did not feel changed until after the second year, I would not be the person I am today without my Belize experience and the Beyond Our Borders program at Ursuline.

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Our entire group loved to joke around with James, our driver and travel coordinator.

MANDIE I applied to the Beyond Our Borders program because my mom thought that I needed to broaden my horizons and that the program would be a great opportunity for me to grow in my faith. I hoped to gain not only a sense of gratitude for the things that I have in my life but also to learn about a new culture while building relationships with the people that I met.

My biggest fears about this experience were about the food, since I am a picky eater, and not feeling changed when I came back. Everyone had been telling me that I was going to feel like a different person when I returned home from Belize, and I was nervous that if I did not feel that way that I wasn't “right� for the trip. Though those fears

were present in my mind, they did not stop me from having an even bigger amount of excitement for the upcoming experience.

I was most excited about creating a new group of friends inside my Ursuline community that I could call family. Forming strong bonds with all of the girls that went on the trip was one of my favorite parts of the program, and I will always cherish those relationships. The program allowed me to connect with girls that I otherwise may have not spoken to or gotten close to; in other words, the program provided a platform for me to expand my circle of girls I know can count on.

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To prepare for Belize, I did a lot of prayer and reflection to help me to be more open minded about my upcoming experience. In addition to this preparation, the whole group met to learn more about the culture we would be stepping into during that summer.

In the first year of the program, I was able to step into a leadership role which helped me to become more confident in my place in the group. While fundraising for the trip, I was able to start the bonds that would form strong friendships which manifested in Belize. While the first year was full of fears and nerves, I was able to grow into a person more confident in who I am and more in tune with who God is calling me to be through service.

I think my biggest failed expectation was what poverty was going to look like. I went in with a vision of the places that we would visit being impoverished, but being from the United States and imagining poverty is much different than going to see another country's definition of poverty. I also did not expect to grow so close with the people I met on the trip. After the first day, the uncomfortable feeling of the unknown was gone; and I was ready to accept and be grateful for the opportunity around me to build new relationships through service and God. My time in Belize changed my level of gratitude for things that I have in my every day life. Without necessarily meaning to, I have noticed that since my time in Belize I am less quick to complain about material items or amenities thinking back to Lunnet and how happy she was for the little things she did have, especially her family. Memories of Lunnet’s kind heart and loving smile help me strive to be grateful for not only the roof over my head but also the family that I have supporting me in all my endeavours.

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This candid photo was taken after Lunnet’s home was completed. It is one of Jenna’s favorite pictures from the trip.

JENNA When I was in eighth grade, Jarithza Carlson went to Guyana with Beyond Our Borders. I was very inspired by her and her group, and I remember telling myself that I wanted to do that when I got older. In the beginning of my junior year, I saw the notification about the Beyond Our Borders meeting. That night I went home and talked to my parents about it. I was beyond excited when they told me that I could apply. I just wanted the experience of getting out of my comfort zone and impacting someone’s life for the better. I applied for this program because Ursuline and Gandhi have taught me to be the change I want to see in the world. At a young age I made this

quote a goal of mine. With the help of Beyond Our Borders, the experience of this trip was my first step toward achieving that goal.

In the beginning I was hoping to experience a major moment that would change everything in my life. Although that major moment didn’t happen, my life was changed. Before the trip Ms. Baker would constantly tell us to participate and not anticipate, and before Belize it was hard to do that. I’m the type of person that likes to know everything that’s going on, when it’s going on, how, and where. In Belize everything was extremely laid back. The environment in Belize taught me not to think about the future but to take everything in at

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that moment because once it’s gone, it’s truly gone, and you will only have your memories.

pared us to go to Belize with a strong head on our shoulders and an open mind for the experience of a lifetime.

Going into the experience, I was a little nervous about my group’s experience with carpentry. Obviously, we were not experts. I knew we would work together to build this house, I just had no idea how we were going to do it in four days. Once we arrived and our building coordinator, Beto, showed us the correct ways to do everything, I was no longer worried. He walked us through step-by-step instructions; and through hard work, sweat, maybe tears, and true dedication, we did exactly what we went to Belize to do in four days.

The first year of the program was definitely challenging at some times. Learning about Belize was the easy and fun part, but thinking of different fundraising ideas that would be successful was sometimes difficult. We had feedback from the previous year to help us with the dodgeball tournament, but executing the plan and making sure everything was perfect was quite stressful. Also, trying to get other people excited about our different fundraising opportunities was sometimes challenging because they did not understand how important it was to us. In the end knowing how much money we raised for our house was payment for all of our hard work.

What excited me most about the opportunity to participate in the Beyond Our Borders Program was definitely building a house. During my experience at Ursuline, I’ve only done small service projects, such as picking oranges, helping the elderly, and sorting food cans.

Yes, all of those jobs are important and help someone, but I felt that building someone a house would impact them so much more in the long run. I was baffled by the idea of someone trusting us, an unfamiliar group of 12 girls that they had never met before, to build their home that they would raise their family in. I knew that I was going to be able to help provide a home for a family that I had never met before, and that warmed my heart to no end.

Similar to the other girls who went to Belize, I prepared for the experience by learning about the country itself. I learned about exactly where Belize is, the culture, tourists spots, popular foods, clothing, and even the weather. Even though it was obvious that we were not from Belize, we prepared ourselves to lay-low and not to be complete outsiders. There were weekly meetings, fundraisers, and even a retreat to finally bring our group all together. These events all pre-

Going into the experience, I tried to keep my expectations at a minimum because I had never been to Belize, nor had I ever done a service trip. But of course I could not hold back my expectations of what Belize would look like. Somewhat similar to New Orleans, Belize was beautiful in its own way; yet it was not what I had expected it to be. I expected everything to look like paradise. I know that not everything can be pretty, but nothing could prepare me for the many homes that were extremely dilapidated. In New Orleans those rundown homes would be abandoned, but they were fully occupied in Belize. Belize taught me that a lot of people are grateful for anything and everything they have. I am so used to people wanting more expensive and better quality possessions that Belize was definitely not exactly what I was expecting.

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Veronica enjoyed interacting with the Belizean workers on the worksite.

VERONICA I applied to the Beyond Our Borders program because I’ve seen struggles of poverty in an impoverished country. Some of my family was lucky enough to escape that life, which gave me the life I have today. I’ve gone back to Cuba to visit my family and there really wasn’t much I could do to help them. Belize was my opportunity to give of myself to people who needed help much like my family in Cuba. Another big factor was that I wanted to go out of my comfort zone and live out my Christian faith in a different way than what I was used to. I felt a really strong desire to just do it, so I did. I got really excited for this trip also because two of my favorite things are my religion and traveling, so combining both of those together

sounded amazing to me! I had previously gone on religious pilgrimages around the world, but I had never gone on a mission trip before. I know so many people who have been on mission trips and done missionary work, and they all speak about it as a life changing experience. I really wanted to experience what they all talked about, and it got me excited and pushed me to do it.

Honestly, I was so scared going into this because I was one of five juniors and seven seniors, and I was close to only one of the juniors.

Most people would agree I’m normally shy, so of course my biggest fear was that I wouldn’t fit in with the group or that I would not be able to make connections with people. With time I became a lot 9

closer with several girls on the trip, and I’m so thankful for the group of girls that I got to meet through Beyond Our Borders. I wouldn’t have wanted to build a house with anyone else!

From this experience I hoped to do what I couldn’t do in Cuba, which was to really help someone and impact her life. I didn’t realize how much those people and that experience would impact my life.

On this trip, I really experienced what St. Angela Merici meant when she said, "you have more need to serve them than they have to be served by you." The reason why I related our Belize experience with St. Angela’s quote was because we needed to be humbled and really connect with the people we were serving. We went to serve them, but they served us by teaching us and taking the time to show us how to build. I think that was the most impactful thing for me.

Lots of fundraising and meetings were a huge part of preparing. We were constantly thinking of ways to come up with money, such as selling items at the Christmas Boutique, bake sales, Brenda the Belize Cup, and the dodgeball tournament. We attended numerous meetings about things like the environment, culture, religion, and attire in Belize. We also tried to educate ourselves about the organization we were working with, Hand in Hand Ministries. We researched where we were staying, the neighborhood, the house, and how many people we could expect to work with. We also learned about the application process for the people applying to have a house built. Another thing that was “behind the scenes” preparation (but probably was the most important) was prayer. We prayed for our group as we prepared, for the people we would meet, and for a safe and impactful experience for everyone. Prayer was the most important thing to me while preparing for the trip.

The first year of the program was intimidating in the beginning, but I became more familiar with the people and the routines, which made for an awesome first year. Belize was and was not what I had expected it to be. It was because everything we had learned and discussed about Belize and the program was true. Also I was expecting it to be like Cuba in a lot of ways, which was true in a handful of ways. Still, it was different from what I was expecting because I don’t think I understood the reality of what I was doing until I landed in Belize. I think my time in Belize has made me more aware of people’s struggles. The lady we built for was named Lunnet. She was unemployed living with her mother, siblings, nieces, and nephews in one house after her husband left her and her house burned down. In the United States if people are homeless we assume it is their fault and that they put themselves in that situation. However, we don't always know the story behind someone's struggles. I cannot imagine having to go through what Lunnet suffered through. For me Lunnet is a witness of what it means to work through hardships and to not judge or assume a situation without knowing the full story.

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CHAPTER TWO

PROJECT INSPIRATION This chapter will describe the inspiration for our project, which is titled “Breaking the Cycle of Poverty”.

This theme originated from each of our experiences after seeing the effect of an unforeseen circumstance in Belize.

The lifestyle of Lunnet and her family was very different than what we are used to seeing in the United States. Lunnet lived in a house with more than ten people, and seeing this made us grateful for the houses and space that we have. We found inspiration in Lunnet’s positive outlook on her situation after we learned that her home, which Americans would deem an unsafe structure, was destroyed by a natural disaster. We connected with Lunnet and her situation due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Louisiana. Lunnet, like many victims of natural disasters, needed aid from an outside organization because she didn’t have the resources to help herself.

This problem, however, is not exclusive to Belize. Many people throughout Louisiana face the issue of not having a place to live because of a natural disaster. It is also difficult for them to find the help they need to rebuild their homes because of the epidemic of contractor fraud. Hurricane Katrina, as well as other recent floods that have occurred in Louisiana, destroyed homes forcing citizens to evacuate and leaving them without a place to call “home”. Just like Lunnett,

Louisianians need help from outside sources because they are unable to rebuild their homes alone. After witnessing the effects of Hurricane Katrina and the floods of August 2016 in Louisiana, we compared Louisiana’s citizens’ situations to the difficulty Lunnet found in rebuilding her home in Belize.

Our observations in Belize made us realize that we take what we have for granted every day. Most people in the United States would not be grateful for Lunnet’s new, two room home which only contains one bathroom because enough is never enough. Many times we want a bigger house or nicer car; however, families who are victims of natural disasters just want a safe and comfortable place to call “home.”

Loss of control is something that we experience daily in our lives. Lunnet’s strong faith and loving smile reminded us of Beth Joubert’s message to “Let go and let God”. Ms. Joubert reminds us to have faith in Him and His plan even when we aren't sure what will come out of the situation.

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CHAPTER THREE

THE ISSUE In Louisiana, 70% of all occupied units suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding led many to enter into the vicious cycle of poverty.

The cycle of poverty exists for a multitude of different reasons including lack of access to resources and unforeseen circumstances. These are the two aspects our group decided to focus on in our service project during the second year.

The issue of unforeseen circumstances, which includes natural disasters, is prevalent in New Orleans due to the city’s close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. Vast expanses of many New Orleans neighborhoods were inundated, making Katrina the largest residential disaster in U.S. history. The Gulf’s warm waters provide a perfect atmosphere for hurricane formation, leading many storms to grow in size and destroy many homes. After New Orleans homes are destroyed in the storms coming from the Gulf, the next issue is the lack of access to trustworthy contractors to help the vulnerable homeowners rebuild their homes.

People are not able to properly prepare themselves for what may occur during unforeseen circumstances like hurricanes. According to FEMA, the total damage for Katrina is estimated at $108 billion. No one can anticipate the terrible damages they may cause and the long process of restoration they leave in their path.

We partnered with St. Bernard Project to help rebuild Mr. Frank’s home. His home was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina, and he has lived in this recreational vehicle for the past 6 years.

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The issue of natural disasters does have the capability to impact the students and faculty at Ursuline whether personally in their own homes or as a whole by affecting our school and place of employment. During Hurricane Katrina our Ursuline community was impacted as the school flooded, and we were left to find new places of education and employment while our “home” was being rebuilt.

The general public should have an interest in our issue because it affects mass amounts of people around the country and the world.

Natural disasters do not only destroy physical structures, but take along with them a family’s sense of security. Our call to unite the world through hope and rebirth is why this issue matters to the general public. Working on rebuilding homes affected by natural disasters is a perfect way to contribute to our call.

CHAPTER FOUR

ACTION In this process, we learned that what may seem like small and useless actions, such as painting a door or nailing down plywood, have a larger impact on those we are serving than we may believe. Our experiences throughout this program can be summed up in a quote

by Donna Brazile: “It takes but one person, one moment, one conviction, to start a ripple of change.�

To address our issue, we decided to help others in our community rebuild their houses that were affected by natural disasters, just like Lunnet’s house had been in Belize. We worked with St. Bernard Project to help rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Lycee Francais de la Nouvelle-Orleans to educate the younger generation on the impacts of service in their communities.

During this process, we had many different people who helped us achieve our goal of penetrating the cycle of poverty. The people who helped us create our plan were our mentors, Mr. Baynham and Ms. Palmer. They helped us to condense our ideas into a plausible service project that we could execute. Next came Sister Regina Marie (SRM) who helped connect us with St. Bernard Project (SBP). This partnership gave us the opportunity to rebuild homes that were sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters. Our amazing volunteer coordinator, Morgan Van Lingen, was another integral part of our action. Morgan helped us to ensure that our group of volunteers was safe and effective in helping to bring people home. The last and most important people who were involved in our service project were the volunteers because they helped us transform our project from an idea to a reality.

Mandie is a part of the Mission Integration Team at Ursuline. She was informed about the Ursuline Sisters’ partnership with St. Ber-

Forming a friendship with Sister Regina Marie was one of our favorite parts of this project.

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nard Project, and this allowed us to put our plan into action. After contacting SRM about the partnership, she took us under her wing and fostered the beginnings of our service plan and new friendship.

This new-found friendship with the Ursuline Sisters has benefitted and impacted every member of our group. First, we contacted the nonprofit with help from SRM, and asked what needed to be done to make our service possible. The next step was finding students who would be willing to participate, as the four of us would be unable to rebuild this house alone. Claire created a signup and offered the opportunity to high school students. The last steps were finding chaperones, creating permission slips, and getting waivers signed that would allow for our plan to transfer from our minds to our hands.

Our group also partnered with Lycee Francais de la NouvelleOrleans, which is a middle school in New Orleans. This partnership brought an aspect of education into our project, which was necessary in order to complete our mission. We visited the school on Valentine’s Day and spoke to forty sixth grade students about our love for serving others and how they can serve others.

created a clearer vision of how we wanted to serve our community. If we were to start our plan over, we would have started out thinking more realistically. This would have allowed us more time to grow within the service to which we committed in the end. Also, we would have scheduled our service projects throughout the year instead of in one month. This planning would have increased the amount of students able to participate and allowed our mission to become more successful as the project went on.

Our greatest success in the planning of this service project was connecting with the Ursuline Sisters. Their continued support allowed us to grow not only in our main mission of serving our community, but also in our appreciation for the values and teachings of St. Angela.

The main sister responsible for our success was SRM. Through her devotion and hard work, our group was brought to a better understanding of the impact our service was having, making our experience so much more meaningful in the end.

Our final product was more successful than we anticipated. In the beginning, we wanted to focus our efforts on the Ursuline community through seminars that would educate them on the cycle of poverty. We soon realized that this would not be as effective as working outside of our comfort zones in other communities.

Our biggest challenge was finding ways that we could impact a larger community. As we began, we were too focused on trying to impact the whole city, rather than focusing on a smaller and more achievable goal. This wide-ranged thinking was frustrating, and we began to feel as if nothing was being accomplished. Therefore, we narrowed our focus into just two aspects of the cycle of poverty. This

This is the logo for St. Bernard Project.

SBP was a nonprofit organization that our group partnered with for the second year.

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CHAPTER FIVE

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE YEAR 2 Our second year was one to remember. We experienced ups and downs, but ultimately we gained new friendships and life-long lessons that we will carry with us throughout the rest of high school and into college.

Claire’s favorite memory from the worksite was painting and cracking jokes with Ally Haley.

CLAIRE Taking action is a challenge because there is always a reaction. The effects of our actions are not always successful or meaningful, which makes it difficult to take the first step and try new things. It is easier to talk about problems instead of taking action because we do not have to worry about the effects. Finding solutions to problems requires dedication and the realization that we could fail; but if no one ever failed, we would not learn from our mistakes.

St. Angela Merici once said, "Reflect that in reality you have a greater need to serve [the poor] than they have of your service." After returning from Belize and finishing the second year of the program, this quote has become more of a motto for me. This quote

demonstrates the importance of serving others and the amount of love that servants like St. Angela express while helping their communities. Next year I plan to volunteer and join service organizations on campus at the University of Alabama in order to follow St. Angela’s example and to continue growing into a true servant of others.

Throughout my endeavors in college and in life, I will carry St. Angela’s quote and my experience in the Beyond Our Borders program with me while serving people in my community and the world.

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Mandie loved being able to experience this program with one of her closest friends, Jenna Breaux.

MANDIE Action is a challenge in any situation because action requires that a person steps out of his or her comfort zone. The leap of faith that one must take is the scariest part of any action as it could end in failure. Instead of thinking about action as a potential failure, I have learned through the program to see action as something that can help me grow into a better person.

to drive me to think of others before myself, hoping to make their day better even if it is just a smile while passing by.

Before this program, the Ursuline motto of “Serviam� was only a word; yet through these past two years I have defined what service is to me, and that has been the greatest lesson that I will take with me as I move on to college.

After ending my time at Ursuline Academy and my time in the Beyond Our Borders program, I plan to move forward by living out the values of gratitude and compassion that I learned throughout my two years in the program. My newfound love of service will continue

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One of Jenna’s favorite memories from the trip was giving Lunnet the key to her new home.

JENNA It’s always easier to talk about a problem than to do something about it. This is because anyone can want to help and have ideas to help, but executing a plan is difficult. It is easy to talk about a problem because the problem most likely doesn’t affect you or someone you know. Some people think that, because it doesn’t affect them, they shouldn’t be concerned about it, but that’s not the case. We all live on this earth, and we’re all brothers and sisters who should help each other. Doing something about the problem also requires effort, which some people are not willing to put forth.

Executing the action portion of service can be challenging because it is difficult to realize that one person cannot help everyone and find

a solution to every problem. It is also difficult to narrow down exactly who or what you want to help and why. Once you figure that out, you have to figure out how you want to help them. There are so many ways that we can help our community, but we have to realize that we can only do so much.

Our group contacted multiple organizations and some would never reply, so our plans would backfire. Some of the ideas we had when creating our action plan weren’t plausible because we either didn’t have the funds, or we didn’t have the necessary amount of people.

That was another challenge: motivating people to help your cause and help you achieve your goal. Without the volunteers who helped 21

us reach our goal of breaking the cycle of poverty, we never would have impacted Mr. Frank (the SBP homeowner).

I plan to move forward by continuing to volunteer throughout college. I hope to continue bringing smiles to people’s faces and impacting people’s lives. I wish to better myself by doing things for others and not always thinking of myself.

My experience in the Beyond Our Borders program will always be a part of me because it has changed my perspective on service and life in general. I always knew that service was important and that it impacted people’s lives, but I never truly understood the impact I could have on someone until I saw the smile on Lunnet’s face when she saw her finished house. Although I can’t go to Belize and build a house every summer, I know that simple acts of kindness can bring a smile to people’s faces.

The Beyond Our Borders program made me realize that I can make a change in someone’s life, whether it be a big change or a small one. It also taught me that I am capable of stepping up and being a leader in service. Ms. Baker and my Belize experience have taught me not to anticipate events and to live in the moment. I have carried those lessons with me through my senior year, and I plan to carry them with me through college and the rest of my life. I will always remember the lessons I learned during my experience in the Beyond Our Borders Program because the program has opened my eyes to my love of service and has made me a better person all-around.

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One of Veronica’s favorite memories was climbing the Mayan ruins and experiencing the culture of Belize with all of her new friends.

VERONICA Actions speak louder than words. This means actions also require more effort than words. Words can only do so much. Words affect us on the inside, but actions affect everything else outside of us. Both have equal importance and can have long term effects, so why are actions more challenging? Through these two years that I’ve been in the Beyond Our Borders program I’ve really learned what it means to take action, why it can be difficult, and how it can affect people’s lives, including my own. I’ve never been much of a leader. I’m not very organized, not the most energetic or social, not the type of girl that can take a problem, take control, and make change. For me, the second year of the program seemed just as frightening as the first

year. I literally felt blind going into this. In my head I was like “What am I doing... I can’t do this… I don’t know how to do this.” Sometimes I still feel that way, but thank God I have a group that helps me and puts my worries aside. Action is a challenge because it takes you out of your comfort zone. Once you take the first step in completing an action, you go beyond your borders and find it was worth the work and struggles.

I think everyone can agree that it is always “easier said than done” when it comes to committing to anything. Words are powerful like I mentioned earlier, however, they do not fix problems like actions do.

People are always talking about their problems. Whether it’s about 23

school, work, friends, boyfriends, family, or social media. It’s interesting to hear about people’s problems and give our opinions on it.

How often do you see someone try to fix the problem? Some people say they have a solution and never follow through with their promises because it’s not easy, it’s not fun, and it’s not something people are eager to do. When I say action I want you to find the root of the problem and fix it in a calm and peaceful manor. If something is not your problem, but you are interested in helping to find a solution, I challenge you to take action.

tions with everything I do. It has changed my views, my decisions, my personality, and my life. I know that it is pretty cliche to say it “changed my life,” but in so many ways it has. I would not trade these two years for anything. I would recommend applying to be a part of this program to anyone who is interested, even those who think they would not fit in. I encourage you to take risks and see where your actions may lead you.

Through this experience, I have learned a lot about myself and what I’m capable of doing. When I came to Ursuline I would have laughed if someone told me I would be taking on a leadership position and becoming more comfortable around others. I’ve always seen myself as someone who can help through words, but not through actions.

Moving forward from this experience I want to continue helping others through my actions, like we did with Lunnet in Belize. I’ll be a senior next year, so I have one more year to encourage people to take action at Ursuline. I’m honestly not sure what moving forward will look like for me, but I know I will continue to be involved in multiple clubs and activities at school. I hope to continue helping in the Beyond Our Borders club and taking action as the president in the Teens for Life Club. I just have to pray, hope, and not worry about the future because I know God will point me in the direction of whatever He calls me to do.

Beyond Our Borders definitely has had a huge impact on me. This experience has given me a stronger desire to help and serve others and has given me more confidence in myself to do the things I never dreamt I could or would do. I will forever carry this experience with me for the rest of my life. I will carry it in my heart, words, and ac24

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First, we would like to thank the 40 students who volunteered their time to help the New Orleans community. Our project would not have been successful without the participation of these student volunteers, and we are forever grateful for the time and energy they put into our service project!

and we do not think we could ever repay her for all she has done.

The Ursuline Sisters have left a special mark on each of our hearts due to their persistent mission to live out St. Angela's motto of Serviam: “I will serve.”

We would also like to thank our group’s moderators, Ms. Palmer and Mr. Baynham. Our meetings were always effective and fun due to the task driven attitude of Ms. Palmer and the comedic personality of Mr. Baynham. Their thoughtful and strategic advice made a substantial difference in the outcome of our project, and we could not have thrived without them. Our collaboration with these two adults helped us grow as students and servants in our community.

Our new friendship with SRM led to a connection with St. Bernard Project (SBP) and Morgan Van Lingen. We are very grateful for SBP, all they have done for the community in Louisiana, and for allowing 40 high school girls to serve their clients and help them move back into their homes. We want to say a HUGE thank you to our SBP volunteer coordinator, Morgan, for all she has done to ensure that our group completed meaningful service and had an overall successful project.

Sister Regina Marie (SRM) and the Ursuline Sisters were some of the most influential people in our project. The Ursuline Sisters sponsored the houses we helped rebuild with St. Bernard Project, so we would not have had a project without them. We always looked forward to the hilarious emails we received from SRM, and her energetic attitude on the worksites. She always put a smile on our faces,

Lastly, we would like to thank the teachers who experienced the culture and country of Belize with us, Mrs. Gerwitz (“Pags”), Coach Parker (“The Local”), and Ms. Baker (“Jess”). We would not have had a worthwhile or memorable experience if it were not for their positive, hardworking attitudes. They continue to inspire us to do our best and serve others.

Ms. Baker, Mrs. Gerwitz, and Coach Parker made our Belize experiences memorable.

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