Mission Possible

POSSIBLE

F

or nearly two decades the St. Thomas campus community has remained steadfastly committed to short-term student mission trips that collide with long-play social justice.

Eagle scholars devoting a second consecutive spring break to aid the under-served in Honduras delivered an authentic re-connection with children and a community in need. The undeniable goal was supplying sustainable growth and restoring dignity.

Most striking to foreign language dean and mission organizer Danny Hernandez ’08 was again the decisive display of the St. Thomas group living the Basilian motto that has served as the institution’s divine compass for more than a century – Teach Me Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge.

“What I cherish about these efforts is the outpouring of our Basilian DNA,” Hernandez says. “This is the tangible impact of goodness. Every day in the academic year I focus on knowledge and discipline. There are also spontaneous life lessons that emerge but goodness is never as clearly defined. I see that quality in our students throughout the mission trips and that’s incredibly rewarding.”

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