This week’s celebrity is Jenna Denice!
She is a senior at Boston College who is a leader of the Arrupe Program. Read on to learn about the program and her experiences.
What is the Arrupe program?
The Arrupe International Immersion Program is a full year commitment in which students participate in small communities through the facilitation of two student leaders and two adult mentors over the course of the school year. There are nine trips that travel to Central and South America during the winter break for about ten days. The program’s vision is designed around the idea of building faith-sharing communities in which students discuss the realities of people from another country who struggle in poverty from historical, social, economic, political and religious perspectives. The program intends for its participants to humbly encounter the other, to develop compassion and empathy in hearing stories of local community members and to ultimately be motivated and called to action.
What region did you go to and what was it like?
Last year, I was a student participant of the Belize trip. We traveled to the southern part of the country first, to Punta Gorda, where I stayed with the Gomez family for a few days in their home set up on the hills of 360 acres of pure jungle. Not only was the view amazing, but the family also opened their home for another BC student and me. Over the few days we spent with them, I truly learned that although we may share a different context, a different culture, and different daily problems, we are still so similar to one another. For the remainder of the trip we traveled to Belize City, where we built a house for Ms. Albina and her three children alongside Hand-in-Hand Ministries. We were also able to visit a day-care/clinic that tended to the needs of children whose family members were affected by HIV/AIDs and heard from the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and the work they have done with their placements.
How has this program impacted you?
This program has shaped my perspective on life and the intentionality I use when making decisions that affect not only myself, but also specifically others. I have been blessed to meet so many incredible people, both in country and especially back here at Boston College. Last year’s experience made me realize just how important something like Arrupe is, so I have decided to be a Student Leader this year and am traveling to Nicaragua in two months with the most amazing group of BC students. Throughout the past two years, I have learned to not take the opportunities and privileges I have for granted, and more importantly, I have learned how to use those to better the lives of others. The Arrupe Program truly embodies the Jesuit ideal of “Men and Women for others” and has made me tremendously proud of attending a school here at Boston College. It is a part of my BC experience that I will never forget and truly encourage everyone to get involved with the program.
How can others get involved?
Applications for the following school year will come out in the spring. There are information sessions where student leaders and past participations share their experiences and more information about the application process is revealed. You cannot participate in the trip if you are planning to go abroad your junior year so for those freshmen out there, it may be beneficial to apply going into your sophomore year! More information can be found here.
Photo Sources:
Jenna Denice