day 1

Seeing as this is my first entry into the blog, it is probably wise to give a little background information. I am from Two Rivers, WI. It is a small town about 70 miles north of Milwaukee situated on Lake Michigan. I grew up in a suburban neighborhood and then in the country, next to farms and forests. Needless to say, it is quite a bit different than downtown Oakland. Growing up I did not know what crack and heroine were, I never saw a homeless person, and everyone I knew was white. So coming to the Champion Guidance Center of St. Vincent de Paul has been an in depth learning experience.
After attending a Catholic high school I enrolled at Boston College, a Jesuit institution in the suburbs of Boston (ironically, BC is in Chestnut Hill and is actually a University - there is the fun fact for the day). There, I studied Biology and Philosophy while also preparing for a career in medicine. I also participated in an a cappella group called the Heightsmen of Boston College, which is BC's only all-male a cappella group. Anyone who would like to listen to (and hopefully buy) a CD is welcome to come down to the center.
I decided I wanted to participate in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps my junior year at BC. I was on a service trip to Fries, VA and during a spiritual reflection felt the calling to spend a year after undergrad and before med school doing service. JVC is a program based on the four Jesuit ideals of community, spirituality, simplicity and social justice. We work all four ideals into our lives each day, with my social justice piece coming mostly from working at the Champion Guidance Center. It has been an enlightening, fulfulling and scary experience so far and in upcoming blogs I will go into more detail about what I actually do and see at the Center. For now, peace.