From Jen Bradley ('13):
Over fall break I had the opportunity to go on Villanova’s first service break trip to San Diego, California. It was a mission trip that primarily focused on immersing ourselves in the immigrant population of San Diego. We learned about border issues from a number of different viewpoints as we took a tour of San Diego’s border with Mexico with U.S. Border Patrol, and listened to the stories of struggling immigrants and day laborers. We also worked on a farm, helped local artists restore a mural in Chicano Park, and visited two high schools in the area. At the schools, we listened to the experiences of refugee students and learned how much they valued the educational opportunities in the U.S. Interacting with the students was one of my favorite parts of the trip because it reinforced my desire to teach and mirrored my opinions on the importance of a liberal arts education that provides insight into several different perspectives. I was also really excited to use my Spanish, and thankful for the opportunity to learn about current social issues outside of the classroom.
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| The mural Jen helped restore in Chicano Park; Jen is fourth from the left. |
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| Jen at work on the mural. |
