Self-discovery lives outside the comfort zone

Notes from the Field includes reports from young women volunteering in ministries of Catholic sisters. A partnership with Catholic Volunteer Network, the project began in the summer of 2015 This is our third round of bloggers: Brenna Neimanis is a Good Shepherd Volunteer at a juvenile justice residential detention facility serving adolescent girls in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Kerry DiNardo is a Notre Dame Mission Volunteer AmeriCorps member serving at a Cristo Rey school in Boston.

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One of the main functions of my job is coordinating both Widening Horizons, the after-school program at our school, as well as class retreats for each of the grades.

At the Student Life program, we want to help the students form their whole selves intellectually, physically and spiritually. Through our academic offerings, students get deep intellectual formation and a glimpse into spiritual life and formation, but through Widening Horizons and our retreats, they are able to explore intellectual pursuits beyond the classroom, physical activities, and spiritual reflections.

The program reflects the belief that students need to experience and discover different aspects of life that will help each of them mature into his or her own person, discover the hope and beauty that surrounds them, and ask themselves questions about who has created all this.

I stay up-to-date on events happening not only in our neighborhood, but also the greater Boston area. I have relationships with many area museums, youth engagement organizations, service placements, and more. In addition, students are always welcome to bring any events they may want to attend to my attention. Some of our more popular events are "The Nutcracker" ballet, ski trips and Walk for Hunger.

Some of my favorite memories of my time at Cristo Rey Boston have been taking the students out to these different activities after school or on the weekends. Getting to know them outside of the school environment in an atmosphere that is much more relaxed has done wonders for our relationships. It's amazing to see the students outside of school, voluntarily participating in events that they are truly interested in.

That being said, it's not always the easiest sell to get students involved. They have to step out of their comfort zones for a lot of these events, as the students are sometimes scared to try new things. Whether it is seeing a classical ballet or going on a white-water rafting trip, if it's not familiar to them, there is an element of fear. I always try and encourage students who may not be the most willing to participate at first. It is through continued encouragement that they usually decide to participate after being on the fence initially.

The best trips I have chaperoned are the ski trips. The first trip I coordinated and chaperoned was in January 2015, just after Christmas break. There were many details to attend to prior to leaving for break, and once they were settled, I was very excited to bring about 40 students skiing and snowboarding for the first time.

Although my students love to act tough and like nothing scares them, their vulnerability really comes out when they start doing something for the first time, like skiing or snowboarding. Though some students were scared, the instructors who worked with us were able to settle our students' nerves and get them out on the mountain.

It was so beautiful to see some of the biggest and toughest students barreling down the mountain with the goofiest smiles on their faces and not a care in the world. For the students, making it down the mountain was such an accomplishment, no matter how many spills happened along the way.

Another favorite trip is when I chaperoned a five-day trip to Block Island, Rhode Island, in August. We arrived to school on a summer day, bags packed, ready to make the drive and then take a ferry to the island, where our amazing hosts met us.

Our activities included dissecting mussels, touring a lighthouse, paddle boarding, a boat ride, going to the local zoo, fishing, even a drumming class. We were also able to go to the beach and relax, play lots of card games, and stargaze. To see the students for a week outside of school in a calming setting that also gave them the opportunity to learn a lot was a great experience for us all. At first, some of the students complained about the early wake-ups and long days, but by the end, no one wanted to leave.

Another favorite memory was our May 13 white-water rafting trip for the seniors. This was another thing that none of them had ever done. Their minds initially went to the scariest kind of rapids they would face, even though we would be going down the mildest river and rapids. However, through the camaraderie they have built over the past four years, they were able to support and trust each other through completing such a high-adrenaline activity for the first time.

The most amazing thing about the Student Life programs is that it allows our students to be themselves and explore interests they might not otherwise have the chance to discover. Through the accompaniment of their fellow classmates and trusted adults who join them on these trips, they are able to have enough comfort to allow them to take the risk to do something they have never done before. 

[Kerry DiNardo is a Notre Dame Mission Volunteer AmeriCorps member in her second year of service at Cristo Rey Boston High School, where she works in the Student Life Office.]