Ruined for Life
I’m proud to be #JesuitEducated because it’s ruined me for life.
By Jimmy Hamill, Saint Joseph’s University ‘12
It was the pit in my stomach that encouraged me to leave my dorm and explore campus.
It was the first handshake with a stranger on the street.
It was the story of a knight turned saint.
It was the prayer that asked for what I needed, not what I wanted.
It was the Spiritual Director who quoted Cher and told me to “Snap out of it!”
It was the ability to pause on a busy day and thank God for the breeze on my skin.
It was the pride of a Saint Joseph’s University student and chanting “The Hawk Will Never Die!”
It was the shoulder to cry on when I didn’t believe God wanted me.
It was the people who reminded me that being gay and being loved were not mutually exclusive.
It was the regret of an acid tongue or an ungenerous heart.
It was the friend who told me to listen more and speak less.
It was the humility to recognize my privilege.
It was the vulnerability of a retreatant.
It was that 3AM diner run with a mentor.
It was the decision to join the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.
It was serving as a JV on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota.
It was living out the values of spirituality, simple living, community, and social justice.
It was the profuse heat of the sweat lodge.
It was the meal shared with friends.
It was the endless skies of the Great Plains.
It was grieving lost loved ones.
It was the sickness only cured by a loving home.
It was teaching about justice.
It was a question with no answer.
It was returning to work for JVC.
It was daring to change.
It was walking alone.
It was moving away from and returning to the Church.
It was falling in love, staying in love, and letting that decide everything.
It was recognizing God in all things.
I’m proud to be #JesuitEducated because it’s ruined me for life.
Jimmy Hamill is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University, where he earned his B.A. in English in 2012. After St. Joe’s, Jimmy served as a Jesuit Volunteer on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota; he then received his M.A. in Literature from Lehigh University, with a focus on Literature and Social Justice. Jimmy is thrilled to be back with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps working as a Recruiting Coordinator in Baltimore.
