Bringing the Legacy Full Circle
The Vincentian mission is all around us, and having the opportunity to be surrounded by the history, the places, and more importantly, the people living it out everyday was an priceless memory that can be cherished but should be acted upon through a multitude of different ways. This is a story about how one man, one women, and one mission can change you forever.
Mission? What Mission?
When I first came to DePaul, the Vincentian mission was the last thing not only myself, but many others were worried about when we first walked through the pavilion entering the quad on Fullerton, a monument we have all come to familiarize ourself with. Mission this, mission that, yada yada yada I thought.
And then came Discover Chicago, a week of not only immersion into the city many of us chose DePaul for, but rather, a week of familiarity and a week of getting closer to the university we have come to call home. With that, we discovered the mission.
This first look into the mission was not only eye-opening, but also relatable to a point which took us all by surprise when we found that so many of we’re already living the mission in various ways whether through leadership, service, or advocacy in the multitude of things we were involved in both inside the university and out in the community.
The seed of Servant leadership was planted in our minds from the moment we stepped into that classroom, and on my journey, it’s grown into something I couldn’t imagine being at DePaul without. From the students, to the faculty and staff, to the board, the mission is alive in well in all aspects of DePaul University. It’s this community that continues asking “what must be done?” and using their minds and abilities to change the world for the better.
Leadership by itself can take so many different forms through the various ways we choose to get involved. Getting involved in Student Government came as a surprise to me, but when I was able to take a look at the work the organization was doing and the potential it had, it quickly became a staple of my college career that I couldn’t imagine going through without.
Mission Impossible?
What reward comes from something some easily accomplished? Something that required no thought, no reflection, and no upward battle to fight?
Struggle:
verb — to strive to achieve or attain something in the face of difficulty or resistance
The work we do in our lives as leaders, as students, and as change agents is not too different from the work Vincent and Louise did, but also not too different from the fight they fought.
The fights.
The distress.
The defeat.
Just as they experienced it, we do too, day in and day out.
But how can we take that struggle and turn it into something amazing?
Just as Vincent and Louise had, we’re encouraged to use reflection in our lives whether it be personal, professional, or any combination of the two. Struggle for me, has resulted in some of my lowest of lows. Some of those lows though however, have turned into the highest of highs and can be pinpointed to some of the very experiences that have formed the foundation for my character. Reflecting on those experiences, we’re able to build on ourselves and develop into incredible human beings on our journey, no matter what path we’re taken down. As Vincentian, reflection is imperative. As Vincent said, “It’s not enough to do good, it must be done well.” Reflection offers just that.
A chance to improve upon the past, and an opportunity to create change in the future.
Much of my personal journey came to be when I was a small child in the midst of what was a rather difficult time. My parents had just gotten divorced and my mother who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis was beginning to come to terms with some of the worser stages of the disease. That’s when the injustices that persons with disabilities face started to become apparent to me, even though I didn’t exactly realize it at the time being only five or six years old. As I grew older, I began to understand them, and soon enough, decided something needed to be done as I grew up, having to constantly contribute
PER
SPEC
TIVE.
Perspective. There are so many ways to look at perspective. But what about perspective makes the Vincentian Heritage Tour remarkable?
The opportunity for 19 other student leaders to open you up to so much more than what you think you know.
We all came from different walks of life both personally, professionally, & academically. But on March 26th, 2017, we all walked out as members of a special Vincentian Family. Here, opportunity had a chance to blossom into so much more.
Paris was a lot of fun, but now, we have a responsibility to Vincent & Louise to bring their work back into our communities and make real change. How can we do that? To each their own I say. But each of us have unique gifts that can go extremely far in spreading the mission, a mission that so many of our peers are already living out.
How can we encourage them to be more professional, more personable, and to do their work well?
So many of those we are surrounded by on campus, getting a bite to eat, and in the city, both past and present student leaders, inspire me on a daily basis to examine the scope of my work and ask how i’m looking at it through a Vincentian lens. It’s the constant push and encouragement that we offer each other as a community that is often some of the best support.
Carrying On.
So we’re back. Now what?
Passion plays a key role in the journey of life. It shows your commitment to the causes near and dear to you.
My passion? Flying.
One day, I hope to be able to make air travel, no matter what the purpose, more affordable for everyone. People travel for a plethora of reasons. Some for work, some for pleasure, etc.
Separated families.
Medical needs.
Experiences.
Whatever the reason may be, I want to afford the disenfranchised to opportunity to access what seems like a luxury to experience a world where so many of us seem divided by bringing us closer together.
I think of the trips I was afforded as a child and the memories and impact that they had to make me who I am today. No material possession can come close to replacing those memories and every child deserves to have their imagination sparked in one way or another. The world is sitting right before us, and every man, women, and child deserves to be able to experience it to it’s fullest to fulfill whatever purpose their heart desires. The chance to experience different cultures and ways of life across the world is such a crucial step to recognizing the human dignity we all have because when we step out of our own bubbles, we began to see what we’re missing.
I may not have a steady plan for accomplishing my goals, but I think of the men and women who donate their time to medical flights, often for families who can’t afford treatment let alone trips and extended stays to the best medical facilities modern society has to offer. It’s small but meaningful acts of charity that can be the best remedy to helping a family in need of even just a little bit of hope that I hope to be able to contribute to before long.
