Mathematics, Class of 2018
Immersion Trips
Finding Agape in Adversity
For 10 years, New Orleans resident Trenice and her son were without a home. Their house was demolished when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2006, and without the resources to rebuild, they had no choice but to accept the generosity of family in the area who offered them shelter.
I met Trenice when I embarked on a Santa Clara University immersion trip to New Orleans, made possible by your support of the Santa Clara Fund. For one week my classmates and I volunteered with the St. Bernard’s Project and helped build homes for hurricane victims.
One of the houses we worked on was Trenice’s. Her home was nearing completion, so we painted interior walls (green for her son’s room – his favorite color), painted exterior walls, laid down sod, and completed other tasks to prepare the home for move-in day.
Despite being homeless for 10 years, Trenice’s grace in facing such adversity was extraordinary. She was able to find a silver lining in the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and I will never forget the word she ingrained into us all: agape, which means unconditional love. She explained that ever since the hurricane she has witnessed agape all around her, especially from the volunteers who took time out of their daily lives to lend a hand and stand in solidarity with those who fell victim to the violent storm.
Agape became a huge theme on our trip. We witnessed it ourselves in our work throughout New Orleans and we promised to bring it back and share it with the Santa Clara community.
I quickly realized that we weren’t on this journey to teach the people we were serving. We were there to learn from them. And one of the most enduring lessons I learned was that in giving, we receive agape and much, much more.
Your gift to the Santa Clara Fund enabled me to travel to New Orleans, assist people displaced by Hurricane Katrina, and touch the lives of people like Trenice – who enriched my life far more than I helped hers. I’m grateful for your generosity and hope you feel the agape that your support provided both the New Orleans and Santa Clara communities.
Read about other Santa Clara students who were beneficiaries of your gift to the Santa Clara Fund.