My name is Andrea Carandang and I am a student in the Concurrent Teaching Education Program at St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto.  I am ecstatic to participate in the launch of the summer program in partnership with Mother Teresa Middle School in Regina and I will be sharing some of my experiences through the JVC blog.

According to its website, Mother Teresa Middle School “provides an enhanced, holistic, middle school education to Regina’s vulnerable inner city youth.”  It desires to break the cycle of poverty by helping “highly motivated, economically disadvantaged, grade 6-8 students whose potential for success has been compromised by social and economic factors affecting them and their families.”  The Catholic faith is combined with the mandated middle school curriculum.  It also has extended school hours, smaller class sizes and a network of support systems for the students.  The school’s overall goal is to create young people who are “Men and Women for others.”

I have been working with the school for just over two weeks and my experiences have so far been nothing short of incredible.  As I have said to numerous friends, there is no shortage of love and support from the school, particularly from the staff.  They have put their best effort forward to ensure that I feel comfortable within the community and that I have access to whatever resources I may need.  I’ve been pushed out of my comfort zone several times and each time there was a lesson to be learned.  In my first two weeks, I’ve done more math than I have done since high school, learned how to make lasagna and apple crisp, observed classes, and more.

The Catholic roots that are at the foundation of the school is evident in its day-to-day operations.  The day starts with a reflection and a song that brings to mind God’s presence in one’s daily life.  In every classroom and in the main lounge, five principles can be found around the room:  open to growth; committed to doing justice; religious; loving; and intellectually competent.  It’s a call to remain accountable and to live out these principles in everyday life.  These roots are also evident in the interactions that I’ve had with the staff and students, in their unceasing love and support for one another.

One of my biggest concerns about traveling to Regina by myself was having a sense of community.  I felt that not living with a group of people who would be doing the same work as me would hinder me from being able to experience the community aspect of the Jesuit Volunteers program.  However, the Jesuits here in Regina have gone above and beyond to make me feel welcome.  From Thursday night dinners at their house to bringing me to a reserve and taking the scenic route back to Regina through the Qu’Appelle Valley to just simple everyday conversations, they have shown me what it is like to be with a community.

The next three months will be an experience in community, simple living, social and eco justice, and spirituality.  It will be an opportunity to deepen my own faith and to discern God’s vocation for me in my service to the students.  I ask for everyone’s prayers as I continue on this journey.