Coming into the AV experience I was most nervous for community living. I studied education in University and I was raised Catholic, so I was not concerned about the service or spirituality aspect. I had lived with four different roommates throughout my University experience. I just wanted to live with people who cared about each...
As I prepared to begin my year of service with the Augustinian Volunteers, I met up with an AV alumni to ask her some last minute questions and talk about the year to come. We talked about many things but one thing she said that stuck out to me was, “you learn that you are...
At the end of the day, it’s all about friendships. If there is one school that embodies this idea in an amazing manner, it is St. Augustine High School, more commonly known as ‘’Saints.’’ At Saints, I have the good fortune of helping with community service trips, retreats, and ministry of presence as a Campus...
A few grains remain in the hourglass as the twilight of my volunteer experience grows to close. As I reflect on the past nine months, I begin to question what I have learned and who have I become. Throughout this experience, I have worked at HIAS PA, a refugee resettlement in Philadelphia, PA. I recall...
There have been so many lessons from my time as an Augustinian Volunteer, but one thing that stands brighter than others is the interconnectedness of our world and how we all fit together. Being an Augustinian Volunteer has taught me a great deal, especially how all of us are on the same team, moving towards...
Being a preschool teacher sounds like it would be easy. Reviewing colors, shapes, and songs everyday, what could be simpler? Coming into this year, I expected my days to be spent playing with Legos and counting to ten. My reality, however, has been a completely different experience. To say that we preschool teachers are on...
“Willingness to jump into all sorts of unexpected situations.” Though perhaps included as a catch-all in most job descriptions, as I look back at the description for my AV position at HELP of Ojai, it strikes me that this line captures an important theme – the unexpected – that has underscored my entire experience as...
I decided I wanted to be a teacher when I was 17. I imagined growing up and having my own classroom. I thought about how I would decorate it, how I would arrange the desks, and how I would make sure that every student felt comfortable there. When I decided to spend the year as...
Community is the charism, or spiritual gift, of the Augustinian Order and a pillar of the Augustinian Volunteers. “What is community?” is often asked as we strive towards achieving a fruitful community of volunteers throughout the service year. Before, I had a surface level understanding. It was a group of people united over a single...
When it came time for orientation this August, I was super nervous about living with two strangers in intentional community for the next year. Upon meeting Meg and Hank, I became assured that this year would be one wild ride. The three of us spent the entire week laughing until tears were pouring out and...
