Alumnae Speak to Students at Annual Service Symposium
After graduation, Chang chose to take a gap year during which she volunteered at an orphanage for girls in Sri Lanka. She arrived in Sri Lanka in September with plans to return to the United States in January. Fully immersed in the community and children she was serving, Chang extended her stay through early February.
While in Sri Lanka, Chang worked at an off-site daycare three days a week, taught two English classes, and served as a caretaker for the girls in the orphanage. Chang told the NCDS girls that when she felt alone and homesick upon arrival in Sri Lanka, she thought back to what NCDS taught her about faith and God. Chang noted the faith can mean something different to everyone and that it is up to you to define it in a meaningful way.
The community in Sri Lanka that Chang became a part of motivated her to make the most of her time. She felt it was important to see how other people live. Her time volunteering in another country gave her a broader understanding of life in another part of the world.Because of her experience, Chang plans to study International Relations in college. “College is the place to equip yourself with the tools to eventually make change,” Chang said. “I have learned that you can’t be passive if you want to make a difference.”
Jarvis first discovered her love for working with children during her Hesed Project at Camp Jabberwocky, a camp for disabled children and adults. Jarvis, an English teacher at NCDS, noted how service has given her a sense of empathy. She shared how her experiences at NCDS and Holy Cross led her to pursue teaching, first in under-served communities and then in Catholic education.
Once enrolled at Holy Cross, she became involved with Big Brother Big Sister and was one of the youngest students to take part in the school’s Spring Break Immersion Program. Through the program, she went on three service trips, including Pine Ridge (a Native American Reservation) in South Dakota and New Orleans. Reflecting on the trips and the people she served, Jarvis acknowledged that although she could not fix the hardships the populations she worked with encountered, she could help spread awareness about those in need. Jarvis reminded the students how important it is to listen to the community you are serving.
Before working at NCDS, Jarvis taught at Lowell Catholic School.