Eleven Saint Peter’s College students traveled to Honduras as part of the Global Outreach Program from May 22 to June 4. The group spent two weeks performing community service throughout Honduras.
The students included Claudia Acosta ’07 of West New York; Gloria Cano ’07 of Jersey City; Tracey Clark ’07 of Sayreville; April Fuchs ’07 of Litchfield, Ohio; Molly Hanrahan ’07 of Forest Park, Illinois; Paulina Hornik ’09 of Elmwood Park; Alicia Islas ’07 of San Diego, California; Tiffany May ’07 of Jersey City; Melissa Osorio ’07 of Hackensack; Cecilia Peraza ’07 of Jersey City and Andreas Schwarz ’08 of Rochester, New York. Faculty advisor of the Modern Languages Department Dr. Patricia Santoro and assistant director of Campus Ministry Doug Demeo accompanied the students.
Since November, the Global Outreach Members engaged in a formation process with an emphasis on education, service, spirituality and team building. Team members engaged in service projects at the Catholic Worker in New York City, Heifer Project International’s North East Regional Educational Center in Massachusetts, and local soup kitchens in Jersey City.
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| Claudia Acosta ’07, Gloria Cano ’07, Tracey Clark ’07, April Fuchs ’07, Molly Hanrahan ’07, Paulina Hornik ’09, Alicia Islas ’07, Tiffany May ’07, Melissa Osorio ’07, Cecilia Peraza ’07 and Andreas Schwarz ’08 spent their summer volunteering their time in Honduras. |
“I decided to go to Honduras to experience their way of life,” said Andreas Schwarz. “We always hear about poverty, but until one actually experiences it first hand, you have no idea how bad the situation really is.”
This marks the fifth year that students visited Honduras. The group spent the first week touring local service sites and schools associated with the Jesuit Mission. They traveled to a Habitat for Humanity building site in Copan and brought the good wishes of the Jersey City chapter, which sends its international contribution to Honduras. During the second week, the group taught English in a local school in Guaymas. Local families each hosted two team members.
“The most valuable lesson was the importance of trusting the steadfastness of the Honduran people to help us arrive at a very deep appreciation for the many blessings we have in our lives,” said Demeo.
Saint Peter’s College is the Jesuit College of New Jersey. Founded in 1872, Saint Peter’s has an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The main campus is located in Jersey City. The College has a branch campus for adults in Englewood Cliffs, NJ and also offers courses at various corporate sites at the Jersey City waterfront and in South Amboy, NJ.