By Nadia Dudley
What should you expect on a trip during school break? How does the experience affect students?Nazareth offers many experiences for students of all years and majors, including trips around and out of the country. One I was interested in learning more about was Alternative Breaks, student-led trips that focus on immersive service opportunities and education surrounding social justice and community-identified projects.
I talked with Kelsey Fahy, a sophomore sociology and religious studies major. Kelsey co-led the January break experience in San Diego, CA, and Tijuana, Mexico. The week in San Diego (15 miles from the border) ended with one day to cross the border. This experience mainly focused on community development and immigration/migration. Let’s dive into some Q&A with Kelsey!
What did you do?
“We spent a lot of our time in Chicano Park, located in Barrio Logan. We learned a lot about the history of the Chicano community and the incredible murals in the park; we even had the opportunity to leave our mark in San Diego by restoring one of the murals!” |
| Students Kelsey Fahy and Meghan Moyer help restore murals. |
Other activities included dancing with a group of Aztec dancers, a spoken word poetry workshop, and eating lots of wonderful food prepared by their nutritionist.
What impacted you the most?
Some of the moments with the most impact were preparing sack lunches and delivering them to people who had just arrived at the San Diego airport in the United States, Kelsey said. Hearing migrant people’s stories and communicating even through the language barrier showed the group what it was like for families who are trying to make a better life.“The day that impacted me most was when we visited the border wall. We learned how highly militarized the border is and that it was designed to cause harm. That was a really hard day, but it was so important to witness how this works. What really struck me was seeing a man in between two parallel border walls and learning a bit about his story. Many times people climb over the first wall, but get stuck or stay in the middle to seek asylum. Now with the new administration, anyone in this kind of situation will be deported again so migrants will likely try to find another way. Standing right there put everything into perspective for me.”
What are some lessons you learned?
“I think that a resounding message I will carry with me is the importance of continuing to stand up for human rights and dignity, despite the deeply troubling realities of our world today. We need to advocate for the rights of migrants! When we are faced with injustice, we must find ways to take concrete action and maintain the bonds within our communities. It’s true that we are stronger together!” |
| Kelsey Fahy on her trip. |
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| The San Diego/ Tijuana group. |
What struck me
Talking with Kelsey and seeing her love for her Alternative Break pour out was incredibly touching. I knew these trips provided impactful experiences for students, but what surprised me was how deeply the trip could impact someone. Kelsey’s trip covered heavy topics like immigration, while also covering community development and veterans. I like that these trips can expose students to these important topics. You have to step out of your comfort zone to learn, and that is what is attractive about these trips to me.I’d like to thank Kelsey Fahy for her time, and for helping us realize that now, more than ever, it is important to stay engaged and informed to help make a difference for the better.
For more, see: Beauty and inequity in San Diego’s Chicano community
Nadia Dudley is a first-year student majoring in Communication and Media Studies with minors in Digital Media and Design and Studio Art. She loves to travel and will be studying abroad this summer in Pescara, Italy.
