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Volume CXVIII, No. XXIII |
December 8, 2005 |
Students, alumni learn to give near and far
Volunteer Corps let students help, explore spirituality
The Record
Working in a school might not seem like an unusual job for a recent college graduate.
The difference for Andrew Krueger is that he's doing it in Tanzania.
"It's a very rural area," said Krueger, a 2005 graduate of SJU. "Only about four hours of electricity a day. Perfect."
Krueger, along with two of his 2005 classmates, is spending his first year after graduation as a volunteer with the St. John's Benedictine Volunteer Corps. It provides graduates with volunteer opportunities in monasteries both abroad and in the United States.
"Not only are you volunteering to help
people," said program director Br. Paul Richards. "You're also doing the work of the
monastery and showing your interest in exploring the Benedictine spirituality."
Andy Dirksen, a classmate of Krueger, is working at
St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, N.J. He said he made the right decision.
"I knew I wanted to help people by volunteering after I graduated, but I also wanted to step outside my comfort zone," Dirksen said. "Putting myself in a new environment not only provides the students that I am working with the benefit of learning from me, but it provides me with the even greater benefit of learning from them."
Graduates said they choose to volunteer for many reasons.
"I wanted to travel, to be of service, to learn a new language," said Mark Hoffman, a 2005 graduate who is working in Rome. "I realize now that I am better off having chosen this experience over a job."
Kruger said he chose to volunteer for personal reasons.
"Studying abroad really overwhelmed me and made clear that I had undeservingly been born into a great amount of privilege," Krueger said. "The one thing I understood afterwards was that I had to apply that privilege in a way which would positively affect those less privileged."
Br. Richards said he encourages students to consider volunteering after graduation.
"If there's an opportunity for someone to volunteer after college, and if it won't create an overwhelming financial burden, they should do it," he said. "It will build your character, your cultural awareness and even your résumé. If you're not doing this, you're making a mistake."
