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| >>Finding Your Haiti: A Message to the AQ Readers of “Mountains Beyond Mountains” |
By Emily Ferstle
AQ Senior, Community Leadership Major |
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A new tradition is starting this year. An experience that will integrate the new members of the AQ community and buttress the existing community. Aquinas College has a reputation for being a close-knit, inclusive community and continually strives to enhance and reinforce that reputation by implementing activities, events, and programs to bring the members of the campus together. One way to strengthen a community is to provide a foundation on which individuals can relate, such as a common intellectual experience. |
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| Such an experience is being implemented at AQ in the fall of 2008. |
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| The Common Reading Experience |
| Aquinas is launching the Common Reading Experience. When classes begin in August, every incoming freshman student, as well as AQ faculty and staff, will have read the designated book, “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” by Tracy Kidder. This book is a biographical account of the life and works or Dr. Paul Farmer, who has devoted his life to serving the poor in Haiti and around the world. The story of Dr. Farmer’s life is inspirational and eye-opening, and a compelling story of hope in the midst of overwhelming suffering |
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| The Common Reading Experience is a wonderful opportunity for the AQ community to connect through this unique program. Since this is the inaugural year, the incoming freshman class, as well as the rest of the student body, are the trailblazers for this endeavor. |
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| My personal excitement about the book came from an opportunity I had earlier this summer to participate in a Service-learning trip to Haiti, where Dr. Farmer has spent most of his career. The trip had both service and academic components, so in addition to traveling to Haiti in early May, participants spent a semester learning about the history and current issues of the country. This class was my introduction to Dr. Farmer. His history book of Haiti, “The Uses of Haiti,” was the main text for the class. Throughout the semester, I felt I was getting to know Dr. Farmer through his written work. His passion pulses in every chapter, every sentence and every word he writes. When I heard that the chosen book for the Common Reading Experience was “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” I was excited to say the least. |
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| “Mountains Beyond Mountains” and Aquinas College |
| Themes of “Mountains Beyond Mountains” and the life of Dr. Paul Farmer hold true in the mission of Aquinas College. Community involvement, activism, education, and Catholic teaching are all prevalent in the story. These are also part of the foundation of Aquinas College. The College strives, in its teaching and practices, to uphold the four Dominican charisms: prayer, study, community and service. These attributes make up the layers of an Aquinas education. |
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| The story of Dr. Farmer relates directly to each of these values. Dr. Farmer exemplifies the Dominican spirit by valuing Catholic teaching, especially when relating to liberation theology, to provide a “preferential option for the poor.” Paul Farmer is a doctor and an anthropologist by education - both rigorous fields of study. From his professions alone one can deduce Dr. Farmer’s dedication to his education. The Dominican value of community is also upheld by Dr. Farmer’s vision of a world community. If “Mountains Beyond Mountains” had a thesis it would be the credence “the only real nation is humanity.” In addition to his commitment to prayer, study, and community, Dr. Farmer also shares Aquinas’ focus on service. His life of ministry to the Haitian people and the poor of the world is an inspiration for anyone who has ever considered volunteering, whether for an afternoon or a lifetime. |
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| The Common Reading Experience gives a taste of what’s in store for students at Aquinas and for the rest of their lives. This program is the first of many opportunities that students have to evaluate life, be inspired, and do a little dreaming. This is the first of many experiences that will challenge them to take a step out of their comfort zone and learn something new. The reasons students choose Aquinas over other colleges are many and varied. The reason I chose Aquinas, however, was because of the unique opportunities it offers for travel, volunteering, and learning that can’t be done in a classroom. My adventure in Haiti earlier this summer is an example of one such opportunity. |
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| My Haiti Experience |
| At the beginning of May, I traveled to Haiti with ten other students and two advisors for a ten day immersion and service trip. We had spent the spring semester preparing for the trip: coordinating donations, learning Haiti’s history, and practicing the language. |
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| Aquinas is the proud sponsor of the André-Pierre Elementary School in Borel, a rural region of Haiti near the Artibonite River. Through various fund raising events throughout the year, the Campus Ministry Department is able to sponsor seven teachers’ salaries at the school annually. Though we have had a connection at this modest school for years, Aquinas students have been unable to visit because of political turmoil in the area. For the first time in years, we were able to reconnect with our sister-school in Haiti. |
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| We volunteered at an infant’s hospital in the capital, Port-au-Prince. We played with the children in the school, bringing each of them a backpack as a gift to reemphasize the importance of education. We toured the Albert Schweitzer Hospital. We distributed medicine and conducted research in the Haitian mountain communities in the Dominican Republic. This brief list of tasks does little justice to describing the impact the trip had on my life. |
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| When people ask me “How was Haiti?” I simply respond “Incredible and really intense.” I could easily spend hours upon hours gushing about the extraordinary experience I had. How heartbreaking it was to hold a child who physically appeared no more than six months old and then be told by a nurse that the child was nearly 5 years old. How satisfying it was to see the fruits of my physical labor as I mixed cement and molded cinder-blocks by hand to build an additional classroom for the school. How blessed I felt to sit at one table and share a meal with my Haitian, Dominican, and American friends alike. Words fall short in communicating the profound transformation I have experienced. |
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| Finding Your Haiti |
| What I have taken from the trip is a renewed sense of purpose in my life, an affirmation of my dreams, and an appreciation for the gifts and opportunities that I once took for granted. These are the things that form the foundation of success, yet they cannot be learned from a book or in a classroom. They can only be learned and fully appreciated through active participation. Experiences like I had in Haiti are vital for a complete education. Aquinas offers innumerable soul-searching opportunities which are not limited to travel. Opportunities for retreats, partnerships, research, internships, volunteering, special events, and community outreach present themselves on a near-daily basis. There is no shortage of places here at Aquinas to delve in deeper to your education. |
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| My hope for readers of “Mountains Beyond Mountains” is that they be inspired to find their passion. By reading about one man’s extraordinary life journey that started when he was in college, you may be surprised to find yourself inspired and hopeful for your future. Don’t be intimidated by the future. Everything will fall into place in due process. Ask yourself: What fires you up? What is your passion? What is your Haiti? And if you are still figuring that out, then get involved. Try something new. Join a club. Take a risk. Take a class you like that has nothing to do with your degree. You’ll never know if you like something or if you’re good at something if you don’t try it. |
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| College is about self-discovery and the Aquinas community will be there along the way to help you pursue your passion and your goals. |
