Introduction
My name is Jack Murphy, and I am a sophomore studying Social Work and Spanish at Providence College. A couple of months ago, I received the news from my college that I had received a Smith Fellowship. This fellowship sends students from PC, a Dominican college, to live with another community of Dominicans in another part of the world for six weeks during the Summer. This year, eight other students will be living with Dominican communities in Zambia, Australia, Argentina, South Africa, and the Solomon Islands. I will be living with the friars in Rivas, Nicaragua.
A great number of things led me to apply for this fellowship, but perhaps the thing that influenced me the greatest was the time that I have spent in Paraguay. After high school, I did not really have any desire to go straight to college, so I decided to follow in the footsteps of my older sister and do a year of service. I lived with a community of Franciscan priests for nine months in Asunción, Paraguay's capital. I went there with very little experience with Spanish and after having never lived away from home. After a lot of loneliness and tears during the first couple of months, this time in Paraguay ended up being the happiest and most fulfilling of my life so far. I spent a lot of my time teaching English at an after school program near the Franciscan's house, tutoring math at an elementary school, and doing visits to the local prison. There, I found that when I focus my own actions around others, I am someone who is happier and more full of life.
This Summer in Rivas, I hope to have this same type of experience of removing myself from my own small planet of my insignificant first world problems of a college like exams and papers, and take time to learn from people who may not be as privileged as me, yet know to live a life more full of meaning and experience.
Rivas is a small city about a two hour drive from Nicaragua's capital, Managua. From my contact with the friars, I've learned that I will be living with a family that is part of the Dominican community. I will be mostly helping out in the school that is run by the friars, Santo Domingo de Guzmán teaching English and helping out with the school's reforestation program.
I am really excited for all of the learning that will take place this Summer, and I'm extremely grateful for those in my family and in the Providence College Community for making this possible.
Until next time,
Jack
A great number of things led me to apply for this fellowship, but perhaps the thing that influenced me the greatest was the time that I have spent in Paraguay. After high school, I did not really have any desire to go straight to college, so I decided to follow in the footsteps of my older sister and do a year of service. I lived with a community of Franciscan priests for nine months in Asunción, Paraguay's capital. I went there with very little experience with Spanish and after having never lived away from home. After a lot of loneliness and tears during the first couple of months, this time in Paraguay ended up being the happiest and most fulfilling of my life so far. I spent a lot of my time teaching English at an after school program near the Franciscan's house, tutoring math at an elementary school, and doing visits to the local prison. There, I found that when I focus my own actions around others, I am someone who is happier and more full of life.
This Summer in Rivas, I hope to have this same type of experience of removing myself from my own small planet of my insignificant first world problems of a college like exams and papers, and take time to learn from people who may not be as privileged as me, yet know to live a life more full of meaning and experience.
Rivas is a small city about a two hour drive from Nicaragua's capital, Managua. From my contact with the friars, I've learned that I will be living with a family that is part of the Dominican community. I will be mostly helping out in the school that is run by the friars, Santo Domingo de Guzmán teaching English and helping out with the school's reforestation program.
I am really excited for all of the learning that will take place this Summer, and I'm extremely grateful for those in my family and in the Providence College Community for making this possible.
Until next time,
Jack
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