Detail Page
List Detail
Entrance Interviews...
Prior to leaving for Montana, the boys were asked a series of questions:
2) What do you hope you get out of it?
3) What are you most excited about?
4) What are you most nervous about?
5) What will make the week “successful” for you?
Hopefully these give some perspective on what each student is thinking as they go into the trip and provides a baseline for their week.
Click on "Read More" to see read their reflections...
For me, the reason I want to go to Montana is to find things within myself I have not yet found and to work on the things I have found, but not perfected. For example, since coming to Calvert Hall, I have found a sense of confidence in myself, but it’s not the best it could be. In Montana I want to work on this by not only leading the group of CHC guys, but also lead the group of students we are tutoring. For the things I want to find within myself, I don’t want to force to find anything. I want these things to come naturally to me. Within this trip, learning about myself is important, but also learning about a different part of our country where poverty may not be the same. In Baltimore City, poverty is one thing. But on a reservation in the middle of nowhere, poverty may seem a little different to me and I want that perspective to change. ~ Ben B.
Back
I am at a point in my life where I know great change is coming. Yes, there is college of course but more so the change I’m looking at is becoming an adult. My childhood is coming to a close. I’m being included in more adult conversations, I’m determining what my future will look like, and I’m beginning to feel more of the pressure of the real world. I have things I think I want to do but I don’t exactly know how I’m going to reach them or if I really want to do them at all. It’s scary. This is where Montana comes in. I want to go to Montana for the new experience. I believe that experience is the best teacher. I also want to go to Montana for reflection. I crave some real, deep reflection and I know that this trip will provide me with that. I hope to get some answers of what it is I truly want or at least be more comfortable with growing up and becoming an adult. I’m very excited for Montana and I cannot wait to see the beautiful mountains on the horizon. ~ James C.
Personally, I find that I have many leadership skills that will help me excel during our week in Montana, and I still believe that being a team player and a listener are good aspects of being a leader. I applied for the trip because of my love for service, but also to look inward and really figure out what I want to do in my future. Honestly, I’ve given plenty of thought to a life of service, and this opportunity could have a great impact on my discernment. I don’t think I know the answer to the questions like, "what do I bring to the team?" and "what will my impact be in the group?" Perhaps the questions will answer themselves, and I hope that journaling will help me answer them, especially for myself. One thing I didn’t realize and that I know I can get out of this experience is doing more than just being present and stepping outside of my comfort zone of compliance. I’m excited to grow on this trip as both a human and a leader, especially growing with my brothers. ~ Henry W.
Personally, I find that I have many leadership skills that will help me excel during our week in Montana, and I still believe that being a team player and a listener are good aspects of being a leader. I applied for the trip because of my love for service, but also to look inward and really figure out what I want to do in my future. Honestly, I’ve given plenty of thought to a life of service, and this opportunity could have a great impact on my discernment. I don’t think I know the answer to the questions like, "what do I bring to the team?" and "what will my impact be in the group?" Perhaps the questions will answer themselves, and I hope that journaling will help me answer them, especially for myself. One thing I didn’t realize and that I know I can get out of this experience is doing more than just being present and stepping outside of my comfort zone of compliance. I’m excited to grow on this trip as both a human and a leader, especially growing with my brothers. ~ Henry W.
When I applied to go on an immersion trip, I wasn’t sure which trip I even wanted to go on or what I was expecting. When I was chosen for Montana, I was excited to go across the country with my friends for a week, but didn’t really understand the work we would be doing. As we began to have meetings for Montana Immersion and I learned about Browning and the Reservation, it became clear that what we were going to do was going to be tough. I started to question and doubt that I was capable of what was being asked of me, and I think I still am. I think what I’ve come to realize is that I have some self-doubt about myself, my leadership, and my responsibilities. I’m hoping that through this experience I can overcome some of that self-doubt in a productive way and do good for people that need it. ~Chris G.
Going to Montana was a goal of mine since the beginning of sophomore year after I heard about it from the older Peer Ministers. The thought of going had been in the back of my mind until the sign ups for immersion trips came and I applied for Montana hoping I would get the chance to go and help out the children there. One thing I hope to take away from this trip is a new view on my own life and to be able to be more thankful for the little things in my life that I take for granted. I also want to build new relations with the other guys that are going on the trip. A third takeaway is that I want to learn to become a better and more effective leader. Becoming a leader is important to me because I will need to be able to make hard decisions as a leader. ~ Ryan F.
Going to Montana was a goal of mine since the beginning of sophomore year after I heard about it from the older Peer Ministers. The thought of going had been in the back of my mind until the sign ups for immersion trips came and I applied for Montana hoping I would get the chance to go and help out the children there. One thing I hope to take away from this trip is a new view on my own life and to be able to be more thankful for the little things in my life that I take for granted. I also want to build new relations with the other guys that are going on the trip. A third takeaway is that I want to learn to become a better and more effective leader. Becoming a leader is important to me because I will need to be able to make hard decisions as a leader. ~ Ryan F.
I want to go on the Montana immersion trip because of the knowledge that I can gain from those that live on and around the Blackfeet reservation. I am excited to learn about the culture, lifestyle, and spirituality of the Blackfeet people while being able to help at the De LaSalle Blackfeet school. The ability to reflect on my relationship with God and explore my own poverty in my own life. I want to gain perspective in my own life by living with and helping teach the Blackfeet nation and understand and get my own priorities in my own life straight. Finally, I believe that changing my perspective on how I view people will enable me to change the way I live my life, and this trip to Montana will develop that new perspective. ~ Gene F.
In the lead-up to the Montana trip, I have been thinking about how I can grow in some ways. I think I'd like to work on being more of my authentic self. I aim to let my compassion, respect, and leadership, traits I embody without social pressure, shine through in every part of my life. This trip is to let my true self and values be seen. I must find a way to be consistent in my life, not segregating parts of myself or mirroring others' personalities. Part of maturing is figuring out how to be yourself and who you are. I recognize that we can all grow in our relationships with others and this may be something I can use my time in Montana to address. This trip will push me in my relationships with others through living in the community with my peers and through my tutoring. These are my biggest hopes for this trip as I reorganize that my ability to connect with others will be paramount in my relationships and career. ~ Conor H.
I applied to Montana to test my leadership skills and to have the experience in working with kids that are less fortunate. I was lucky to have a good education growing up with good teachers that gave me great opportunities that have gotten me where I am today. After going on the Baltimmersion trip this past spring (in which we helped in programs with children in the city) I realized how much I enjoy specifically working with kids and learning from the experiences. I think the biggest thing you can take out of experiencing those in a less fortunate situation than you is to not point out and look for differences, but look for similarities and try and learn something from their situation. The biggest thing I learned from Baltimmersion was how happy people can be in tough situations and that it entirely depends on your outlook on life and attitude, which I hope to expand on in Montana. Along with learning from the situation on the reservation, I hope to test my leadership skills with the other guys, build some brotherhood, and through all these other things grow closer to God.~ Sean F.
I want to go on the Montana immersion trip because I know it will allow me to learn more about myself, deepen my relationship with God, and allow me to demonstrate my leadership capabilities. Although I already feel I know myself, this immersion trip will help me to understand myself better fully through the eye-opening experience ahead of us. My relationship with God, since starting Calvert Hall, has only gotten better as I continue to realize the importance of faith and community. During this trip, my relationship with God will develop more through not only my personal experience but through the people I will be with. Not only do I want to be a leader through being a role model to my peers and to the kids I teach but I hope to demonstrate diligence. I can learn this important leadership trait on this trip and apply it to school and all aspects of my life. On the trip I can demonstrate diligence through being persistent with my effort to better the Blackfeet community. After this trip I will demonstrate diligence through showing my teachers I am working hard. Through this trip I know I can learn more about myself, deepen my relationship with God, and allow me to demonstrate my leadership capabilities. ~ Brendan G.
The reason I want to go on the service trip to Montana is because of my experience in Cairo, Egypt. I went to Egypt in Late 2021, and the experience was transformative. Cairo is a city with a lot of poverty and visiting changed my perspective on poverty, since I had never truly seen it before. Due to the language barrier, I couldn't really talk to any of the people in Cairo. I want to go to Montana, since I felt the people aspect of my trip to Egypt was missing. I want to make a connection with the people of Browning, Montana and try to see the world from a perspective that I never could have imagined. ~ John T.
I’ve never been on an immersion trip before. I had always been caught up with running and other responsibilities to even commit to a short immersion trip, but I’ve changed my mind about this. I anticipate something impactful that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Something worth skipping a week of school, practice, extracurriculars, and valuable family time before I leave for college. My initial interest came when I heard about the trip last year. A lot of guys I usually talk to went last year and said the experience was "once in a lifetime". They told me about the service they did and how they grew as people. From then on, I knew I wanted to go. But I think there is more than just a trip, playing in the snow, or posing for pictures with your friends in Montana. I hope to truly serve a community in need. As I plan to pursue a career of military service for a significant portion of my early adult life, Montana will be an opportunity for me to serve a community of people I am not normally surrounded by. It can give be an appreciation for the far-reaching service I can provide in the military. Before I leave and become an adult in a world that I do not and will never fully understand, I think there is no other experience that I’d like to have than in Montana, so there is no better time than now. – Luke D.
I decided to go to Montana because I feel like this is a very good opportunity for me to get out of my comfort zone and the loop that is high school life. The last time I did service with a group from Calvert Hall was during Baltimore immersion and I think about that trip almost every week because the people I met there had a larger impact on me than I had on them. I like the trip because of the service aspect but there are other reasons why I would like to go. Montana is far from home geographically but also mentally. No reception, no homework, no parents, no trumpet, no squash. Just an opportunity to live differently. I feel like this trip will allow me to understand who I am as a person because I'm having trouble figuring that out in my current state and I want to understand. ~ Sebastian G.
I applied to Montana to test my leadership skills and to have the experience in working with kids that are less fortunate. I was lucky to have a good education growing up with good teachers that gave me great opportunities that have gotten me where I am today. After going on the Baltimmersion trip this past spring (in which we helped in programs with children in the city) I realized how much I enjoy specifically working with kids and learning from the experiences. I think the biggest thing you can take out of experiencing those in a less fortunate situation than you is to not point out and look for differences, but look for similarities and try and learn something from their situation. The biggest thing I learned from Baltimmersion was how happy people can be in tough situations and that it entirely depends on your outlook on life and attitude, which I hope to expand on in Montana. Along with learning from the situation on the reservation, I hope to test my leadership skills with the other guys, build some brotherhood, and through all these other things grow closer to God.~ Sean F.
I want to go on the Montana immersion trip because I know it will allow me to learn more about myself, deepen my relationship with God, and allow me to demonstrate my leadership capabilities. Although I already feel I know myself, this immersion trip will help me to understand myself better fully through the eye-opening experience ahead of us. My relationship with God, since starting Calvert Hall, has only gotten better as I continue to realize the importance of faith and community. During this trip, my relationship with God will develop more through not only my personal experience but through the people I will be with. Not only do I want to be a leader through being a role model to my peers and to the kids I teach but I hope to demonstrate diligence. I can learn this important leadership trait on this trip and apply it to school and all aspects of my life. On the trip I can demonstrate diligence through being persistent with my effort to better the Blackfeet community. After this trip I will demonstrate diligence through showing my teachers I am working hard. Through this trip I know I can learn more about myself, deepen my relationship with God, and allow me to demonstrate my leadership capabilities. ~ Brendan G.
The reason I want to go on the service trip to Montana is because of my experience in Cairo, Egypt. I went to Egypt in Late 2021, and the experience was transformative. Cairo is a city with a lot of poverty and visiting changed my perspective on poverty, since I had never truly seen it before. Due to the language barrier, I couldn't really talk to any of the people in Cairo. I want to go to Montana, since I felt the people aspect of my trip to Egypt was missing. I want to make a connection with the people of Browning, Montana and try to see the world from a perspective that I never could have imagined. ~ John T.
I’ve never been on an immersion trip before. I had always been caught up with running and other responsibilities to even commit to a short immersion trip, but I’ve changed my mind about this. I anticipate something impactful that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Something worth skipping a week of school, practice, extracurriculars, and valuable family time before I leave for college. My initial interest came when I heard about the trip last year. A lot of guys I usually talk to went last year and said the experience was "once in a lifetime". They told me about the service they did and how they grew as people. From then on, I knew I wanted to go. But I think there is more than just a trip, playing in the snow, or posing for pictures with your friends in Montana. I hope to truly serve a community in need. As I plan to pursue a career of military service for a significant portion of my early adult life, Montana will be an opportunity for me to serve a community of people I am not normally surrounded by. It can give be an appreciation for the far-reaching service I can provide in the military. Before I leave and become an adult in a world that I do not and will never fully understand, I think there is no other experience that I’d like to have than in Montana, so there is no better time than now. – Luke D.
I decided to go to Montana because I feel like this is a very good opportunity for me to get out of my comfort zone and the loop that is high school life. The last time I did service with a group from Calvert Hall was during Baltimore immersion and I think about that trip almost every week because the people I met there had a larger impact on me than I had on them. I like the trip because of the service aspect but there are other reasons why I would like to go. Montana is far from home geographically but also mentally. No reception, no homework, no parents, no trumpet, no squash. Just an opportunity to live differently. I feel like this trip will allow me to understand who I am as a person because I'm having trouble figuring that out in my current state and I want to understand. ~ Sebastian G.
