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Exit Interviews
Click below to read our final reflections from our week away:
We began by waking up at 4:30am to head to Calvert Hall to get to the airport for our departure, then suddenly we were running to catch our flight home, you never could have told me the experience I was going to have over one week. When asked why I wanted to go on this trip, I mentioned the great opportunity for service, developing leadership qualities, and further building my relationship with God. Little did I know I would accomplish that and so much more. In the classroom I was able to develop the leadership traits of diligence and persistence through helping the students. Throughout the week I was able to further build my relationship with God through prayer and the amazing scenery of the mountains and vast plains. I was also able to see God in all that I experienced including the students at school, my peers, and the community. I came to the realization that often, people put a mask on to cover up their issues but this trip help me to realize that it’s okay to seek help every once in a while. This trip was a great experience, and I will never forget the lessons I learned and the memories I made with the Browning students, and the Calvert Hall guys I went with.- Brendan G.
One of the questions that Mr. Parisi asked us was, "How would the kids' lives be different if we weren't here this week?" and I have had a tough time answering it. It seems simple; if we weren't there, the kids may not have completed assignments or done their work. After all, our task was to be tutors for the students; or was it? While helping in the classroom helped the kids, the real help for them was the trusting relationships we were able to build. Our group had a rough first day in the classrooms, but we didn't let it knock us down, and we came back the next day with just as much energy and passion as before. By keeping that joy throughout the week, the students started to trust and open up to us about the things going on at home. Not everyone at the school had someone to go and talk to about those topics, and because we were so open with the kids, they were open with us. So to answer the question, if we weren't at De Lasalle Blackfeet this week, many would have struggled in silence with their thoughts and wouldn't have enjoyed going to school like they I could see they did this week.- Chris G.
This has been one of the most impactful and change-filled weeks of my life. Learning is very, very, difficult. This is true for the disadvantaged children who live on the Blackfeet reservation and who attend the De LaSalle Blackfeet school. Learning is also hard for the rest of us too. Learning about ourselves, however, is made easier by a number of things. One of the best things I came to understand on this trip was openness and the ability to go into every day like it was the most meaningful day of my life. To wake up early, get ready, go to a school where learning didn't seem like the top priority to the kids, and to then go home to have very intense and deeply reflective conversations about our experiences throughout the day and enjoy it so much that I wanted to be the first up to take a shower in the morning. This mentality of giving it your all for all of the hours we are awake for nothing in return brought me the most happiness I have experienced in a long time and was where I learned the most about others, God, and myself. Learning is also made easier by people surrounding you that want to learn too. To be with the most amazing group of 11 peers and my 2 favorite faculty members for a week also helped me learn a lot. Finally, I think learning begets learning. The first night of reflection, I learned something. Then the second night I learned two lessons. Then by the end of the week, I had learned so much that I feel I have changed significantly for the better. To that I say, go and be open. Go and give it your all for nothing in return. Go out and learn. Thank you. - Gene F.
Never have I ever been so humbled by an experience before. I didn’t expect just how much I could learn about myself and the world by tutoring 4th and 5th graders. I got absolutely killed on the first day. The kids were mean to me, and I was at school all day. Not only did I struggle with the kids, but also with myself. I realized that I was in for something I truly didn’t expect. The kids were very rude to me, and I recognized that I could be really judgmental, writing off kids that I didn’t immediately connect with. As I went through the week, I made sure to show more and more compassion to each student in my class. By the end of the week, my students were no longer rude to me, and I deeply cared about each and every one of them. Never before had I had such an unconditional love for strangers who had treated me horribly. Had I not shown compassion to the students at the De La Salle Blackfeet School, the kids and I would have continued to resent each other, and we never could have grown as close as we did. Kids who told me that they hated me at the beginning of the week ended up hugging me like we were family when I left. If the world had just a little bit more compassion, maybe we all could love each other like we’re a family. -John T.
Going into this week I knew that I was up for a challenge, and that there was going to be a lot of reflection ahead of me. I had to do meaningful work. This also applies to my life; I need to make everything I do more meaningful. I need to cultivate a zeal, a passion for what I do. I feel I found this zeal in the small victories of the week. The zeal was in getting Kaleb to finish his science test or Brandon not saying he hates me every time he sees me. It was learning about the students and teachers’ stories. It was these small victories that allowed me to gain that zeal. I had based my passion off being the best at something and not just helping someone or myself get a little better. I needed to learn that I will not always have an answer or a solution. There is a sense of liberation in knowing that we cannot do everything, as you don’t have that pressure to always figure things out. This allows you to focus on the present where you find that source of zeal and passion. Now as long as I made myself or others just that much better, I can rest. I can find passion in the little achievements and little parts of life. Something I was not able to do before this trip.- Conor H.
Going into this week, I was ready to go in and work with the kids from the Blackfeet school, and then return back to my normal routine at the end of the week, and leave them all behind. My initial plan was so far from the truth that I look back and laugh. The kids at De La Salle Blackfeet have taught me so much about myself and about my way of life. I knew going into it that the kids would have trouble opening and they wouldn’t see us people who were there to support them, but that they might think that we were kids slightly older than them, just trying to get out of school. It took a bit of time, but the De La Salle kids did open up to us. In our evening reflection one night, we were asked, “when did our heart burn?” I gave the first thought that came to my mind. My heart truly burned when a girl who was stubborn and quiet all week and didn’t ever want my help, came up to me and gave me a big hug and asked me to sign a paper so that she could remember me. It just shows that even if you don’t feel like you are making a difference on one kid, you could be without even knowing it. Another thing I learned about was my responsibilities that I might have in the coming year, as I seek leadership opportunities, I have learned the importance of being well prepared for leadership and the immense amount of work and dedication that being a leader at Calvert Hall entails, and I am fully ready to take on this responsibility.- Ryan F.
Before the trip, I was asked what my impact on the trip would be and how I could be more present. One of my biggest weaknesses as a young adult is how slow to action I am, and I was glad to have had many opportunities to explore the happy medium of action and inaction this week. I found my place of filling in where needed quickly, but I didn’t think that was sufficient. With help from everyone on the trip, I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone, whether engaging with the children more than the previously day or taking responsibility to clean the dishes that night. I genuinely believe I made an impact on some of the kids this week, but more importantly my service to the kids had more of an impact on me. We discussed where our hearts burned this week, and I discovered I am very passionate about serving others and being in such a beautiful place like Glacier National Park. I will be forever grateful to Mr. Parisi and Ms. Pikus for running this trip and giving us the opportunity to have the sole focus on what our work entailed and the impact it has had on everyone: the children, the staff and teachers, and our own lives. Our brotherhood is something we will never lose, and I’ll always love this group of guys. -Henry W.
MONTANA! What a place. Lots of Beauty, but also poverty. I knew that coming in, but it’s different when you see it firsthand and work with the people going through it. I came to realize that despite the obvious poverty, there is also a lot of strength in family and culture on the Blackfeet Reservation. We had several speakers share what their lives on the Reservation have been like. I found that faith, family, and culture were paramount in all their lives. Still these kids struggled. I think at first, I desired a movie. I wanted to make very close relationships with the kids and have a big goodbye at the end. This is not reality. It ended up being quite a challenge to even get some of them to listen to me or do their work. I did make some headway though. One moment I want to share from the trip was teaching the kids how to play a playground game they had never played before called gravel. They were so excited to learn. At first, I was just teaching the 7th grade but then eventually the whole school yard wanted to learn. It was a really pleasant moment. I hope that they keep playing it and it brings them as much joy as it brought me to teach them. Another thing I want to share is one thing I learned and will take away from the trip. I have always had trouble taking action. I think but often I am slow or fail to act. This trip often forced me to act. I had to be present in the classroom and do what I could for the kids. I want to take action and I know that I’m capable of doing that. I want to implement that into my life more. Still think but don’t let opportunity pass me by. – James C.
As we are driving to Great Falls to fly back home, I am remembering us driving the exact opposite way a week ago. I was excited for the week ahead, but also a little nervous. I think the fact that I didn’t know what to expect and the overall feeling of uncertainty while heading into Browning made me less worried about what to focus on. As we’ve reflected on what we’ve discovered through the experiences throughout the week, I think the one that resonated with me the most has been the importance of perspective and presence. As I said before the trip, I was hoping to look for similarities in the people we met instead of the differences. Working with these kids that lived 2000 miles away from where I grew up in a town so different than Towson Maryland I knew could give me that. I could’ve spent the week focusing on how different their lives were, but I think the thing I realized was that the end of the day they were just kids. They like the same stuff I liked in middle school and at the end of the day the only difference between me and them was that I was born in Towson, and they were born in Browning. At first, they weren’t super open to us, but once they realized we cared and were there to help and genuinely wanted to be there, they started to warm up and share with us. These are smart kids that are in tough situations and are seen as less because they live on a reservation. I think the biggest takeaway is that getting the perspective we received of the reservation this week allows us to see what’s important and see deeper. Going forth, I will make sure to look deeper and try and see things from different perspectives in order to really know people and make meaningful connections. -- Sean F.
Entering this trip, I had a lot of expectations. I assumed that my impact on others would be the greatest thing I get out of this trip. I could not have been more wrong. Sure, we had an impact on others. Sure, we cleaned the school, went on hikes, tutored kids, and made 7 dinners. But what I didn’t expect was how much I would learn about myself. These kids had such a large impact on us, and that’s because they were somehow so different while exhibiting many qualities that struck chords on my heart. I could see through the rags and into the riches that were their hearts. I saw myself in many of them, and this helped me understand so much about myself. Long quiet walks, loud classrooms, and silent nights staring at the stars gave me perspective and helped me see how my own personality intertwined with others. I am eternally grateful to Mr. Parisi and Ms. Pikus for giving me the opportunity to go on this trip, as it was truly life changing. One of the greatest lessons I learned was that sometimes, when the world seems to be ending, all you can do is give the person next to you a hug. – Sebastian G.
Imagine being in the middle of nowhere Montana, grass surrounding you, a long straight road in front of you, it being a middle of the night, with a bright moon hanging about the sky, silhouettes of mountains in the distance and the sound of your breath being loud. The only time I was alone on this trip was while running in the morning, and it helped me appreciate that alone time is important for reflection and digestion of life. The reason it was the only time I was alone was because every day for the past 8 days, I spent at the bunk house with guys I’d now like to call some of my best friends or in a classroom with the sweetest kids I’ve ever met. Working with in the 6th grade brought challenges of reaching kids that have experienced a poverty I have not. However, seeing them so happy, despite the problems at home, or the struggles of being a middle schooler in general, makes me realize that happiness can be attained anywhere when the people around you want everyone to be happy. My favorite part of helping at the school was seeing the kids smile. Smiling is a universal sign of happiness and it sparks smiles and happiness in everyone else around them. When I helped the kids and they finally understood a topic, even for a brief moment, they were happy, and it brings joy to my heart knowing that I can help others. I came into this trip wanting to find why I want to pursue a career of service for a portion of my adult life, and I concluded that it’s because I like seeing others happy and smiling as a result of my service. This experience I gained on this trip and the memories I’ve made will sit with me forever and I wouldn’t trade the lessons or the time for anything else! – Luke D.
In the weeks before coming on this trip, I was reflecting and asking myself the question “why am I going?” A few weeks ago I would have told you that I was going to grow closer with fellow brothers at Calvert Hall and to serve a community in need. Now, as I’m sitting in the airport looking back on my week, my answer is completely different. This trip was about bringing joy to these impoverished Blackfeet kids, and looking at the poverty within myself. Internally I realized and became fully aware of the poverty in my own life. Not to say that my poverty and issues are even close to what these kids are going through, but I really had to reflect. I learned that there were things in my life that I really wanted to work hard for to change and without this trip, I would not have wanted to change how I was. Not only were my realizations a great benefit of this trip, but it may be the most beautiful and scenic place I have ever seen in my life. There was something so fulfilling about exploring the woods and river behind the Brother’s Residence after a long day at the school to reflect on my day. Seeing the sunset over the snowy mountains with a beautiful, clear river right in front of me is something I have never experienced before. I gained so much from this experience and have not a single ounce of regret.- Ben B.
Before the trip, I was asked what my impact on the trip would be and how I could be more present. One of my biggest weaknesses as a young adult is how slow to action I am, and I was glad to have had many opportunities to explore the happy medium of action and inaction this week. I found my place of filling in where needed quickly, but I didn’t think that was sufficient. With help from everyone on the trip, I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone, whether engaging with the children more than the previously day or taking responsibility to clean the dishes that night. I genuinely believe I made an impact on some of the kids this week, but more importantly my service to the kids had more of an impact on me. We discussed where our hearts burned this week, and I discovered I am very passionate about serving others and being in such a beautiful place like Glacier National Park. I will be forever grateful to Mr. Parisi and Ms. Pikus for running this trip and giving us the opportunity to have the sole focus on what our work entailed and the impact it has had on everyone: the children, the staff and teachers, and our own lives. Our brotherhood is something we will never lose, and I’ll always love this group of guys. -Henry W.
MONTANA! What a place. Lots of Beauty, but also poverty. I knew that coming in, but it’s different when you see it firsthand and work with the people going through it. I came to realize that despite the obvious poverty, there is also a lot of strength in family and culture on the Blackfeet Reservation. We had several speakers share what their lives on the Reservation have been like. I found that faith, family, and culture were paramount in all their lives. Still these kids struggled. I think at first, I desired a movie. I wanted to make very close relationships with the kids and have a big goodbye at the end. This is not reality. It ended up being quite a challenge to even get some of them to listen to me or do their work. I did make some headway though. One moment I want to share from the trip was teaching the kids how to play a playground game they had never played before called gravel. They were so excited to learn. At first, I was just teaching the 7th grade but then eventually the whole school yard wanted to learn. It was a really pleasant moment. I hope that they keep playing it and it brings them as much joy as it brought me to teach them. Another thing I want to share is one thing I learned and will take away from the trip. I have always had trouble taking action. I think but often I am slow or fail to act. This trip often forced me to act. I had to be present in the classroom and do what I could for the kids. I want to take action and I know that I’m capable of doing that. I want to implement that into my life more. Still think but don’t let opportunity pass me by. – James C.
As we are driving to Great Falls to fly back home, I am remembering us driving the exact opposite way a week ago. I was excited for the week ahead, but also a little nervous. I think the fact that I didn’t know what to expect and the overall feeling of uncertainty while heading into Browning made me less worried about what to focus on. As we’ve reflected on what we’ve discovered through the experiences throughout the week, I think the one that resonated with me the most has been the importance of perspective and presence. As I said before the trip, I was hoping to look for similarities in the people we met instead of the differences. Working with these kids that lived 2000 miles away from where I grew up in a town so different than Towson Maryland I knew could give me that. I could’ve spent the week focusing on how different their lives were, but I think the thing I realized was that the end of the day they were just kids. They like the same stuff I liked in middle school and at the end of the day the only difference between me and them was that I was born in Towson, and they were born in Browning. At first, they weren’t super open to us, but once they realized we cared and were there to help and genuinely wanted to be there, they started to warm up and share with us. These are smart kids that are in tough situations and are seen as less because they live on a reservation. I think the biggest takeaway is that getting the perspective we received of the reservation this week allows us to see what’s important and see deeper. Going forth, I will make sure to look deeper and try and see things from different perspectives in order to really know people and make meaningful connections. -- Sean F.
Entering this trip, I had a lot of expectations. I assumed that my impact on others would be the greatest thing I get out of this trip. I could not have been more wrong. Sure, we had an impact on others. Sure, we cleaned the school, went on hikes, tutored kids, and made 7 dinners. But what I didn’t expect was how much I would learn about myself. These kids had such a large impact on us, and that’s because they were somehow so different while exhibiting many qualities that struck chords on my heart. I could see through the rags and into the riches that were their hearts. I saw myself in many of them, and this helped me understand so much about myself. Long quiet walks, loud classrooms, and silent nights staring at the stars gave me perspective and helped me see how my own personality intertwined with others. I am eternally grateful to Mr. Parisi and Ms. Pikus for giving me the opportunity to go on this trip, as it was truly life changing. One of the greatest lessons I learned was that sometimes, when the world seems to be ending, all you can do is give the person next to you a hug. – Sebastian G.
Imagine being in the middle of nowhere Montana, grass surrounding you, a long straight road in front of you, it being a middle of the night, with a bright moon hanging about the sky, silhouettes of mountains in the distance and the sound of your breath being loud. The only time I was alone on this trip was while running in the morning, and it helped me appreciate that alone time is important for reflection and digestion of life. The reason it was the only time I was alone was because every day for the past 8 days, I spent at the bunk house with guys I’d now like to call some of my best friends or in a classroom with the sweetest kids I’ve ever met. Working with in the 6th grade brought challenges of reaching kids that have experienced a poverty I have not. However, seeing them so happy, despite the problems at home, or the struggles of being a middle schooler in general, makes me realize that happiness can be attained anywhere when the people around you want everyone to be happy. My favorite part of helping at the school was seeing the kids smile. Smiling is a universal sign of happiness and it sparks smiles and happiness in everyone else around them. When I helped the kids and they finally understood a topic, even for a brief moment, they were happy, and it brings joy to my heart knowing that I can help others. I came into this trip wanting to find why I want to pursue a career of service for a portion of my adult life, and I concluded that it’s because I like seeing others happy and smiling as a result of my service. This experience I gained on this trip and the memories I’ve made will sit with me forever and I wouldn’t trade the lessons or the time for anything else! – Luke D.
In the weeks before coming on this trip, I was reflecting and asking myself the question “why am I going?” A few weeks ago I would have told you that I was going to grow closer with fellow brothers at Calvert Hall and to serve a community in need. Now, as I’m sitting in the airport looking back on my week, my answer is completely different. This trip was about bringing joy to these impoverished Blackfeet kids, and looking at the poverty within myself. Internally I realized and became fully aware of the poverty in my own life. Not to say that my poverty and issues are even close to what these kids are going through, but I really had to reflect. I learned that there were things in my life that I really wanted to work hard for to change and without this trip, I would not have wanted to change how I was. Not only were my realizations a great benefit of this trip, but it may be the most beautiful and scenic place I have ever seen in my life. There was something so fulfilling about exploring the woods and river behind the Brother’s Residence after a long day at the school to reflect on my day. Seeing the sunset over the snowy mountains with a beautiful, clear river right in front of me is something I have never experienced before. I gained so much from this experience and have not a single ounce of regret.- Ben B.
