This Is About More…

Another day has gone by here in Browning. I think we would all agree that as the days go on, they seem to move faster and faster. Patrick, Nicole and I have been spending the week with the 6th graders at the school. The sixth graders seem to have a personality all their own. The 6th grade boys are some of the greatest pranksters and goofballs I have ever met. At the same time, each one of them has a sweet personality that could melt anyone’s heart. It didn’t take the 6th graders long to take to having the “immersion students” in the class. Within the first five minutes we were there on Monday, Nicole was granted the nickname Snooki (from Jersey Shore) as the boys believed that she had an obvious pop culture twin.

As the week has progressed we have grown even closer to each one of the students. We follow the sixth graders around from classroom to classroom throughout the day. In most classes we help the students with their work or assist teachers in daily tasks. However, I feel like one of my primary jobs has become answering questions. “How old are you?”, “Are you married?”, “What’s your favorite college football team?”, “Who’s your best friend?” and “Do you have a car?” are just a few of the questions the sixth graders have shot our direction.

Today, Mrs. Moore (the sixth graders homeroom teacher) had us give the students a presentation about ourselves. We shared about where we were from and a few fun stories about Carroll (the students were especially interested in the ghosts of Carroll College). Again, the sixth grade boys enjoyed teasing “Snooki” when she shared her love for Kobe Bryant and Justin Bieber. Patrick was interrogated about his previous career playing high school football and I received the usual teasing about being an OSU and MSU fan.

It amazes me how much the students want to know about our lives and how much they look up to our example. When I realized how much these kids looked up to us, I really began to reflect on the type of role model that I am. I was forced to ponder this question even further when we attended mass with the students today. During his homily, Father Ed challenged the students to shine the light of Christ in all situations, inside the school and out. Father Ed’s homily got me thinking, how do I shine the light of Christ? Do I shine His light in all circumstances? Even the little choices that I make, from laughing at a dirty joke to listening to inappropriate music impacts the light that I shine to His glory. I have resolved this trip to Browning is about a lot more than serving in a school. The Headlights trip to Browning is about uniting different communities in Christ. The uniting of our Carroll Community and the community surrounding the De Le Salle Browning School is more of a journey towards the common understanding, love, and peace of Christ. In the end, this trip has been far more than an opportunity to serve; it has become an opportunity for me to be challenged to reflect upon my own life choices…. How can I better glorify Christ in all that I do?

Tessa Berg
Junior