Won't You Be Our Neighbor?
“Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answers this question with the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), providing a vivid example of the term. As the Jesuit University in Silicon Valley, SCU has as its neighbors most of the big names in tech as well as a significant number of people for whom it is not always “a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” In our “common home” as Pope Francis calls the world, SCU students are called to become global citizens, a task we begin by paying attention to those neighbors.
Since 2014, the Jesuit ideal of being “men and women for and with others” has taken root in the Ignatian Center’s Thriving Neighbors program. In San Jose’s Washington-Guadalupe neighborhood, a whole series of programs and partnerships brings together individual residents, community organizations, SCU students, faculty, and staff to create a lasting impact. What we achieve as neighbors is inseparable from how we do it: with care, patience, and respect for the human dignity of all - here, there, and everywhere.
Rev. Dorian Llywelyn, S.J.
Executive Director |
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As a student assistant for the Ignatian Center's Thriving Neighbors program, Yesenia Magdaleno-Solis ‘20 is no stranger to social justice issues in the community. Over the summer of 2019, she worked as a REAL intern with the Palo Alto Art Center and as a muralist for the University Library’s new student-led mural, hoping to bridge art with her studies in sociology as a way of portraying social justice in neighborhoods. Read Yesenia's story here |
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SCU graduate and Finance major, Anthony Hascheff '15, planned to enter the finance world after graduation. That is, until he went on an immersion trip, then went on a second immersion trip, and ultimately worked as an intern with the Thriving Neighbors program. Find out how these experiences changed Anthony's course and continue to direct his path as he works on his Master's degree in Public Administration.
Read Anthony's interview here |
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As the Senior Program Director for the Ignatian Center's Thriving Neighbors program, Irene Cermeño understands the power of community engagement. She has been involved in some capacity with the Ignatian Center from the start of her "Super Bronco" journey, but it is her relationship with the Greater Washington community members and their trust in her that fills her with joy.
Read Irene's Interview here |
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