ASC II (2010-11)

Tim Murphy ’06, Oklahoma State University ’10
Brooks Oliver ’06, SMU ’10
Juan Fuentes ’06, Loyola University Chicago ’10
Matt McEvoy ’05, Stanford University ’09

Simplicity

By Juan Fuentes ’06

The Alumni Service Corps program is a great transitional experience that liberates one of the societal pressures in seeking monetary rewards. It entails living the year in simplicity, with nothing more than the essential requirements for personal sustenance. This is definitely a challenge, but something that can easily be overcome with discipline. Living in simplicity is an essential part of the experience, and is only meant for those that choose to answer the calling of the ASC. In order to discover the passion that is in our hearts, it is utterly important to learn to let go of the materialism in our lives, and truly focus on what really matters. Mankind is incapable of moving forward until it decides to set itself free of the possessions that are holding him back. Thus living in simplicity will aid in the development of your persona. With the fundamental pillars of spirituality, community, service, and simplicity that the ASC program will instill, there is nothing one’s own fortitude can’t stand against. Jesuit has always played a crucial role in the development of young men. Now, it is your turn to finish the job well started. Apply for the Alumni Service Corps and make a difference in the community that you love.

Spirituality

By Matt McEvoy ’05

Having worked in college campus ministry for the year prior to joining the ASC program, I was looking forward to reconnecting with Jesuit spirituality and ministering to younger students. And the ASC program has far exceeded my expectations by providing multiple avenues to share my religious maturity with growing young men. Promoting Ignatian values through spiritual reflection has been at the core of many of our ASC duties and activities. For example, in a new school- wide initiative, each of us serves as a chaplain for a sports team, leading weekly prayer services and organizing a team Mass. I also had the privilege to join the seniors on the Fall JRE and Kairos retreats, both highlights of the first semester. As a final example, the first ASC Formation Night – with the theme of Spirituality – created an empowering space for faith-sharing on a peer level, where we each experienced spiritual conversation and communal prayer with other faculty members. It was a memorable night that exemplified the spiritual formation we’re engaged in this year.

Service

By Tim Murphy ’06

The Alumni Service Corps is at its heart a program of service to Jesuit. This experience gave me a chance to lead various service projects and to teach students that as members of the Jesuit community, service is a lifelong commitment. The best part about the service component of the program is leading the special events that are the face of the school. One example is the Notre Dame School Christmas dance. The act of giving back especially to service sites such as Notre Dame allows us not only to teach about the commitment to social justice to students but also individually grow as members of the ASC in this commitment to justice. This reciprocal relationship to service reaffirms our own vocation as an alumnus of Jesuit.

Community

By Brooks Oliver ’06

Community is one of the strongest aspects of the ASC program. As a student I formed strong bonds with my Jesuit brothers and the Jesuit community, and now as a member of the ASC program, I continue furthering my relationships within the greater Jesuit community and between my ASC brothers. These relationships between my fellow coworkers, peers and ASC brothers go beyond just academic education, but are bound in a unique shared mission of teaching our students how to be “Men for Others.” A community based upon such a shared mission not only creates a home for our students, but also lays the foundation for them to enter into and share their gifts with other communities at home and around the world.