alumni feature, international service
By Michela Bryne
(Peru 2005-07)
I WAS INSPIRED TO MAKE EDUCATION MY FULL TIME CAREER through my two years serving as an international JV in Tacna, Peru. Though challenging, I found teaching to have a beautiful two way rhythm of give and take. I loved trying to tailor lessons to students who were struggling and I was inspired by students who took information I gave them and were hungry for more.
When in Peru, many students I taught lived without running water or electricity, some were eager to learn English and some were not. As much as I was initially confounded by how to teach, I began to be delighted by their varied personalities and willingness to teach me about themselves, their families, their culture and their country.
Now, my students in the US come from various backgrounds and poverty here looks different. Poverty here is two families crammed into a small apartment, it’s having to move schools when the rent runs out, it’s having to stay home from school to take care of your little sister so an adult can go to work. I love that teaching puts me in touch with students from all different backgrounds, allows me to know experiences that are different from my own in a personal way and gives me a direct opportunity to help.
I wouldn’t have considered teaching as a profession had I not been a JV. JVC’s international program gave me the confidence that I had something to offer students and continues to be both a foundation and a hope spring for what I do now.
alumni feature, fjv
If the values of JVC continue to resonate with you as you contemplate your next steps, then I encourage you to think about participating in the CLA program! It has been a truly transformative and life-giving experience for me.
love stories, alumni feature, fjv
My community, my roommates, my best friends have taught me to both share and receive unconditional love. We have a built a life together in New York City.
fjv, alumni feature, community
Community has taught me about myself and exposed me to new perspectives. We can talk about hard things in community. Conversations get deeper, problems can get worked out, walls can come down. It's never perfect, it's rarely easy, but it is enriching. I would not be the person I am today without living in intentional communities.
alumni feature, fjv, love stories
"His huge heart, integrity, dependability, and our shared values of faith, justice, community, and commitment made it obvious--I'd been waiting all my life for this man to be my partner! "
fjv, fjv engagement
What I didn't know at the time was everything else I would gain from a year in the JVC Portland community: Lifelong friendships, a love of the sea in all seasons, and a broader perspective as a result of living intentionally with five other volunteers.