I have been struggling to find the words for my final blog post as a CBL Intern for almost a month. I found myself being bogged down by what exactly to say. After all CBL has meant to me, I wanted to do it justice. I’ve always loved words and reading poets and writers who know exactly what to say and even though I don’t know what to write- I’ll just start.
I truly would not be who I am today without this program. My values, friends, aspirations, and future plans- all shaped by CBL. I’m someone who has trouble trusting myself, so safe to say, when I have a sixth sense or a moment of intuition, I tend to ignore it. But three years ago when I started my first day volunteering at Girls Inc., I knew it was going to be important. And even though during my time at Holy Cross I have been wrong about plenty of things- I was right about that.
My experience three years ago truly led me to where I am today- still volunteering with Girls Inc of Worcester now as a CBL Intern, and writing my final blog post for the CBL Intern blog. CBL has shaped my Holy Cross experience, it was a CBL Intern who encouraged me to go on my first Spring Break Immersion Trip. Since then, I have attended three Spring Break Immersion Program trips, which was how I first encountered L’Arche, an intentional community of people with and without intellectual disabilities sharing life together. After spending a week at L’Arche Syracuse this past Spring Break, I spent this past summer at L’Arche Boston North as an assistant (alongside CBL Intern Alums Delaney Walch and Catherine Cannamela ‘24), where I plan to return after graduation.
At our CBL Orientation, Kathryn (CBL Intern Alum ‘22 and now Assistant Director!) asked the Senior interns if we had anything to tell the group. If there is one thing about me, I can usually think of something to say, but similar to the difficulty I had writing this post- I was lost for words.
Finally, I spoke up- telling everyone about a quote I had heard recently by Rumi: “Open your hands, if you want to be held.” I went on to explain to the new CBL Interns that this community was a place they could open their hands- where they could be vulnerable, honest, and in turn- loved. It may seem odd to characterize a community of student leaders that way but for me, these weren’t empty words. Instead, they were a manifestation of the unconditional love and support I have been graced with by people in this community: a feeling that I hope to give back to other Interns during my senior year.
It was Delaney who encouraged me to go to L’Arche, and she and Cat then encouraged me to explain to my family that I wouldn’t be getting an internship that upcoming summer, but instead returning to L’Arche and sharing life with people with intellectual disabilities. The CBL interns before me shaped this program into what it is, and by extension- have truly shaped me and who I am. The CBL program and the surrounding community pushes you to think about how you live and what matters to you through experiential learning and then, how you will live in accordance with your values and new perspectives.
