By Rachel Ramos, High School Contributor
When Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach said, “Students, in the course of their formation, must let the gritty reality of this world into their lives, so they can learn to feel it, think about it critically, respond to its suffering and engage it constructively. They should learn to perceive, think, judge, choose and act for the rights of others, especially the disadvantaged and the oppressed,” he meant a lot more than the surface of this statement.
Within our society, people live in an era where social tension and fear is an aspect of everyday life. There may never be a moment where we can sit and ‘lay back’ We live in an era where mass shootings become less of a surprise every day. We live in an era where weapons that can kill people in a matter of seconds, are more accessible than ever before. Not only are they accessible, but they are pushed to be accessible by major corporations and politicians because they profit from the demand. In order to make the difference, we have to expose ourselves to this tainted society and embrace it with our knowledge so that we may find a way to understand, accept, and control it. With this in mind, we do this work not for ourselves, but for the ones who are unable.
We live in a society that determines wealth based on your race and privilege. There are people who want their voices to be heard, but they are not heard because of the shallow values those in power may possess. For the ones who are able to be heard and make a difference, they must do it for others as well as themselves. It is imperative that we think of those who need a voice. If we have the ability to make differences or make changes, it is our ethical duty to do for everyone. In order to solve problems, we have to meet the conflict face to face, comprehend it to make a judgement and then act accordingly.
Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach also said, “when researching and teaching, where and with whom is my heart?” When we are trying to find others, why are we doing it? What is our purpose? We do these things with the thought in mind that someone else could possibly benefit from our intellectual gain. As I look forward to attending Loyola University New Orleans, my heart is in the future with the individuals. My career goal is to become an orthopedic specialist in sports medicine. There will be adversity throughout my journey, but it will be worth it in the end. The classes will be strenuous, and the courseload will be excessive. However, I am ready. I will possess the gift to give an athlete their second chance after an injury. I may not be able to fulfill my dreams as a professional athlete, but my life ambition is to be the one who makes that dream survive for others. I want to live my life in service to others.