Educating Men And Women For Others

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The motto “Educating men and women for others” seems guileless enough, it simply means that education is not just for the self, but for the improvement of society and the improvement of the future due to the actions we take because of our education. And when Fr. Pedro Arrupe states that “our prime educational objective must be to form men and women for others, who believe that a love of self or of God which does not issue forth in justice for the least of their neighbors is a farce,” he is entirely true. Those that say they love themselves or love God, but do not act on what they say by serving others are imposters because if one loves himself or herself or God, then he or she understands that he or she is not alone in this world. Due to this knowledge, they are compelled to help others so that they too can achieve love of themselves or of God. This however is quite easy to say, but very difficult to act on, and due to this, anyone that acts on the insights of Fr. Pedro Arrupe, is a good role model.
One such person that fits profile set by Fr. Pedro Arrupe would be that of my cousin, Sedona. She like any other relative grew up in a pretty normal household. She liked the beach, I saw her at Christmas and birthdays, but other than that, her life was pretty normal. Then when she turned 18, during the summer of 2012, she had the idea to go to Kenya, Africa to volunteer at an orphanage in Ngnong to help rehabilitate and educate vulnerable children, among whom many live on the streets. That summer she was introduced to the work of the Longonot Education Initiative, LEI, an initiative which she would become an integral part of. She then returned to Kenya in 2013 to work at the street boys project, Ahadi Education Center, and then officia...

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...s with a Kenyan team that cares for them. LEI provides education for the boys and also works with the Kenyan team to provide food and housing.
Now all of this is great, but how will this make me a better college student? I am not certain if it will or will not, all that I know is that knowing someone as close to me as a cousin is having these experiences and is benefiting from this outreach cannot rub off bad thoughts and feelings onto me. She provides a role model of one of the facets that a well-rounded individual should have. Now whether or not that translates to being a good student, it is to be determined, but at a minimum, it helps me become a better person. A person not necessarily concerned solely with himself or herself, but rather for society; and furthermore, it allows me to have the experience to decide what actions to take in the interest of all parties.

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