From Albany, NY!

Timeline since graduation:

Graduation: May 22, 2010. Moraga, CA. Bachelor of Arts degree. Valedictorian.
Move out of my apartment, and onto the floor of somebody else's: May 24, 2010. Walnut Creek, CA.
Start full time temp job at SMC Admissions: May 25, 2010. Moraga, CA.
Work 8:30-4:30, M-F: May 25 through June 30.
Mail everything I own, minus one backpack, to the east coast: June 30.
Cyber-hitchhike (via couchsurfing.com) from Oakland to Seattle: July 1-2, 2010.
Chill in Seattle with Michelle and her flatmates: July 2-5.
Hitchhike from Seattle to Montana: July 6.
Have an awesome time in Montana: July 7-15.
Attend Rachel Richardson-Osredkar's wedding: July 16, Pleasanton, CA.
Fly to Albany, NY: July 19-20.
Lasallian Volunteers Site Visit: July 20-22, 2010. LaSalle School, Albany, NY.
LV Orientation/Retreat: July 23-August 2, 2010. Philadelphia, PA.
1st day of service (aka work): August 3, 2010. Albany, NY.
Move in to my room in the Brother's house: August 3, 2010. Albany, NY.
Camping trip in the Adirondacks with 6 students and my supervisor, Ken Hackett: August 4-5.
Weekend: August 5-6.
Back to work: today!

Okay, now that's over with, here's a bit of what's been going on in a more user-friendly format. Summer after graduation was a bit of a whirlwind. After school ended I had to move out of my apartment on campus, so I moved in with my friend Celine in Walnut Creek and slept on her floor while I worked in the Admissions Office at Saint Mary's for another 5-6 weeks. Had a pretty good time and pretty much financed my cross-country move, which was good. After I finished work, I caught a ride to Seattle with a couple girls I met through couchsurfing.com, a traveler networking website that is absolutely awesome. If you are reading this and you think you're a little bit of a free spirit (or want to become one) I definitely recommend checking it out. I've met CSers all over the world, and the experience has always been awesome.

So, I went up to Seattle to visit Michelle, a good friend of mine from high school, then I hitch-hiked over to Montana to see my mom and some of my other friends who just finished school (or didn't). Notably, I also took a side trip down to Butte, MT for the National Folk Music festival, "Somebody shoot that thang!", which was awesome. I flew back to CA for the wedding of a good friend of mine, then came out to Albany to really get underway with my post-grad life.

I am serving for at least the next year (and probably the next two) with the Lasallian Volunteers. The LV program is founded around the Lasallian tradition(which I will explain shortly) and each year places volunteers all around the country in schools and social services centers aimed at helping poor and underprivileged populations. There are 57 volunteers this year living in 22 Lasallian communities from San Francisco to New York, and lots of places in between. We perform work that ranges from teaching elementary, middle, and high school to tracking students in inner city schools, to caring for the elderly. I myself am working at La Salle School in Albany, NY in the outdoor recreation department. On a day-to-day basis, myself and 2 other volunteers run the afternoon and evening programs for the boys (it's an all-boys school) - basketball, softball, etc. and on about a weekly basis we also organize and run off-campus trips like camping, rock climbing, or caving. Our typical work day starts at noon and ends at 8 or 8:30, with a break for dinner, though our day in full starts at 7:30 with morning prayer.

The school is a residential facility for court adjudicated boys typically sent here for anywhere from 6-12 months. Most of our boys are relatively local, coming from towns/cities within about an hour's drive from Albany, but we do have some boys from further away.  None of our boys are from New York City.  Boys end up at La Salle School for any number of reasons, most of which I have not yet heard about, but I will fill you in on that as I get a better handle on it.

So, a couple things about the Lasallian tradition, in hope of giving you some idea of what drives this whole program: In the Rule of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (aka the De La Salle Christian Brothers) it says: "The Institute is concerned above all with the educational needs of the poor as they strive to become aware of their dignity and to live and be recognized as human beings and as children of God." It also says, "The Brothers are entrusted with their mission by the Institute, a mission especially to the poor. As a community they become increasingly conscious of the reasons for the poverty that surrounds them and so become earnestly involved in the promotion of justice and human dignity through the educational service they provide." The basic idea, which comes all they way from Saint John Baptist de la Salle way back in the late 1600's, is that education provides an outlet by which the poor can be raised up out of their poverty. Though the number of people committed to living a religious life as a Brother shrinks every year, the number of people involved with the mission is continuously growing. In the LV Program, our commitment is threefold: to Faith, Service, and Community. "This is really a triple movement: seeing reality, looking upon it with the Word of God, being committed to actions that transform. This plan is what all authentic Lasallians should try to live out. The encounter with God in Lasallian terms will never be an individual search, but a community adventure; it will never mean running away from the world, but it will mean commitment and service in the world."

So, the idea behind the Lasallian tradition is that through the values of faith, service, and community, and by the virtue of education, we can make positive changes in the world. The work is not easy, but it is valuable and rewarding. This is something I am proud to be part of.

Mmm, I am sure I have much more to say about the LVs, my site, and my new life, but I'm afraid I have been at this computer too long already, so I hope you have enjoyed this post, and I will do my best to write more as things come up. Also, please take some time to explore the links I provided for the LVs, the Brothers, and de la Salle. If you have any particular questions you'd like me to answer, don't hesitate to leave a comment or send me an email!

Alex