Lending A Helping Hand

Part of what sets Boston College apart from other Division I athletics institutions is its Jesuit ideals. The concept of service to others is something ingrained in the university's fabric and it's something that is woven into each program's student-athletes when they suit up with the familiar maroon and gold.

This month, members of the Eagles athletics programs put forth that ideal, traveling to Louisiana to take part in the Devlin Student-Athletes for Education and Leadership Development Program. Founded in 2006 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina's path of destruction in the Gulf Coast, it was implemented at Boston College in 2008 following its instant success as part of Tulane University.

For one week, 22 members of the BC athletics community volunteered with the SBP (formerly the St. Bernard Project). Meeting daily at a SBP worksite, the student-athletes continued the work to revitalize the New Orleans area still impacted by Katrina, while including a trip to Baton Rouge to help with projects impacted by recent flooding.

"It was an extremely humbling experience," football's Myles Willis said. "We got to see communities that are still in need years later that the government has kind of forgotten. New Orleans, Bourbon Street and the French Quarter - they are back up but there are still homes that are in need and are dependent on volunteers."

"The program was a great time," softball's Jordan Chimento, who volunteered for a second time, said. "I had heard about it from my teammates who had gotten involved, so I got involved. In the mornings, we worked on houses, but there was time to learn about Louisiana and activities to help us learn more about the region as well. We had a chance to visit museums and a Boys and Girls Club and it was amazing."

In addition to service, the student-athletes, who represented seven Eagle teams, also visited museums and sites throughout Louisiana as a way to enrich their own experiences. This included times for reflection, incorporating education and service into a trip that also brought together the Boston College and Tulane communities.

"It's really humbling to think that Katrina was over a decade ago," volleyball's Brittany Pavich said. "You would think that New Orleans has recovered but we drove through the Ninth Ward and houses there are still totally run down. When I came home, I told members of my team just how life-changing that was to see. When something happens, you always see people asking for donations, which is needed and great to see, but it's so different to be hands on."

"The community of New Orleans is so grateful for all the work," Chimento said. "It's really inspirational, not just how we can help them. It goes vice-versa where they can really inspire us as well."

In a core level of the trip, the education went both ways. In Baton Rouge, all three student spoke of meeting a couple who had lived in their neighborhood for over 50 years but had seen their house damaged by floodwaters. The friendliness and hospitality of the region helped connect the athletes with local area residents, creating relationships that left a resounding impact after leaving to return home.

"Baton Rouge was similar in damage to what happened in New Orleans," Willis said, "but it was different at the same time. Katrina was huge, but people forget that the flooding in Baton Rouge was just as bad. Katrina was more about the impact of the infrastructure of the levees, but in Baton Rouge, the flooding was kind of a freak thing. People there weren't expecting flooding like that to occur and there were no flood plans in Baton Rouge for those homes."

"In Baton Rouge, we sat with a 70-year old couple who were having their house completely gutted," Pavich said. "We had a chance to talk and chat with them and they were just so happy and grateful for the work that was being done. You really realize that it might just be a week's worth of work for us, but it's a lifetime for them. When we were leaving, they were telling us that they would root for BC now and to realize that impact is so humbling."

At its heart, the Jesuit mission combines service with education. That allows for different perspectives that often can go different ways. For students who were on return trips versus people on their first trip, it left a lasting impression that could come back to Chestnut Hill and help create the desired impact.

"I wasn't expecting the amount of public reception," Willis said. "The people valued us more than they did a lot of their local government and they were honored that we were there. Volunteers are legends to these people that come through to help them get back on their feet, and they were all so happy to have us there helping them."

The work continues in the Gulf Coast, throughout Baton Rouge and in New Orleans and there is tangible outcome in the program's success. But it helps BC students realize their gifts along with the ability to work with one another while visiting places like Tulane and LSU.

"Just being at their facilities (at Tulane) helped me understand more about what Boston College is like," Chimento said. "BC is a really close community and you really get to know everyone inside of athletics - coaches, administrators and other athletes. We had a chance to get to step away from our sports and really know each other a little bit better. Everyone brought something different to the experience. Some people were stronger physically, and others were more mental in their approach to helping out."

"We get challenged on the court and in our classes," Pavich said, "but being put in that situation to go help is a great experience. It exceeded my expectations and you come home super close with everyone that you went with. I didn't really know what to expect at the beginning and I only knew two people that were going. But the administrators made it life-changing and the experience will bring us home to become better leaders."

"This was an awesome experience," Willis reflected. "It doesn't take any elite qualities to go serve the community. Our group leaders were people who were unaware of the area or who had no experience with work like what we did with the homes. But they just wanted to help; they taught (football teammate) Mike (Strizak) and me so much. We all just need to have a helping heart to put people back in their homes and get them back on their feet."

Players Mentioned

Brittany Pavich

Myles Willis

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