Santa Clara University

Megan Brunkhorst

Hi, my name is Megan and I am from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'm a senior English major with a minor in Religious Studies. I hope to become a writer someday. On campus, I am involved with SCCAP as a program coordinator for Chandler Tripp Preschool. I like coffee and running, and I don't like beets or infomercials. In the past, I have gone on the East LA and Ecuador immersion trips, and am looking forward to leading the spring break trip to Tuba City, Arizona.

I am constantly inspired by all the people I meet at Santa Clara and could never be thankful enough for my time here. The immersion program is a great way to learn up-close about issues that may interest you. It is also nice to meet new friends and share ideas!

Hayley Dickson

Well hello! My name is Hayley and I’m a junior majoring in civil engineering. I’m proudly from southern California, but I’m absolutely loving my time up here in “da bay.” When I’m not busy filling my brain with knowledge in class, I love traveling, music, outdoor adventures, and hanging out with my wonderful fellow Santa Clarans. I spent this past summer in Nicaragua through the business school’s Global Fellows program. I came home with a belly full of rice and beans, a better understanding of the world, and even more love for life than I had before.

I am so excited to be leading the Appalachia, West Virginia trip this spring! My first immersion trip was to El Salvador in the fall of 2010, which was incredible. Last spring I went on my second trip to San Francisco, another truly amazing experience. I feel strongly about the importance of being educated in the realities of the world, and what better way to do that than through immersion? I’m looking forward to leading the Appalachia trip and I hope it is both a fun and eye opening experience for everyone.

Jenny Jin

Hello! My name is Jenny and I am a senior from Hayward, CA. I am majoring in Psychology and minoring in Art History and Italian. At Santa Clara, I am involved in the university's Chamber Singers, and also spend my time as a docent in various art exhibits on campus.

I came to Santa Clara knowing little about social justice issues that this country faces, and my immersion experiences to East LA and San Francisco were among two of SCU's vast pool of opportunities that allowed me to learn about some of these issues in a supportive environment that challenged me to think outside of the box and step out of my comfort zone. I consider the two immersion experiences I've had some of the most integral components of my Santa Clara education, and have served as a catalyst for a growing passion for social justice and for exploring ways I can integrate my experiences on these trips into other areas of my life and my future. I am thrilled to be an Immersion Coordinator this year, and am looking forward to learning more about social justice issues and share this wonderful experience with my fellow Broncos

After coming back from both of my immersion trips, I have felt that the question of what can I do to keep the experience alive and how I can share my experiences with the greater SCU community have been one of the more difficult and challenging parts of the whole immersion experience. On both occasions, I have come back from the trips with a thirst to learn more and do more, but before I know it, it is the middle of Spring Quarter, I am swamped with papers and midterms, and I have not actively done anything.

I have noticed, however, that even though I am not always actively doing something to keep my immersion experience alive, what I've learned and experienced throughout the immersion process have partly become engrained in my education and in who I am and what interests and matters to me, that having to apply another field of study or interest to, for example, a religion paper, is essentially effortless--and dare I say fun--when I am drawing a connection between something I have to write about and something I learned or someone I met on an immersion trip.

The immersion trips I went on and the social justice issues that I learned about through these trips have also become a part of both my personal and educational interests. When I discovered that the de Saisset's temporary exhibits were all going to have an underlying theme of homelessness, I felt like signing up for an additional commitment as a docent for the quarter was something I could not pass up, because I knew it would be an opportunity to learn more about homelessness and engage in conversations with museum visitors about the issues of homelessness and how artists have portrayed it through their art.

Despite finding personal ways to keep the immersion experiences alive for me, I still think about what more I can to advocate for the issues and serve the populations that were the focus of my immersion trips. I often joke that Santa Clara has ruined me for life, but I only mean it in the best way--in the way that opportunities like immersion trips have developed and furthered my eagerness to learn more about social justice.

Clare Louie

Hey there! My name is Clare and I'm a senior with a double major in Accounting and Environmental Studies. My hometown is Daly City, which is directly south of San Francisco. On campus, I have been involved with the business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi and the Activities Programming Board for 2 years. This summer, I interned at 2 non-profit organizations, which sparked an interest for me to work with them again in the future. Whenever I have some free time, I enjoy running and of course, hanging out with my friends.

During my sophomore year, I participated in the Nogales, AZ immersion trip, which was incredibly eye opening to the issues that happen in reality and not what you just hear on the news. The trip created so many memories from my experiences interacting and learning about border issues as well as the friends I made on the trip.

Jahayra Molina

Hey! I'm Jahayra Molina, born and raised in the 702 (Las Vegas). I'm a senior majoring in Sociology and Studio Art, with a minor in Religious Studies. This year I'm the Associate Director for SCCAP- I'm kind of a social justice junkie. When I'm not in class or in the office, I love coffee dates and sketching/painting!

My first immersion trip ever was in September of 2010 in El Salvador. It was an incredible experience that I'm constantly reminded of everyday. This year I will be leading the Spring break trip to San Jose, which I'm beyond excited for! Step outside of your comfort zone and participate in an immersion trip this Spring! From issues of homelessness to mountaintop removal, these trips will open your mind and heart and hopefully into a new world of understanding.

Alejandra Preciado

Hey everyone! I’m Alejandra Preciado and I’m a junior, Accounting and Sociology double major. I am from a small town in the middle of nowhere (seriously!) – Lindsay, California. On campus, I am a Community Facilitator for the Loyola RLC. I enjoy getting to know people, reading, browsing the web, and taking walks around our beautiful campus.

I am fortunate to have attended the San Jose Immersion Trip my freshmen year. My immersion experience changed the way I looked at the world, and really opened my eyes to injustices that happen right outside of the Santa Clara community. This experience inspired me to apply for the Immersion Coordinator position and will be leading the San Francisco trip in the spring of 2012. I look forward to the opportunity to grow and reflect from a new experience, and learn from the students that attend and the people we’ll meet along the way. Don’t hesitate to apply!

Natali Rodriguez

Hello friends! My name is Natali Rodriguez. I am a senior studying Sociology and Communication as double majors with a minor in Spanish. I am originally from Santa Ana, CA in Orange County (nothing like the show the OC). In my three years as an SCU student I have had the most condensed formative experiences in my life. I am a Program Coordinator for the Labor Action Committee within SCCAP. I have also worked with the Admissions Office and Campus Ministry. And last year I studied abroad in El Salvador for four months, which radically changed my views of the world.

Some of the other significant experiences I have been blessed with are the two immersion trips I went on to Nogales, AZ and Duran, Ecuador. Each trip was unique and affected in different ways my way of being and thinking. Each trip helped me develop my views on various social justice issues, it helped me connect to my immigrant identity, and contributed to my daily reminder of the privilege and blessings that have been given to me. I love the Ignatian Center and am always happy to talk about immersion trips or any human experiences!

Kurt Wagner

My name is Kurt Wagner and I am a senior studying both Communication and Political Science. I am originally from just north of Seattle, Wash. But most of my extended family is from Illinois so I have a strong connection to the Midwest as well. I am into journalism and would like to make that my career some day. I was the Editor-in-Chief of Santa Clara’s campus paper the past two years and am also the President of the Communication Honor Society on campus. I am a big time sports fan and love playing intramurals on campus. Shout out to all my teams from Seattle: Seahawks, Dawgs and Mariners!

I will be leading the December immersion trip to New Orleans and am extremely excited. My first immersion experience was last summer in El Salvador and I have not been able to put the trip and the experience out of my mind. I understand that immersions can carry different meanings for everybody so I hope that New Orleans provides an opportunity for everyone to grow in their own way. Can’t wait for NOLA 2011!