Santa Clara University

Becoming a Better Person

by Dennis McCleary
Father of Zibby McCleary, Spring 2004

I actually had a lot of confidence with this program from the beginning. I knew that Boston College would not sanction or "bless" such a program if it weren't safe. My decision to visit the Casa came because I knew Zibby would come back home with changed ideas and viewpoints of our good old USA and I needed to see how these "seeds" had been planted in El Salvador.

I was very nervous about going down there initially, only because of the fact that I don't speak Spanish. As soon as I landed and was met by Zibby and Christina Q., I felt comfortable that this was going to be a fun visit. Her Spanish was really fluent and everyone was very friendly, so I was good to go!

People make the country, community or school and in all of these cases, I was always at ease and impressed with the outwardness and the values of everyone. The group of students were the best all-around kids I could have imagined. After spending some time with them, at meals or in class, I suddenly felt a sense of pride for these kids as if they were my own, especially after the “reflection" night, when everyone told stories of their challenges and experiences while in the field. Each one of these kids wanted to make a difference in El Salvador, but there was not enough time in one semester to accomplish it all.

It's hard to explain but I also sensed a camaraderie that had developed, similar to what one experiences while on a sports team or a military group. These students worked together, studied together, ate together and played together. When things got tough they were always there to support each other emotionally. To experience a meal with the Salvadoran Casa students and the US students was something special; holding hands, singing a prayer and just talking about the day's events (although I didn't have a clue what they were saying). Their daily schedule of classes, meetings, working in their various praxis sites and doing homework left very little idle time for them. I was very impressed with all of this. All of this reminded me so much of my experience of going to Boston College and being part of the football team. We did everything together. There were no questions asked; we picked each other up when we were knocked down and laughed a lot when things went well. Of course what we did paled in comparison to your "team's" accomplishments.

My fondest memories of this trip were, (in no particular order of importance):

1) Going to Gene’s and Sister Peggy’s classes with the kids
2) Visiting with Rick Jones, wow what an eye opener that was. I could have spent hours with that guy listening to his stories and challenges.
3) Visiting the parish where Zibby worked and the Quintanillas’ house. That was awesome!
4) Visiting Monsignor Romero's house etc.
5) The trip to the beach
6) Eating pupusas!

What made this visit easy was the location of my hotel to the Casa. It was an easy walk through a nice neighborhood, and also an easy walk to the UCA (University of Central America). Every day Zibby had a jam-packed itinerary and each item was exciting as the next. I was so happy that she was happy. I know she had a great time and made great friends for life. It was very hard for her to leave there and come home, but thanks to today’s technology, through email and instant messaging, she has continued to stay in touch with her Casa buddies and knowing Zibby, they will be her special friends forever.

Kevin and Trena, my hats off to you guys for pulling this off each semester with a new group of kids. I don't know how you do it but from what I saw, you picked the cream of the crop, no "slackers", and the best representatives of our country I could imagine. Your program is first class and will do more for these kids than any semester at any college back in the states. All college kids should be so lucky to have experienced what Zibby did, and I applaud you and thank you for helping her to become a better person.

Regards,

Dennis McCleary