Impacting and Inspiring: SAA Sophomores Grow on Retreat

All 230 of us stand in a circle, our backs facing the center, our shoulders touching the shoulders of the people beside us. We are wearing our blue sophomore retreat shirts and layers of jackets, but smiling because of the cold air blowing in our faces that ruffles our hair. We close our eyes as words are said and someone taps us on the back for each word they feel we have embodied over retreat. 

"Tap someone who has been a leader, tap someone who has been selfless,” the words continue as small group leaders and teachers walk along the inside of the circle, tapping sophomores on their shoulders. 

This is just one of the many activities we did on sophomore retreat, a time for sophomores to reflect as a class, following the word “impact.” At 8 a.m. on Feb. 6, everyone gathered in Meyer Hall as DPT (Dominican Preaching Team) leaders introduced themselves and started some group icebreakers. Among the favorites was a Tik Tok competition with volunteers chosen from the audience to compete against their classmates. Following this, parent volunteers drove students to volunteer sites ranging from helping kids in classrooms, to planting trees outside. 

DPT Leader, Savannah Marks (‘20) really enjoyed getting the chance to lead sophomore retreat. She thanks the campus ministry teachers Mrs. Anna Sklut and Mrs. Krystle Powell for allowing for students to brainstorm ideas for the retreat, and letting the students plan most of it under their guidance.

Sophomores Katie Schott (‘22) and Allison Hyzak (‘22) help cut out pictures.

Savannah said, “My favorite activity was the hearthstones activity, when girls walked up to front of gym as Sr Jane held hearts out which had words engraved in clay. Each girl would then get a paper describing her word.” Savannah remembers how much she appreciated this activity as she did the same activity when she was a sophomore. Along with leading small groups, each DPT leader was also invited to say a speech some time during the retreat relating to the activity going on at the time. Savannah chose to say her speech about how studying the world around us is just as important as studying in school. “The world around us needs help too. In school we get grades, but in the world we are able to gain experiences.” Savannah recalls that as a sophomore, because she had been so focused on grades, she had been blocking out the whole world. However, she soon realized that working in the form of service and volunteering was what she enjoyed the most. “Helping and sharing your gifts with the world is just as important grades.” 

One of the main things that Savannah enjoyed the most was the similarities between her sophomore and senior year. “As a sophomore, I went to a retirement home. I was honestly nervous at first, but I soon branched off and started talking to an older woman who was sitting alone. She was shy at first, but soon opened up and told me all about her love for drawing.” Savannah says that she saw a spark in the woman’s eyes as she excitedly asked to draw Savannah, and upon reflection, this was one of the most meaningful service experiences Savannah has had. 

Katherine Sloop (‘22) volunteered at the Gabriela Mistral center for early childhood, which was a preschool for less privileged kids. Some of the kids that she interacted with had parents working all the time, or maybe they had been taken by CPS - however, one thing in common with all of these kids was that English wasn't their first language. Katherine said that she got a lot closer with friends because this was a good opportunity to talk in a context outside of school. 

“It was really interesting to experience an environment not the same as my reality, it was almost a different reality. One thing this really taught me, though, was patience. Some kids don't speak English and I don’t speak Spanish, so we had to find different ways to interact with the kids in a positive and patient way.”