upon arriving at stanford,
I had just entered
the Catholic Church through the RCIA program and was
eager to expand my knowledge about the Catholic tradi-
tion. From Catholic Community at Stanford (CC@S)
retreats and service trips, to my ministry roles at Mass and
on the Catholic Leadership Team, I have been blessed with
many opportunities to connect to people, places and expe-
riences that have constantly expanded the lens with which
I view my faith. In August, I will be taking in an even
broader perspective of the Church as I follow my feet far
fromThe Farm to embark on an academically and spiritu-
ally invigorating year-long journey around the world.
I will soon board the plane that will carry me from
San Francisco to San Salvador, the first leg of my globe-
trotting trip. On August 15, I return to El Salvador for the
fourth time in a year and a half. My first trip to El Salvador
came in the spring of my freshman year, when I arrived
as a member of the alternative spring break hosted by the
CC@S. Since then, I have returned to El Salvador once for
a summer stay to work with a non-profit called the Tama-
rindo Foundation, and an additional time for my second
CC@S alternative spring break.
During my upcoming venture, I return to El Salvador
as a participant of the Casa de la Solidaridad study abroad
program offered through Santa Clara University. In addi-
tion to my existing interest and experience in the country,
I elected to participate in the Casa program over Stanford
programs because of its emphasis on social justice. I was
also drawn to the pillars of the program, which include
accompaniment, academics, community and spirituality.
I will therefore be spending the next four months taking
classes at the University of Central America and serving
in communities surrounding San Salvador. As I live, study
and serve in the country’s capital, I look forward to meet-
ing even more incredible Salvadorans and learning from
first-hand accounts about the causes and consequences of
El Salvador’s twelve-year civil war.
Once I return from El Salvador in December, I’ll make
a brief stop back in Nebraska to celebrate Christmas with
my family before I hop on a plane bound for Cape Town,
South Africa. One of my motivations for my stay in South
Africa is my interest in learning more about civil conflict,
particularly the role of rec-
onciliation during peace-
time. I was also attracted
to the Stanford Cape Town
program because, like the
Casa program, it focuses on
social justice. As a member
of the program, I will have
the opportunity to partner
with a non-profit for the
extent of my stay. Although
I do not yet know what orga-
nization I will be working with, I would love to be involved
with one that focuses on youth empowerment, especially
those that work through the vehicles of education or dance,
or both!
From Cape Town I will set off to my third and final
destination of the year—Paris, France. In between my
classes on the political structure of the European Union
and French architecture, I will be polishing my French
skills and bopping about Europe taking pictures of any-
thing and everything I encounter. When I am not fulfilling
my academic duties, I will be treading along the paths of
the saints as I journey from Cathedral to abbey to sanctu-
ary, capturing just a bit of the rich history of the Catholic
Church.
I know that this next year will be life changing, and
that I can’t possibly imagine all of the ways in which I will
grow and change, but I’m quite thrilled to see what God
has in store for me on this journey. Blessings and prayers to
all, especially the incoming freshmen.
Amy Harris ‘14 is a junior, studying international relations,
education and modern languages.
3
In Their Own Words
Junior Year Abroad
as a stanford catholic
