THE
SPRINGHILLIAN
October 9, 2014
Volume 99 Issue 3
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Matt LaBorde (second from the left) with participants of LA JVC at the annual CycleLAvia
A Match Made in Heaven: JVC and SHC By Natalie Welch Editor-In-Chief
Students might have seen a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in the cafeteria recently, and there is good reason for that. For one, JVC has a lot in common with Spring Hill College. Not only are they both grounded in their Jesuit faith, but they share other values, as well, such as service, social justice and community. According to JVC’s website, “Jesuit Volunteer Corps supports organizations that provide direct service to people who are poor and marginalized by placing volunteers at schools, non-profits, and other sites around the world.” With this background, then, it doesn’t seem too shocking that many of SHC’s alumni have found JVC to
be a great fit. For instance, take Matt LaBorde, who graduated from SHC this past May and now lives in California, where he works for a non-profit organization, Chrysalis, as part of JVC. Here, he deals with low-income and homeless individuals, helping them with job preparation by having them do mock-interviews, and creating resumes with them. “JVC is perfect for Spring Hill students, and college students in general, who don’t really know quite yet where they want to go in their lives,” he says. “It gives you a year, – a gap year, almost – but it’s a very regimented and structured gap year. And not only that, but
you’re doing something really important for a community or for a city.” LaBorde wanted to become involved with JVC because of its many similarities to SHC; one of his main influences, in fact, was another SHC alum, Carleigh Lanclos, who graduated in 2013, and spent a year in the JVC program. She told LaBorde about some of its rewards and challenges, and thus persuaded him that it was something worth pursuing. “JVC was one of the most challenging and influential years of my
SEE FROM THE COVER pg. 4