by Ben Martella 

My internship with the Center for Faith and Vocation was the first time that I had the opportunity to sit down and dissect the term vocation. I had always thought of the word and the concept of vocation as a solely religious term that would have no value in my agnostic philosophy of life. My internship through Catholic Charities challenged that thought and has since open my mind and heart to many things in the world. The CFV provided me with insight and guidance in navigating this vocation. I can say with conviction; I have gained many valuable lessons ranging from professional experience to spiritual exploration as well as community building with my internship through the CFV as a whole.

My internship experience centered around the work of Catholic Charities under the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. I want to be frank in saying that I do not agree entirely with the Catholic church, nor do I agree with some actions taken by the Archdiocese. Nonetheless, the experience sincerely changed my view of religious affiliated NGOs as well as the people that work for them. The people are undoubtedly some of the kindest and hardest working individuals. They devote hours of their time in a career that values service over everything. My contribution was working with refugees in education and acculturation. Essentially, I taught English as a New Language (ENL) classes as well as helped to develop curriculum for refugees in connecting to American culture and adapting to the community. It is an understatement to say that it was easier said than done. This proved to be one of the greatest gifts and challenges of this internship. I have developed an even deeper sense of love for the world and the people that derive from it.  I have realized that once we take away commonalities like language and culture, there is still so much humanity we can use to connect with one another.

My experience this semester has caused me to reflect on my goals and aspirations for the near future. I have always been serious about Peace Corps and have since set my mind to applying and realistically going as soon as graduation commences. It is something that I feel as though I must fulfill and have identified it as an opportunity to help to foster what will ultimately become my vocation.