As a graduating senior at the University of San Francisco, I feel as though I have been fortunate enough to experience accompaniment in many different ways throughout my time here. However, I must admit that I have not always felt this way. My time at USF began amidst a global pandemic, which presented specific challenges that limited my ability to create a sense of community amongst my peers. The campus was shut down for the 2020 2021 school year, my first year of college. Freshly out of high school and a first-generation college student, I was clueless about how to navigate the daunting task of attending college from my bedroom.
The start of classes, in August 2020, made me feel as though I was ripped out of my close-knit high school community and pushed into college where I had nobody, no sense of community, nothing. Quickly just a bunch of squares on a screen became my classmates, some I connected with but most I did not. Remote learning made it very easy to attend classes without engaging: in discussions, with the material, with classmates, and especially with my professors. I went from being extremely outgoing with a passion for learning to being completely disconnected from everything.
In September 2020, I experienced my first significant loss with the passing of my godmother. Six months into self-isolating and one month into what was already the most challenging academic experience I have ever had, I had to navigate the grief and loss of someone who played a major role in my life. This event deeply impacted me and had repercussions on my college experiences and academic performance. Swallowed by grief and sadness, I quickly fell behind academically, had to withdraw from a course, and ended the semester with the lowest grades I’ve ever received in my entire life.
Eventually, when in-person classes began, I felt a sense of community and accompaniment, which manifested through various forms, all contributing to my personal and academic growth. The sense of community at USF is unlike anything I’ve ever known—student organizations, academic success coaches, mentors, and on-campus opportunities for students to connect. In my sociology and Latin American studies classes, I found my community. Supporting one another through long hours of research, preparation for presentations, collaborative work, and sharing personal experiences, I found solidarity within the USF community.
One particular instance that I remember as an example of accompaniment during my time at USF was during my junior year. In the middle of my junior year, my grandfather had an operation, there were a few complications, he was hospitalized, and his health began to decline quickly. I am extremely close to my grandfather, and his health situation caused my mental health to be all over the place. I felt overwhelmed by the combination of life and the workload, so I reached out to my classmates, academic success coach, and professors for help. Instead of just offering academic assistance, they took the time to listen to my situation and my concerns and offered kind words of encouragement. My professors provided resources when I missed classes and helped me develop a plan to complete my classwork while classmates sent me their notes. Knowing that I had people in my corner who had my back helped me to overcome the obstacles I was facing. The professors I have had at USF have gone above and beyond to share their knowledge, serve as mentors, and be someone to bounce ideas off of. The professors at USF truly care about their students’ well-being, mental health, academic and personal successes, and growth both as students and as a person. Through one-on-one meetings, in-class discussions, feedback on written work, or sharing about my personal life, my professors made me feel like my voice mattered. The supportive in-class environment created by my professors made me feel valued and empowered to push myself to reach my full potential.
The Jesuit values of social justice and service are deeply ingrained in USF’s mission statement and principles. I believe that a Jesuit education at USF not only produces well-educated students but also inspires them to take transformative action. USF’s social justice mission of “change the world from here” inspires students to connect and engage with the world outside of the classroom. The university is committed to creating compassionate leaders addressing inequalities and advocating for marginalized communities. This dedication to social justice and service shapes the academic curriculum and flows through to every aspect of USF’s campus. All students are given a strong foundation, a plethora of resources, and empowerment to become agents of positive change in the world.
Currently, I am taking my Capstone course, which combines service learning and coursework. USF has many community partners making this process extremely accessible. In an attempt to make progress toward the social change I am passionate about, currently I volunteer as a Reading Partners tutor. Reading Partners is an organization based on pushing back against systemic racism, poverty, and other social inequalities in an attempt for educational equality. I provide tutoring sessions to students who need more support in reading, comprehension, and writing. The goal of this program is to weaken the link between reading illiteracy and social inequalities; this goal aligns with my personal beliefs and USF social justice mission.
To me, a hope-filled future is characterized by justice, compassion, and solidarity. A hope-filled future is one where conflict is resolved through conversations instead of violence, where differences are celebrated instead of used to divide. A future where individuals, regardless of their backgrounds, can easily access basic human rights, education, healthcare, and where empathy takes priority. A future where people are empowered and encouraged to reach their full potential while using their unique talents to contribute to the betterment of society. Through several courses on social issues, volunteer opportunities, and immersion experiences, USF students are urged to reflect on their role in creating a more just and equal society.
I believe USF’s emphasis on social responsibility has molded my outlook on the world and has motivated me to contribute to social change in many ways. I believe the Jesuit education I have received from the University of San Francisco has empowered me to become more socially responsible and compassionate. As I continue on my journey, I am inspired by the values, experiences, and people I have encountered during my time here at USF. I am committed to playing my part in changing the world from San Francisco.
MARISSA FREITAS graduated USF in May 2024 as a sociology major.
