By Tegan Bauer
This winter break seven Carroll students led by Daniel Thies, associate director of Campus Ministry, ventured to Browning, Montana on a Headlights trip in order to serve and give back but they ended up receiving just as much.
Thies stated that what he’s most excited for in these Headlight trips is to see students, “experience Christ in the form of the other, especially in those that have been marginalized,” and how it effects their life and molds their vision for their future.
Headlights trips are offered twice a year during Spring break, to Chicago, East L.A., or Denver, and Winter break, to Browning, Montana. These trips are outreach projects to help and better these communities and educate participants. Carroll students receive a total cultural immersion experience, learn about the effects of poverty, and work with the local community in order to bring faith based education to resident youth.
Browning is located just east of Glacier National Park on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Like many reservations it struggles with poverty, alcohol and drug abuse and has limited educational resources and opportunities. The goal of this trip was to work with the local Blackfeet community and more specifically with the De La Salle Blackfeet School. The Carroll students were tasked with working with local kids ranging from fourth to eighth grade. Some students helped grade papers while others gave personalized tutoring lessons for kids that had fallen behind in school work.
The participants all stated how moved they were by how overwhelmingly welcoming, loving, and hopeful the Blackfeet community were towards them and the work they were doing. They spoke about the meaningful connections developed during recess breaks and bonding at the cafeteria lunch tables. The relationships developed with the children at the school will not soon be forgotten. Some students felt so passionate about this work that they have participated in several Browning trips. Elementary Education major Courtenay Perry was one of the students that felt connected and drawn to Browning.
Perry enthusiastically stated, “This was my third time going on the Headlights trip to Browning. I am extremely blessed to have had the chance to serve so many times, and God has placed the desire on my heart to teach at De La Salle.”