Brian Kuehner, freshman student in the College of Business, reflects on weekly service at Catholic Charities’ Juan Diego Center:
Over the course of the past semester, my volunteer service at the Juan Diego Center has profoundly impacted my views on immigration. Every Tuesday I would go with the CCSJ and help immigrants study for their naturalization tests. My initial thought was, “this test can’t be all that hard. It’s probably just common sense.” Feeling confident in my knowledge of the American government (especially after passing the AP U.S. Government test last year), I was humbled to find out that I struggled with some of the questions just as much as the people I was trying to help.
In addition, I learned that many of the immigrants suffer from stress disorders that negatively affect their learning abilities. This, combined with the language barrier, makes it difficult for them to study for the test; however, I have yet to meet a person who does not persist and give their very best to master the material. I often reflect on this experience and realize that at times I have taken my citizenship for granted while in the meantime, others are struggling each day just to become members of our society. My experience volunteering at the Juan Diego Center has been a memorable part of my time at Creighton and I would highly encourage my peers to partake in a similar form of service.
