On Friday May 10, Rosary Academy hosted a field day for children with disabilities. Along with the Servite 9th graders, Rosary’s entire freshman class enjoyed this event as their class service project. The visiting students were from various Fullerton Elementary schools.
At Rosary there are many volunteer opportunities for students. Mrs. O’Campo ’03 shares why providing these types of specific leadership opportunities is important: “Offering a volunteer opportunity like this provides a platform for our students to interact with and learn from children with different abilities and views of the world. As the Rosary students plan and execute the event, it also encourages them to collaborate and work as a team, which in turn teaches them leadership skills and strengthens the bond of sisterhood.”
This service event was very meaningful for Rosary and the students. Mrs. O’Campo shared, “[The event] represents Rosary’s dedication to providing opportunities for all students, regardless of their abilities or differences. Through this project, our school [is showing its] commitment to inclusivity, compassion, and community engagement.”
The Directors of Campus Ministry Mrs.Kearns and Mrs. Flati set up the field day, putting time and effort into making it perfect for the freshmen and the visiting elementary students. Talking about Rosary’s charism, Mrs. Kearns said, “This service project fully aligns with our school’s charism of ‘reaching out to the dear neighbor without distinction’ – these young students are literally ‘our neighbors’ – they are from the Fullerton School District, and they are often marginalized or isolated because of their disabilities. We strive to be the ‘hands and feet of Christ’ by serving those in need–that’s what the freshmen will do: they’ll make sure these young students know they are valued and loved.”
On the day of the event, the freshmen paired up with a student or led fun carnival games and activities. Freshman Natalie Houshan said, “I loved getting to be a part of this event. I felt like I was doing something good for the community and helping out the less privileged.”
Overall, the freshmen experienced the joy of serving their dear neighbor, and it was a big success. Rosary students are lucky to have met some new young friends and look forward to other service events that will help them deepen their bonds with one another.