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News & Photos
Senior Leaders Build Skills in NOLA
When the Rollins-Luetkemeyer (R-L) Leaders and Dorm Prefects arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA) on July 29, they did what every good tourist does—they traveled to the French Quarter, had lunch at the Gazebo Café and shopped at the French Market. After that, they got down to business. Their “home away from home” for the week was Faith Presbyterian Church in Harvey, Louisiana. The church has hosted McDonogh and numerous other groups since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“When Katrina hit, the Faith Church community opened their doors to volunteers from around the country. They did not have a large congregation so they decided that they could do the most good by sharing their space and offering hospitality,” explains Bridget Collins ‘90, one of the four chaperones on the trip. “And so, we've stayed at Faith for years...entering through a door with a sign reading "nothing is broken beyond repair."
At night, the group of fifteen seniors and their chaperones slept on air mattresses and used the church facilities (kitchen, showers, coolers, etc.) while during the day they worked to help rebuild the hurricane-damaged area and at the same time build their leadership skills. Working with Habitat for Humanity, the group learned to measure, cut, and install concrete board siding, and even do some roofing on a home on Majestic Oaks Drive very close to Lake Pontchartrain. The Habitat for Humanity Project coordinator who worked with the McDonogh group commented that this was the brightest and most motivated group of high school students he'd ever worked with—especially impressive since the weather was incredibly hot and humid with a heat index between 100 and 115 degrees.
Evenings were a cultural experience for the group who enjoyed the many tastes “The Big Easy” had to offer including gumbo, jambalaya, muffaletta sandwiches, Po Boys, and fried alligator! The group also stopped in at the famed Cafe Du Monde for Beignets and Community Coffee (roasted and blended with chicory) and ate at restaurants with live jazz music by local musicians.
New this year was an all-day leadership workshop focusing on emotional intelligence led by Melissa Williams-Gurian, a 1988 graduate of McDonogh. Melissa, who traveled from Washington State to be with the McDonogh group, got to know the students while working with them on the job site on Tuesday and then led a challenging and worthwhile day-long workshop on Wednesday.
Collins and the other chaperones agreed that throughout the week the R-L Leaders and Prefects learned to work as a team and to listen to one another. She said, “We learned that maintaining a positive attitude can help overcome the most challenging conditions. And most importantly, we realized the positive impact a small group of committed individuals can have on the world. In fact, if your heart and mind are in the right place and you are surrounded by good people, ‘nothing is broken beyond repair.’”
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When the Rollins-Luetkemeyer (R-L) Leaders and Dorm Prefects arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA) on July 29, they did what every good tourist does—they traveled to the French Quarter, had lunch at the Gazebo Café and shopped at the French Market. After that, they got down to business. Their “home away from home” for the week was Faith Presbyterian Church in Harvey, Louisiana. The church has hosted McDonogh and numerous other groups since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“When Katrina hit, the Faith Church community opened their doors to volunteers from around the country. They did not have a large congregation so they decided that they could do the most good by sharing their space and offering hospitality,” explains Bridget Collins ‘90, one of the four chaperones on the trip. “And so, we've stayed at Faith for years...entering through a door with a sign reading "nothing is broken beyond repair."
At night, the group of fifteen seniors and their chaperones slept on air mattresses and used the church facilities (kitchen, showers, coolers, etc.) while during the day they worked to help rebuild the hurricane-damaged area and at the same time build their leadership skills. Working with Habitat for Humanity, the group learned to measure, cut, and install concrete board siding, and even do some roofing on a home on Majestic Oaks Drive very close to Lake Pontchartrain. The Habitat for Humanity Project coordinator who worked with the McDonogh group commented that this was the brightest and most motivated group of high school students he'd ever worked with—especially impressive since the weather was incredibly hot and humid with a heat index between 100 and 115 degrees.
Evenings were a cultural experience for the group who enjoyed the many tastes “The Big Easy” had to offer including gumbo, jambalaya, muffaletta sandwiches, Po Boys, and fried alligator! The group also stopped in at the famed Cafe Du Monde for Beignets and Community Coffee (roasted and blended with chicory) and ate at restaurants with live jazz music by local musicians.
New this year was an all-day leadership workshop focusing on emotional intelligence led by Melissa Williams-Gurian, a 1988 graduate of McDonogh. Melissa, who traveled from Washington State to be with the McDonogh group, got to know the students while working with them on the job site on Tuesday and then led a challenging and worthwhile day-long workshop on Wednesday.
Collins and the other chaperones agreed that throughout the week the R-L Leaders and Prefects learned to work as a team and to listen to one another. She said, “We learned that maintaining a positive attitude can help overcome the most challenging conditions. And most importantly, we realized the positive impact a small group of committed individuals can have on the world. In fact, if your heart and mind are in the right place and you are surrounded by good people, ‘nothing is broken beyond repair.’”