While most college students spend their winter breaks stepping away from the books to take a well needed “me time”, Julianne Earle, a Stonehill College senior, does the opposite and extends a helping hand to those in need.
Earle, 21, has always been passionate about the importance of quality of life. With a biology major and Spanish minor at Stonehill, Earle hopes to continue her passion for helping people by attending medical school in the fall.
While waiting to hear back from Tufts, Boston University, and a few others, Earle spends her time as a resident assistant and a mission trip leader. The mission trips, Stonehill’s immersion program, are also known as H.O.P.E. trips.
According to Stonehill’s webpage, the H.O.P.E. service immersion program concentrate on the mission of “honoring our neighbors, organizing for justice, practicing peace, and encountering God.”
Students like Earle select each trip and travel to destinations ranging from a two hour drive to a 36 hour flight. In Earle’s first experience, she took interest in a 36 hour flight to India during winter break of her sophomore year.
For two weeks, Earle spent her time at Maher Mother’s House.
“Maher Mother’s House is a home for women and children that have been abused or disabled. They give them a second chance and an education,” said Earle.
She said Maher Mother’s House chooses not to revolve around one religion for their program.
“Because so many children are from different religions and backgrounds Maher does a really good job in integrating them,” Earle said.
At Maher, she spent a lot of time with the women and children. Activities involved playing games, listening to music, dancing, participating in prayer, sharing meals and seeing different parts of the Maher facilities. Earle said, most of the activities focused on ministry of presence in which their participation practiced ministry without necessarily preaching.
Maher focused on the idea that God is too small to be defined by one religionand Earle began questioning her own religious identity.
Wearing the gold cross that was once her grandmothers, Earle said she was raised Catholic. Earle said her mother wanted these beliefs to be practiced in her education so she attended Espirto Santo, a Catholic school in Fall River, Massachusetts.
She said the trip to India made her realize that there is more faith than just one belief system. “The story is a little different in each but there is always a similar denominator,” said Earle.
Earle’s focus is now solely faith-based. Earle said that although she regularly attends church and identifies as Catholic, her experience through Maher opened her mind to what other religions offer.
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