Leading Los Niños with Oscar Vasquez ’20

February 8, 2019

Cate students set out on the second Los Niños trip of the year last Wednesday. For junior Oscar Vasquez, the trip’s student leader, the service-learning sojourn to Mexicali was filled with additional responsibilities, deeply personal and emotional interactions, and a renewed sense of self.

In his role as student leader, Oscar was determined to keep the students energized, present in their work and surroundings, and appreciative of the opportunity. Cate Director of Public Service Will Holmes says Oscar was the natural choice. “It’s not easy to be the leader when you’ve only gone once. The second time any of us do anything, there’s still so much to learn because you’ve only done it once. Oscar rose to the challenge.”

The group’s work included much-needed community infrastructure and revitalization improvements such as cementing and painting at the local school and playground. Oscar shares that it was difficult to see visible signs of progress in some sections of Los Algodones since his last visit during the Spring of 2018. “I’m not naïve enough to think things would rapidly change. But I was hoping that there would be some sign of greater prosperity for the community. The stories that we heard made it sound like business was really booming, but when we arrived, we learned about the many factors, such as the weather and the political climate, that played a significant role in slowing down progress,” he reflects.

The students visited a deportation center and received a firsthand look at border politics in the area. They met a woman who arrived in the deportation center that very same day after having spent a month in prison. “It was heartbreaking to hear her story, but there definitely was a connection between us,” says Oscar. “She was willing to share a traumatic and personal experience with us. It was genuine, and she knew we appreciated it.”

Throughout the duration of their stay, the interactions with Los Algodones’ residents and children connected Cate students with their service work and with one another. “We knew that this would probably be the last time that the twenty-four of us would be together in such a unique shared experience. We were in it together, and that made it even more special,” Oscar shares.

As for advice to students interested in participating on future trips, Oscar says, go for it, and be open minded. “Don’t allow yourself to be caught up in the danger of a single story. In today’s political climate you hear so many disparaging things about Mexico, criminals, and drug traffickers. Every country has issues and it’s unfair to assume the worse of an entire country.”Niños