He huakaʻi pōmaikaʻi—A Blessed Journey

Current Marianist PULSE volunteer, Andre "Pono" Riddle, is our guest blogger this week. Pono is a graduate of Chaminade University in Honolulu and has been serving since August 2018 at ECHO (Empowering Children with Hope and Opportunity.) Here he shares his journey to—and through—his PULSE year thus far. Please join us in praying for Pono and the other PULSE volunteers as they soon end their year of service and pursue future endeavors.

May 14, 2018. I had just graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree from Chaminade University of Honolulu. I was excited, yet nervous for the road ahead––I would be leaving my beautiful Hawaiʻi for a year of service in Dayton, Ohio. I didn’t really know what to expect, other than to have an open mind and heart. Little did I know how fulfilled and enriched I’d become as the months progressed.

Doing a year of service had always been in the back of my mind ever since I met Marianist PULSE Coordinator Maureen O’Rourke in October 2015, when she visited and recruited for PULSE’s inaugural year. During the summer before my senior year, I participated in the week-long Los Angeles Service Immersion trip in which students from each of the three Marianist Universities––Chaminade, University of Dayton, and St. Mary’s University––engaged in a variety of experiences fostering leadership skills in the Marianist charism, while working with local non-profits and especially with those living and working in Skid Row, America’s Homelessness capital. These experiences encouraged me to discern further and eventually commit to a year of service through Marianist PULSE following graduation.

My placement site has been with ECHO (Empowering Children with Hope and opportunity), a program housed in the Center for Catholic Education at the University of Dayton (UD). ECHO’s services are in 14 Catholic Schools in the Dayton area. ECHO provides children and families in faith-based schools, particularly the underserved, with skills for life by providing social and emotional services. I have worked with three of the ECHO counselors and Family Advocate. Some of what I have done include the following: assist the ECHO counselor in teaching 2nd Step, a violence prevention program rooted in social and emotional learning for students in Pre-K through eighth grade; I assisted the ECHO Director and Family Advocate at Family Engagement events, particularly with data collecting for the Montgomery County/United Way Grant; I helped coordinate the annual Fall and Spring 8th Grade Retreats, as well as Peacemaker get-togethers. 

The Peacemakers are comprised of seventh and eighth graders in the schools ECHO serves; they are role models both in school and their respective communities. I had the privilege and opportunity to educate the Peacemakers about “Aloha Spirit” and how to embody it every day in everything they do, and with whom they interact, surrounding the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21. I also co-facilitated a self-empowerment/self-esteem boys group called Kūlia Ikaika––Stand Strong. One of many things I love about working with ECHO is the spirit of inclusivity and working as a team. Since day one, I have felt and been included in staff meetings, personal developments, retreat planning, and much more.

My Marianist PULSE journey has been such a blessing––so life-giving. I have embraced a

stronger sense of self and of community, a new environment and all four seasons, and strengthened my spiritual and professional development, respectively. Support from PULSE alumni and the Dayton Marianist family has overflowed in abundance. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity and strongly encourage those considering committing to a year of service to do so. The Marianist charism is a strong and everlasting foundation, surrounding the continuing development of the individual person. As the PULSE year concludes, I am reminded of the many blessings, people, and the “Aloha Spirit” I have encountered here in Dayton and am forever changed for the better. At my desk at ECHO, I wrote a list of Bible verses to hang up and am reminded of Joshua 1:9––“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid and do not be discouraged for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” After returning home next month, I will be looking forward to pursuing a Masters of Education with an emphasis in Educational Leadership back at Chaminade University.

Me ke aloha pumehana,

Pono