Fairfield University’s Campus Ministry is getting ready to send students on two international immersion trips this January, one to Belize and one to Costa Rica, following the growing student interest and applications.
After rising safety concerns in Peru, Fairfield was forced to cancel the originally planned trip and move locations to Costa Rica, a location Fairfield has not yet visited. The immersion trip in Costa Rica is going to focus on environmental justice and Indigenous rights. This trip was added alongside the immersion in Belize, which ran for the first time last year.
Rev. John Savard, S.J., who is leading the Belize trip alongside Katie Byrnes, Associate Director of Campus Ministry, highlighted the program’s purpose. “We’re trying to move away from a model where we say, ‘We are going to do something for you,” Savard said. “We talk more about accompaniment, how do we walk with a community and let them walk with us? We came back changed.”
Senior Ricky Lawlor, who is participating in the Belize immersion, shared that he first heard about the immersion trips through his involvement in Campus Ministry. He said that he felt “called to go.”
Even though Lawlor’s background in Campus Ministry led him to the immersion trips, he notes that any student, regardless of religious beliefs, is welcome to join in on service, and it would be beneficial to anyone.
Fairfield also has a long history of immersion work in Ecuador, through the current unrest there has stopped travel since last January. Campus Ministry hopes to return and make its way to Costa Rica once safety conditions improve.
According to Julia Murphy, Campus Minister for Justice and Immersions, these recent changes and additions were necessary. They ultimately opened unexpected and new opportunities for students. Each group was capped at 12 students, allowing for 24 students from both Fairfield’s North Benson campus and Bellarmine campus to go.
The Costa Rica program partners with Altruvistas, where students will work with local communities on environmental and family-focused projects. Meanwhile, the Belize immersion will continue its work from last year with Jesuit partners of Belize in both Belize City and Punta Gorda. Students there will assist with rebuilding efforts, home construction, and community outreach while learning about local culture and social challenges.
Murphy noted that interest in immersion programs has surged since returning from the COVID-19 pandemic. “We got so many applications last year that we were able to bring back having two trips over winter break, which is what we used to do before COVID,” Murphy said.
While the application process includes essays and an interview, she emphasized that the selection is not meant to be competitive. Instead, Campus Ministry looks for students who demonstrate maturity and openness for the experience, prioritizing older grades to ensure everyone can go on a trip during their time at Fairfield.
The impression trip has a $2,00 fee. However, Murphy stressed that financial need is not a barrier. Through scholarships and group fundraising, including a Chipotle fundraiser running tomorrow from 4-8 p.m., Campus Ministry ensures that every student can go on a trip.
“No one should be scared off by the sticker price,” Murphy said. “If you’re accepted, you can attend.”
The preparation and process for these trips includes six weeks of formation meetings that cover social justice, Catholic and Jesuit perspectives on service, and community-building. Murphy said that the impact is consistently meaningful. “Students come back seeing the world differently.”
Looking ahead, applications for the San Diego spring break immersion trip are now open through the end of January. Campus Ministry is also considering expanding the spring break trip to other options based on continued student interest and areas of need. Students can apply for the upcoming San Diego trip on Life@Fairfield.