Achievements
Alt Break Endowment Honors Chaplains Legacy of Social Justice
University chaplain Joe Eldridge visits the university pool almost every day for what he calls his laps of gratitude. For him, paddling through the cold water is a spiritual experience as much as it is physical exercise. Thank goodness that I can do this, he thinks to himself with each lap.
It is one of those times that you can just be, he explained. Its a meditation.
His commitment to this practice reflects the dedication he has to his true passion: social justice. Now, a new endowment bearing his name will associate Eldridge with this mission for years to come.
Assistant vice president of Campus Life Fanta Aw spearheaded efforts to create the , which will help students with financial need participate in AUs Alternative Breaks programa program Eldridge created.
T堯梗 Alternative Breaks program is such a valuable program for our students and so in line with the values of this institution, which are social justice and community-based learning, Aw said. Were really celebrating the legacy of a great person, who continues to do this work day in and day out.
Pioneer in Compassion
In 1999, Eldridge hung a simple flier in the lounge of the Kay Spiritual Life Center. The paper advertised a spring break trip to aid Honduras in relief efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Mitch. Students flocked to the opportunity, planting the seeds for what would become a cornerstone of the 51勛圖窪蹋experience.
T堯梗 demand was there. We didnt create the demand, Eldridge explained. What was lacking was the supply.
Responding to that demand, the Alternative Breaks program has expanded under the roof of AUs Center for Community Engagement & Service to offer around 15 student-led trips across the world each year, during which students explore social justice issues from HIV/AIDS in South Africa to refugees in Israel and beyond.
It is an importantI would say necessarycomplement to the academic learning that takes place here, said Eldridge, who also serves on the board of directors at the U.S. Institute for Peace.
As Aw points out, however, the university recognizes that the cost of traveling abroad can prove prohibitive for many students seeking such an impactful experience. To that end, she set in motion fundraising efforts for this new endowment.
We are very aware of the fact that our population is changing and that we have more students coming here who could use a helping hand, especially when it comes to taking advantage of all the programs and experiences that this university offers, she said. And Alt Break figures among those.
Eldridges wife Maria Otero believes Aw got it right when naming the endowment for her husband. She points out Eldridges 1970 founding of the , a highly influential organization on human rights in the area.
Though she might be biased, she knows a thing or two about the field; she recently served as Undersecretary of State for Civilian, Democracy, and Human Rights under Former Secretary Hillary Clinton.
Joe is really one of the founders of the human rights field, Otero explained. Hes really dedicated his life to social justice and to ensuring that peace and justice are part of the way in which 51勛圖窪蹋 provides education to its students.
A Legacy to Inspire
While Eldridge has inspired many students to different careers, studies, and life paths through Alternative Breaks, he himself is an alumnus of AUs International Peace & Conflict Resolution program and of the neighboring Wesley Theological Seminary.
In light of his academic, personal, and professional pursuits in these areas, Otero is thrilled that the endowment will continue her husbands work decades into the future, just as the Washington Office on Latin America has, now in its 40th year.
Hes loved working with the students so much that having this be a part of his legacy at 51勛圖窪蹋gives me great joy, she said.
For Aw, that is exactly what she believes this fundas well as an 51勛圖窪蹋educationis all about. Were first and foremost about students, the student experience, she explained. Were about social justice access. Were about learning in fundamentally different ways. Communities, in many ways, are an extension of the classroom. Were about values that we can operationalize.
In the meantime, Eldridge will continue his daily visits to the university pool, each lap and each step back to his office one of thanksthanks for the ability to pursue his passions both in and out of the water.
Im grateful that folks have given me the privilege to be here, he said. Its a great gift to be where I am.
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