KM
Katie Miller
  • Marshfield, WI

Katie Miller Travels to Belize with Marquette Action Program

2012 Jan 26

Katie Miller, a junior political science major from Marshfield, WI, is one of 12 Marquette University students who traveled to Belize over winter break as a part of the International Marquette Action Program (IMAP). Along with Campus Ministry staff members Ann Mulgrew and Steve Blaha, the students spent 10 days in Punta Gorda, Belize, where they helped build a second story onto a local school. The group also met with Jesuit Volunteers and people from the local parish to learn more about the Belizean culture and economic programs.

The 12 selected for the immersion trip comprised a diverse group of students from all different majors and backgrounds. "They just made me proud every time," says Mulgrew, director of IMAP. "They really gave their hearts and weren't afraid to do so. It was about working with others, not serving others."

In preparation for their trip, the group met throughout the fall semester to reflect and learn about social justice and cultural sensitivity issues they would face in Belize.

"We took the Ignatius idea of 'reflect, act, reflect' to heart," Mulgrew says of their time in Belize. "We were living what we've been talking about and praying about. It was a cultural exchange and relationship, not just charity."