Jax Mendez

UNIV 390
Andrew Miller
April 17, 2015
Final Reflection
The ending of anything is hard for me. Some people find starting new things to be
very stressful and others have trouble keeping stamina in the middle of big projects. But
for me, its the endings of great things that hit me hardest. Reading the last page of a good
book, finishing the last bite of strawberry ice cream, walking back home after a really
memorable night, even watching the clock as the last few minutes of an interesting class
that semester tick by. This is why I find myself really dreading entering into the very last
two weeks as a Social Justice Intern. As I come to meet more and more of the new faces
of the program, the feeling is very bittersweet. I realize all good things must come to an
end and I am excited to pass down this incredible experience to a new group of incredible
leaders. Although I am sadden to leave Catholic Charities, Im so thankful for this
incredible opportunity.
As I reflect back to this time last year, I remember how excited and blessed I felt
to be a part of the Social Justice Internship Program. I was just wrapping up my freshman
year and it felt as if really great things were about to happen. I had also just accepted the
position as Orientation Leader and Peer Advisor for UNIV 101. After a more difficult
period of adjustment, I finally felt like I was on the right path doing the right thing. I
remember experiencing so many different feelings during this period before starting my
internship. I was excited for what was to come, that was undeniable. I knew this

internship would be an incredible experience that had the potential to change me in so

many ways if I allowed it. But I am also very impatient and the anticipation I experienced
during the summer made me anxious to start my semester. I wasnt so much nervous
about what I would be doing as I was filled to the brim with curiosity about how an actual
day at the office would play out. Looking back on it now I laugh because the days have
become so ritualistic and I know exactly what to expect.
The nerves of trying to balance everything this year also hit me. What if I cant
manage 18 credits and an internship and two jobs? What if I cant give my UNIV 101
students the time and attention they deserve because Im too busy at my internship? What
if the ride to work is just too far? What if I cant figure out a schedule that will allow me
to fit everything in? These were questions that came rushing to my head at the end of the
semester. Throughout the summer I looked forward to starting my internship more and
more. During orientation training at the very beginning of the summer, we receive
buttons to wear stating the different things were are involved in on campus. The new first
year students could then ask us about our involvements. Receiving an internship button
made things real. When students first asked me about it, I admittedly did not know how
to answer them very well. I had not actually started my internship and I probably
deflected many of their questions. I was curious as to what I would be doing myself! But
there was no doubt I was so proud to be a Social Justice Intern.
The very first week I was at my internship my supervisor Carlos was not there. He
had gone on vacation for a week to Europe, something actually very typical for him to do.
Throughout my year at Catholic Charities, he has traveled internationally at least five
times. The way my fall schedule worked out, I would be commuting to Catholic Charities

after I taught UNIV on Tuesday and getting there around 1:30PM then staying until
4:30PM. That first Tuesday I was there Kathryn, the other specialist, trained me. She
explained to me the difference between U Visas and VAWAs and the variations between
the two as well as the many different types of each. On Thursdays last semester I came in
all day from 8:30AM to 4:30PM. The very first Thursday I was at Catholic Charities,
Kathryn gave me one VAWA case that I worked on for the whole day. Usually VAWA
cases take longer than U Visas because there are more requirements that need to be
proved and about double the documents to be filed. A regular VAWA case like the one I
had on that very first Thursday will usually take me about two hours to complete.
However, on my very first day working on cases it took me all day and I even rushed to
complete my work at the very end. I remember the first VAWA case I worked on to be so
incredibly confusing and I felt swamped with all the paperwork. I had three cases to go
off of but still felt like I needed more guidance. Kathryn likes to use a more Socratic
approach and would let me reason the answer out instead of just telling me what to do. I
found this incredibly frustrating at first, but looking back, I did learn a lot more from this
approach. Things carried on and I got more efficient and quicker at writing executive
summaries and cover letters.
This year was undoubtedly challenging to say the least but overall one of the best
experiences I could have ever hoped to have during my time here at Loyola. My
freshman year and carrying on into last summer, I grew so much in my connections to
Loyola by meeting new people and creating friendships. This year however, I grew in
tremendous ways as a person. I realized that the work of social justice is difficult,
oftentimes emotionally tasking and draining. I know no matter what I do I want to work

towards creating a better place wherever I am called to. Before this year, I always
envisioned myself going to law school. Immigration issues have been a topic I am
passionate about way before my time at Loyola and I considered going into immigration
law. Interning in the Immigration and Naturalization Office at Catholic Charities opened
my eyes to what immigration law actually entails. To qualify for a U Visa or VAWA, one
must meet certain requirements, including being a victim of a violent crime. This year,
about 90% of the cases I worked on were incidents of domestic abuse against women and
the other 10% were instances of child sexual assault. Some of the cases I have read were
so horrifying and graphic, I felt awkward even discussing them with others. To me, some
of the most chilling instances at Catholic Charities would occurred when I would pick up
a police report and notice that this appalling act of abuse happened to share the same date
as my birthday. I would think back to what year it was and how old I was turning that
day. I remember those birthdays with fond memories, but on that same day my client had
suffered through something terrible and was brave enough to reach out for help from
authorities. I became much more passionate about womens issues and ideas of
machismo and marianismo in Latin American culture and I feel as though my eyes have
been opened to new issues.
One particular case has stuck with me. I was scheduled that morning for a
personal statement. This is when a client comes in and tells of what happened to them as I
write it all down. The meetings usually takes about an hour or so and I try to guide the
conversation based on the information I will need to write a substantial cover letter.
Usually the client speaks little to no English so I will write the personal statement in
Spanish and then translate from this version. Our clients are usually 30- 50-year-old

women. On that day, my client was an eighteen-year-old senior from a high school in
Little Village neighboring the high school I attended. She spoke perfect English and
simply needed someone to help her work through the emotional task of writing a personal
statement. She began telling me her story of how she had been with her ex- boyfriend
since freshman year. She endured manipulation, deceit, humiliation, cheating, and several
beatings because she believed she loved him. Finally she ended things and this is when
the worst physical abuse occurred. She was slapped, then thrown across the floor, and
then beaten until her jaw was broken. When her abuser finally fled the scene, she
attempted to call 911 with a broken jaw. She stated that when the police arrived she felt
terrified because she was undocumented but also because the officer was a bigger man.
She felt she could not even look at a man after what her abuser had done to her. She told
me the story of how she found the courage to speak with a female police officer and press
charges to obtain an order of protection. She was forced to grow up fast as she was to
appear in court several times as a seventeen year old. Although she was incredibly
distracted by the legal proceedings she had to face, she succeeded in becoming her high
school class valedictorian. However, she would not be able to attend college due to her
undocumented status. I sat with my client as she cried and tried to stay professional as I
offered her my compassion. This case had impacted me so much that within a few
minutes of my clients departure, I began to cry as well. The case was chilling not simply
because she was two years younger than me and had gone through so much abuse but
also because there was really not much that separated her from myself. I could have been
faced with the same fate as my client had it not been for very few differences.

I usually take phone calls on Tuesday afternoons which I believe was the driving
force that pushed me to continue the difficult work I am doing. This task taught me
people skills very different from those that I had acquired through interactions with
people in person. I learned practical skills like how to calm someone down when they
have been waiting on hold for a very long time and how to direct the conversation so
clients on the other line get to the point more quickly. Taking phone calls might have
been the most rewarding tasks assigned to me. The first time I called someone up to tell
him or her that after almost ten years their green card was in is unforgettable. The women
on the other end of the line started crying and thanking me. I really had not done any
work on this womens case besides the very end and was receiving all the credit. Usually
I only see the very beginning of cases which can often times be the most challenging part
of a case. Being able to witness the end result and to see how thankful people are was at
times what I needed to keep from being disillusioned. I realize that the work my office is
doing is very necessary and needed by the people who we serve. I am incredible thankful
for this opportunity because it has opened my eyes to the reality that the work of social
justice can many times be difficult but has also taught me how to combat feelings of
disillusion and keep faith in challenging times.