The Spire

Viveca Stucke ’26 and Caroline Kramer ’26

Chief Features Editor and Features Editor

The annual Spring Break Immersion Program (SBIP), organized through the Office of the College Chaplains, has officially opened its application for students interested in a faith-based mission experience. Each spring, small groups of students led by at least one student leader travel to sites across the country to engage with communities through relationship building, mutuality, and reflection. Inspired by the quote, “Don’t set out to change the world, set out to wonder how people are doing” by Greg Boyle, SJ, SBIP centers on the idea of being with others. The program allows participants to encounter new communities, broaden their perspectives, and deepen their sense of connection. Students can choose from four types of immersion sites: L’Arche communities where people with and without intellectual disabilities share life together, Appalachia (Appa) sites where students learn about and respond to issues facing rural communities, Sustainability sites which focus on agriculture, environmental stewardship, and climate justice, and Special sites that explore systemic injustices in urban areas. This diversity of locations allows participants to engage in an experience that aligns with their passions and values while engaging meaningfully with realities faced by others. Each trip offers students the opportunity to grow in understanding, faith, and solidarity, building bridges that last even beyond spring break. Here are our personal testimonials regarding the sites:

L’Arche Syracuse – Viveca Stucke ’26

During my week in L’Arche Syracuse in 2025, I engaged with their community through programming events, meals, and simply hanging out with members of the community. There were 4 homes where the core members resided, and we rotated in and out of each home, experiencing their daily life through watching movies, cooking and eating dinner together, or simply conversing with them about mutual interests and sharing our lives. Additionally, we participated in activities with their day hab program, where we met other members of the community aside from the core members, where we colored, painted, went bowling, and even had a birthday party for one of the core members! This experience taught me the value and importance of pure human connection. Since some of the core members were nonverbal, I was able to more deeply understand that community is not necessarily built through words, but rather through the act of showing up and being with one another. At home, I live with my uncle who has Down Syndrome which has allowed me to more personally engage with people who have intellectual disabilities, but, through L’Arche I was able to see a different perspective, engaging with different core members and finding unique ways to connect with each of them. For example, one of the core members Jimmy had an incredibly vibrant personality and showed me his Bigfoot books, telling me fun facts about Bigfoot and teaching me more about not only his interests, but something I was not too familiar with! Or, one of the members, Ted, was nonverbal, and we drew pictures together, where he even drew one of the two of us. These types of experiences and connections are what made my experience so valuable, as it taught me how fulfilling it is to simply get to know one another. Going to L’Arche, as well as my other SBIP trip to Chicago, were some of the most formative experiences of my college time, allowing me to grow as a person and better understand the world around me through the people that I meet. 

Wheeling Soup, West Virginia – Caroline Kramer ’26

In 2024, I traveled to Wheeling, West Virginia to spend a week living in Wheeling Soup Kitchen, where our primary immersion into the community came through helping to cook and serve meals for the patrons each day. The most fulfilling part was then sitting down with them and sharing food and conversation together, allowing us to learn the stories of people from all over the city. We heard stories of love and friendship, yet also of struggle and hardship, while also telling our own stories to ears who were eager to listen, leaning into the mutuality aspect of SBIP. By the end of the week, we were on a first-name basis with many of the regular visitors, who were so excited to come in each day and see us again. A year and a half later, I still vividly remember many of the stories I heard and the incredible individuals I was able to meet. One man was an aspiring songwriter who allowed me to read the newest lyrics he had written, and it was clear it meant so much for him to be able to share his work with someone. Another woman had come to the United States from England and expressed the loneliness she felt without her family around, yet noted how the soup kitchen provided her with an essential sense of community. This experience deeply changed me, filling me with gratitude for the opportunity to connect with such kind, positive, resilient people persevering through some of life’s greatest challenges, including homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity. I have continually rediscovered myself through this program, whether it be on this trip or my 2023 trip to Chicago. I always find myself returning to campus as someone more inclined to listen with empathy, act with purpose, and build meaningful relationships with those around me.

The Spring Break Immersion Program will take place from Feb. 28 to March 6, 2026 this year! The deadline to apply is Monday, Nov. 3, and students will be able to indicate their site, travel, and accommodation preferences on their application in order to be placed at a site that works best for them. Students can find the application through the Office of the College Chaplains Ignite Page, in their Holy Cross email, on the @hc.sbip Instagram page, or at this link: https://shorturl.at/6tcWt! If you have any questions, please reach out to springbreak@g.holycross.edu.

Featured image courtesy of @hc.sbip on Instagram

Copy edited by Lily Wasmund ’28