Over the summer, Trinity’s Liam O’Connor, Class of 2025, was accepted into a three-week program in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa called Leadership and Service through Mandela’s Example.
Liam, who attended Holy Spirit for grade school and is a member of the Dante House here at Trinity, explains he found this program while he was searching for summer programs that would look good on his resume and give him valuable service experience.
“I discovered the program when I was looking at summer programs to attend for some service experience and to put on my resume. CIEE or Council on International Educational Exchange is a well-respected organization that seeks to create life-changing educational experiences outside the classroom. They offer a wide variety of programs to high school students across six continents and dozens of countries. They not only offer service and leadership programs, but fine arts programs, environmental science programs, foreign policy, and diplomacy programs, essentially anything that interests you. The application process was quite lengthy as applicants are required to apply by February for summer programs that same year.”
Here at Trinity, Liam loves AP U.S. History and French, and enjoys his involvement with the St. Joseph of Arimathea Society and Key Club. Both of those service clubs helped prepare him for this experience.
“As the name says, the main purpose of the Mandela program was to grow our leadership qualities and do community service. We had multiple leadership workshops with DJ’s, mindfulness instructors, and isiXhosa language teachers, one of the main African languages spoken in South Africa. The service aspect included not only learning about the history of South Africa and Apartheid, but also doing hands-on service in the community. The primary place we served was in a township in Cape Town called Gugulethu, a majority black township and one of the poorest communities in the city. We built a vegetable garden at a local primary school in the township that not only gave the kids fresh produce at every lunch, but also helped to feed the entire community. As most of the township’s residents’ diets are made up of junk and fast foods, the vegetable garden is something they truly needed and something that will be sustainable for them.”
Looking back at his time in South Africa while looking ahead to his junior year here at Trinity, Liam is excited to take the lessons learned at the Mandela Example program and apply them to his service involvement and leadership roles at school.
“The most memorable part of the experience was the fantastic friendships I made and the diversity of lifestyles I was exposed to. It was also amazing to see how much the community truly appreciated the work we were doing, and it was good to know we were truly making a difference. I would highly recommend the program to anyone who not only wants to travel the world, but also wants to make great friendships, and learn how to be a positive changemaker in the world. I’m looking forward to bringing that positive spirit while getting more involved and taking that next step in becoming an upperclassman and a leader at Trinity.”
In October, Liam participated in the Muhammad Ali Center Council of Students (MACCS) at the Muhammad Ali Center. The MACCS program is the longest-standing program at the Ali Center. In 2002 (three years before there was a physical building), the Ali Center’s youth council was formed to provide an opportunity for young people to contribute to the creative development of the Center and its work.
The mission of the MACCS program is to develop the next generation of leaders who, like Muhammad Ali, will use their diverse talents and skills to improve their communities through the practice of Ali’s six core principles: Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality. Through their leadership, compassion, and unwavering hope for the world, the students, the MACCS, embody the living legacy of The Greatest.
Well done, Liam! We are so proud of you for being a force for good in this world.