On July 15th, 2017, five Business Club members flew to Kingston, Jamaica, to work with the adults from St. Theresa’s parish and teens from Riverton on the outskirts of Kingston. The group including Laurel Flanagan, Elizabeth Falcigno, Max Pelloth, Zach Monti, Justin-Michael Tharau, and Dr. Clara Munson, presenting a week long workshop on Starting Your Business. 
Riverton is a depressed landfill for Kingston and home to approximately 7,000 people. Taking part in this service mission allowed students to gain international exposure and broaden their global perspective. Students developed skills in international communication, mentorship, and community outreach as they immersed themselves in the local community projects. Each student experienced the Four Pillars of service, prayer, study, and community in their own unique and meaningful manner as described by each. –Dr. Clara Munson
I don’t think that there is any amount of words that could be written or any true way to express the experiences you have when you do mission work. The teens and adults we had the privilege of working with were warm and welcoming, and I think I learned more from them than they did from me. It’s amazing to get the opportunity to travel and experience different cultures especially at this stage in my life. It puts into perspective the value of the opportunities I have been given, and the priceless nature of an education. Going to Jamaica was the experience of a lifetime and something that I will never forget. I could write a paper that was 30 pages long detailing every little thing that was done and every student we taught and met, but it still wouldn’t capture the impact that was left on me, and for that I am truly grateful.
-Laurel Flanagan,’18
The Business Club service mission trip to Jamaica was a very exciting time for me. The culture in Jamaica is very different than the culture in the United States. Working with the people, we saw how they lived and learned about their values and customs. We were able to taste a variety of different foods and eat fresh mangoes on a daily basis.
The main purpose of the trip was to teach adults and teenage students how to start/grow a business. Preparing a session and teaching about Gantt charts not only gave me a better understanding of this organization concept, but sharing knowledge with the Jamaican people was a tremendously rewarding experience. Considering the pillar of study, I would say the Business Club, including myself, lived it. The trip as a whole was a big learning experience, from living in a different country and interacting with the people to teaching basic business principles.
-Zach Monti,’20
In our journey to Jamaica there were many culturally eye opening experiences that were made available to us. Aside from sharing our knowledge about establishing and developing small personal businesses we had the opportunity to coexist and live the daily life of Riverton landfill locals. I personally had no idea what to expect from the 6-15 year old group that we made this journey to meet. I was astounded to discover that the people of the landfill had an amazingly cheerful and hospitable demeanor. The culture proved to be more generous and thoughtful than many cultures I have experienced in upper class America. The business club was welcomed with open arms, treated like family and given everything the locals had available. We went to Jamaica in efforts to help the people there, but I truly believe that they helped us and taught us as much if not more than we had prepared for them.
-Max Pelloth, ’18
When the trip to Jamaica originally came about, I was not planning on joining the group. Being a senior, my plans were to graduate and go directly into a job. As the year progressed and Jamaica became more of a reality, plans changed and I decided to have one more college adventure. I’m so glad that Jamaica is how I ended my college career. Throughout college you live such a sheltered life, living in a dorm room, going to class, playing sports, and multiple jobs, it’s easy to get caught up in your own life. After four years of being focused on my own future, I am glad I got to go to Kingston and witness the level of need in the world. The people I met gave me a deep sense of appreciation for the many blessings I have in my own life.
I worked with the students on basic accounting skills that they would need to know to start a business. I enjoyed the opportunity to share the knowledge I had spent many college years to acquire. Getting to work with students and the older adults was so rewarding especially when I was able to see them grasp the information I taught them. When our seminars were finished, the younger children were always waiting for us to play which was a lot of fun. It was a very rewarding to end my college career on such a great note, and it is defiantly a trip and an experience I will never forget.
-Justin-Michael Tharau ’17