SXU Career Services
The first installment of the “Working with Mercy: Careers for the Common Good” program was held on Wednesday, January 27.
The program highlights professionals who, through their careers, reflect the Sisters of Mercy’s Critical Concerns and serve the common good.
The series is sponsored by the SXU Career Services and Mercy Ministry. The “Working with Mercy” program was the idea of Megan Lavelle, Campus Minister for Service and Justice. Lavelle, who graduated from Saint Xavier in 2015, explained how she came up with the concept for this series.
“As a previous student here at Saint Xavier and going through Mercy-inspired education for the past eight years, it just felt like a light bulb went off. A lot of my friends had just graduated from SXU and were looking for careers that embraced the values of the Critical Concerns, but also served the community around them. Jean Riordan, Andrea Stapleton, and I wanted to provide students with the knowledge and resources that working for justice in our world can be a career decision with various majors and not just a hobby,” said Lavelle.
The series began with a panel on dismantling institutional racism through a professional life. Charles Alexander, academic advisor and adjunct communications professor at SXU and president and founder of the not-for-profit organization Speak HOPE, was one of the panelists for the event.
Also on the panel was Allen Scaife, an SXU alum and volunteer at the nonprofit organization, City Year. In an interview with The Xavierite, Alexander explained why he believes institutional racism is an important issue that must be addressed by everyone.
“Institutional racism is something that affects every aspect of poverty. So, if you look at joblessness, families with home foreclosures, gang violence, the lack of women with powerful positions within institutions and corporations, all this can stem from institutional racism and institutional discrimination; so it is something that needs to be talked about it. I firmly believe the only way we can move past institutional racism is if we discuss what’s going on in the current day, not act as if it’s not happening, and not act as if we live in a post racial society, because we do not” said Alexander
During the panel, Scaife spoke about his dream of becoming a doctor and his experiences with institutional racism during his academic career. He also discussed his volunteer work with City Year, where he has mentored students for two years. Alexander spoke about his organization, Speak H.O.P.E, which stands for Hold Only Positive Energy.
He explained that his inspiration to establish the organization came from his experience with a student organization he was a part of as a graduate student.
“When I was in graduate school at SIU in Carbondale, I rejuvenated an organization called Black Male Roundtable, and the basis of that organization was to bring black men together, and minority men, and all men to talk about the issues and problems they face in their daily lives and to come up with solutions to combat those issues. So, as I was graduating, I was trying to figure out a way to keep that energy going as I came back to Chicago,” said Alexander.
Alexander began Speak HOPE by focusing on promoting the ideas of self-empowerment, communication, and positivity within impoverished communities. Now he and the organization’s Board of Directors work directly with adolescents in neighborhoods in the Southside of Chicago to help them deal with issues that they are facing.
The two panelists spoke to a full room of students, including an entire class who came to see the presentation. After Alexander and Scaife introduced themselves and gave an overview of their work, the event became more interactive.
Several members of the audience shared their experiences and perspectives, and asked the panelists questions. Many students shared their personal experiences with racism and explained how they overcame struggles that they faced throughout their lives.
Others asked what they personally could do to effectively fight against institutional racism.
Lavelle explained that she is happy with how the first installment of the series turned out, and is grateful to the panelists for sharing their stories.
“I am so very grateful to have had two wonderful men who are compassionate and dedicated to serving their community. Both eloquently discussed personal instances of racism and how their work and wisdom on how to combat racism. Both agreed that starting a conversation will bring about a sense of community that will in turn start a movement,” said Lavelle.
There are three more installments of the “Working with Mercy: Careers for the Common Good” program scheduled for the rest of this semester. Alexander hopes that students leave these sessions feeling confident in their voices and their ability to make a change.
“I want them to leave open-minded, I want them to leave with new ideas, new ways to believe in themselves, to assist others in need. Most importantly, to embrace their voice, to know that they have a voice and they can express what’s going on around you in your environment and not be afraid to do it,” said Alexander.
The next installment of the series will be held on February 24 and will center on the issue of immigration.
Yasmeen Abdellatif
Senior News Editor