As the peer ministers came together for their last meeting of the year, being a part of Peer Ministry has been an incredible experience for all its members where they have been able to help others and grow closer to their faith.
Peer Ministry is a group of dedicated students who live up to their faith through daily interactions with peers and by organizing and leading the retreats held for other students. It is a supporting community of people who lead by example and share in their morals and values the actions promoted by the catholic faith. They enjoy being there for one another and helping others grow to become the best version of themselves.

“Leading a retreat is the best part of peer ministry,” said senior peer minister Tess Valcarcel. “I’m obsessed with it; you get to bond with your classmates and get them to appreciate the little activities.”
To become a peer minister, each member has to fill out an application and go through a selective process which includes an evaluation of their leadership qualities and an interview on their experiences doing such. Juniors and seniors can apply to become peer ministers and collaborate in the several retreats that will be later held for each of the grades. A retreat requires several planning and organizational meetings where the peer ministers prepare themselves to guide the other students. They also set up any activities that will take place.

“The selection process made me very nervous, but in the end I relied on whatever would happen,” said Valcarcel. “In the end it all worked out, and I couldn’t be more grateful about it.”

Ms Alexandra Diaz, Mrs Marybeth Pino, and Ms Marilu Del Toro are the heads of Campus Ministry. They are in charge of selecting the students that will join Peer Ministry and of setting up the retreats for the girls to lead. They are also responsible for organizing “encounter,” a 2 or 3 day long retreat for juniors and seniors that encourages them to “encounter with Christ.” Peer ministers also get the opportunity to lead this retreat.

“The best part of peer ministry for a student is the relationships they get to form with their community of peers and with God,” said Diaz. “I get to see students outside of the classroom and have one on one relationships with them.”
Joining Peer Ministry is a great way to reinforce our values and morals and develop our leadership skills. It gives the peer ministers an opportunity to create a lasting impact on others and inspire them to become the best version of themselves. This supportive community of people will always have your back and will motivate you to become whoever you want to be.
Selection for the new peer ministers will take place at the beginning of the next school year.