Q&A with Dr. Jerry Zurek: Reflecting on 15 Trips to Guatemala

Dr. Jerry Zurek recently retired after 50+ years teaching at Cabrini University in Pennsylvania. During his time at Cabrini, Jerry led 15 groups to visit the San Lucas Mission in Guatemala, introducing more than 200 students to the community of San Lucas Tolimán. In this Q&A, Jerry shares reflections from his years of partnership with the Mission.

Question: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Jerry: I’m married, with 2 sons, and now our first granddaughter! Fun fact: both my sons have joined the Cabrini trips to San Lucas. I recently retired after 53 wonderful years teaching at Cabrini University. I taught a variety of courses, especially literature, journalism, and social justice. Probably one of the most impactful experiences of those 53 years has been the 15 trips and 200+ students whom I and colleagues have brought to experience the San Lucas Mission.

Question: How did your relationship with San Lucas begin?

Jerry: Cabrini developed a new core curriculum about 20 years ago that placed social justice at the center of the curriculum. We asked Catholic Relief Services (CRS) if they knew of a community mission that exemplified the practice of social justice, and San Lucas was what CRS recommended. That was in 2008, and we have returned every year since then. After our first trip, I realized that to truly benefit from the visit, embedding the students’ San Lucas experience in an academic course would be the best way to ensure adequate preparation and follow-up.

Question: What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned through your trips to San Lucas over the years? In leading these trips year after year, what has surprised you or stood out to you the most about students’ reactions or transformations during and after their visits?

Jerry: The ever-growing strength and resilience of the San Lucas community is the greatest lesson by far. Like most Americans, students and families tend to see nations like Guatemala in terms of what Guatemalans lack. So many trips like ours, run by colleges and churches, begin with the premise that we Northerners are doing something for these poor communities. Frequently, the first question asked is what are you going to do or what did you do on the trip. Are you building a house or whatever? The single biggest challenge I and my colleagues face is changing that ingrained mind-set. It takes a long time to move to the insight that we are going to learn from and with the San Lucas community. We are going to grow in understanding. Anything we happen to do is an opportunity to work alongside and develop relationships. Long-term, it is not the road or stove that is important but the opportunities for learning and the bonds of understanding that matter.

Question: Can you share a particularly impactful experience from one of your trips that stands out to you, whether it was a learning moment for you or your students?

Jerry: Some of us were fortunate in the early years to meet Father Greg and Father John and have in-depth discussions with them. We were able to make videos of many of those talks and conversations that I continue to draw on to prepare students for their immersion experience. These videos are a treasure of wisdom and love as we continue to learn from his stories and teaching. Each year, I re-watch the videos and learn anew what animates San Lucas mission. Click here to see the videos. 

Questions: Were there any challenges you encountered in balancing the complexities of teaching about poverty and development while respecting the community’s agency and dignity?

Jerry: We try to always use the assets-based lens of an Integral Human Development mind-set. We spend a lot of time in class before and during the visit with this focus. We look for the wide variety of assets a community possesses—those human, spiritual, social, financial, physical, natural, and political assets the community possesses. How is the community developing their assets? Then, we learn about the risks and vulnerabilities the community faces, and the strategies the community is employing to continue to develop. Each year we see progress and are in admiration.

Question: After your students returned from San Lucas, they selected an issue that was important to them related to their trip (such as climate change, maternal and child health, or migration, for example) and met with their representatives in DC to address the issue. Why was this an important or formative part of the trips you’ve led to San Lucas?

Jerry: Another challenge is teaching that the hard work of the visit does not happen in San Lucas but after we return. We have just had the privilege of being hosted by a remarkable community. However, if the relationship is to be reciprocal, what are we going to do back home? How can we break stereotypes and educate others about the strengths and assets of the community? How can we educate others about the true relationship of the US and Guatemala over the decades? About the way rich nations affect the climate of Central America? About how trade policies have affected Central America over the decades? About the true long-term causes of northward migration? We North Americans are so poorly educated, and our students’ visits can be a motivation for them to continue to educate themselves, their family and friends, and even their members of Congress. Yes, for 15 years, Cabrini students have met congressional staff to discuss more positive US policies toward Central America with regard to climate, migration, food and nutrition, etc. We try to get our members of Congress to focus on long-term solutions to issues through improving our aid, trade, and development policies. So often Americans merely look at short-term political fixes because they don’t understand the long-term causes. To learn more about the lobbying efforts of Cabrini students, click here.

Question: Looking back, what do you hope your students carried with them after your course and the trips to San Lucas?

Jerry: The desire to keep learning about other people and communities and nations. We are the most powerful nation in the world but also the most ignorant people about countries like Guatemala and communities like San Lucas. Unless we learn more, spend more time listening, and continue to grow and deepen relationships, we will never progress personally or as a nation.

Question: As you enter retirement, are there any plans to stay connected with San Lucas?

Jerry: Yep, alumni have already signed up for a February immersion experience.

As a trip leader, Jerry has facilitated meaningful bonds across cultures, resulting in mutual learning and growth. His reflections are a powerful reminder of the importance of education in building a more just world.

To start planning your trip, click here!