Reflection Sheet 1: Commitment to Social Justice I choose my final paper for Critical Social Theories which looked at our

semester-long photo project with another Loyola student and their experiences at Loyola as an undocumented male student of color. Through this experience my perspective and commitment to social justice has grown because having the opportunity to speak to someone whose identities and story is very different than me I have been able to expand my perspective on the intersectionality of identities. Through his experiences from attending Loyola to getting involved on campus, I have been able to learn more about his commitment to service and helping others to learning more about his culture as well as others. Through this project, I learned more about the importance of listening and documenting other stories so that they do not go unheard. I learned to appreciate

photography and the meanings behind it but more importantly, I was able to connect with another student and become aware of his struggles along with his successes. My commitment to enter the field and help students find their voice and advocate for themselves has only grown because of experiences such as these. Coming into the program my idea of social justice was a blur and even though I knew a general concept of what it was it was not until I started the coursework and spoke to other students that my definition started getting a bit clearer. I

understood that social justice is much more than just a program that is advertised but rather it is in our everyday interactions and our values that it shows whether we are working for social justice. Even though at times I still get a bit confused about social justice in a larger context I am more knowledgeable of the issues that are facing higher education and society as a whole. I know that wherever I end up it is my responsibility to educate others and learn more myself on what needs to get done for us, as educators, our students, and our communities.