Students Honored in Rome for Social Entrepreneurship Project

Mariajose Celis '19, left, with Cristina Guzman '20, right.

Frassati Catholic High School students Mariajose Celis ‘19 and Cristina Guzman ’20 never thought of themselves as change makers. The way they view it, they just saw the needs of others and were able to respond as they are called. This spring they were honored for answering that call when their project, “The Impact of Work: The Homeless are Willing,” was selected as a winner at the Incontro Romano conference. Incontro Romano, a platform of professionals and students which aims to highlight jobs where the direct care of the person is the principal focus, hosted their international conference in Rome this year on the theme, “The Transformative Power of Work.”
In describing the project’s genesis, Celis commented, “One day I was driving through downtown Houston and saw how there are sections of the city where each of the homeless have spots reserved with set up tents. It made me wonder why is it normal for someone to be sleeping on the street? Why is it normal for someone not to have the basic necessities we take for granted? I reflected on the words of St. Josemaría Escrivá and his messages about the sanctity of work and its ability to lead us to the divine.” With that inspiration Celis reached out to classmate Cristina Guzman and their friend Josie Dunne. Mariajose’s idea set the direction for their group, whose initial goal was submitting a paper to Incontro Romano to gain more traction for the project.

“We were supported throughout the project by our supervisor, Tessa Rogers,” says Celis. “Our inspiration was drawn from the teachings of St. Josemaría Escrivá as well as the Ethics & Culture curriculum at Frassati Catholic.” As the project developed, Celis and Guzman visited with homeless people. “We had volunteered to work with homeless in the past through Frassati Catholic, but this was the first time we were one on one with them,” said Guzman. “We could have gone online to find out how homeless feel about work,” added Celis, “but we chose to be with them, to listen to them, feel their emotions and learn firsthand.”
 
Celis, Guzman and Dunne focused their project on empowering the homeless through work. They recognized that many of the homeless lack the skills, training and acceptance necessary for employment, thus preventing them from taking part in a humanizing part of life: work. Their project was animated by St. Josemaría Escrivá’s words: “Work, all work, bears witness to the dignity of man, to his dominion over creation.”  The group asked the question, “If the homeless are willing to work, why are we not giving them the opportunity to sanctify themselves through their work?”  
 
When the paper was completed, the team was excited to see whether it would be accepted by Incontro Romano. “We never thought we were going to win,” remarked Celis. “We just wanted to finish the project. Then I received an email that we were chosen to present the project in Rome during Holy Week.”
 
At the conference, Mariajose and Josie presented their paper in front of a panel of judges, answered questions and then awaited the results. They were thrilled and surprised to learn they were selected as the winners of the social entrepreneurship category. The conference and award were a major validation for the team, but they realize there is more work to be done.
 
Frassati Catholic was thrilled to get the news that Mariajose and Cristina’s was so successful at Incontro Romano. Ethics & Culture department chair, Sister Elizabeth Marie, O.P., commented, “Mariajose and Cristina’s work perfectly embodies the mission of the Ethics & Culture department. Armed with knowledge about the inherent dignity of the human person, they were able to identify a real need in the culture and take creative and concrete steps to meet that need. This is why we do what we do at Frassati Catholic. We try to empower students to become agents of change in the world around them. We are so proud of them and look forward to hearing more about their project as it unfolds.”
 
“Moving forward, it’s in our hands,” said Celis. “The next step is compiling all our videos and providing them to potential partner organizations. This project wasn’t just for a presentation, we see it has a long future ahead.” The team is working to fundraise and attract organizations that can support the mission by providing practical vocational training for the homeless. They continue to fundraise and talk with businesses and organizations that can help.
 
If you are part of a business or organization that helps those in need and would like to find out how you can support this project, contact the group supervisor Tessa Rogers at [email protected].


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About Frassati Catholic High School: Founded in 2013, Frassati Catholic High School serves the families and parishes in the north Houston area of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Administered by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation from Nashville, TN, Frassati Catholic High School prepares students to walk on the path of true happiness through a robust college-preparatory curriculum rooted in the Catholic faith. The school currently serves boys and girls in grades 9-12. For more information about Frassati Catholic High School, contact Tim Lienhard, director of communications and marketing, at 832-616-3221.