Mr. Michael Libunao-Macalintal, assistant director of campus ministry, walks into the campus ministry office and sits down at his desk in the back right corner of the office. He sits down, relaxes for a bit and makes conversation with some students as they walk into his office. Then duty calls; he has his first meeting of the day with the team in campus ministry.
As his meeting ends, he gets to work. A day in campus ministry looks different everyday. Days may consist of checking up on the senior service hours and making sure seniors are logging their service correctly, or they could consist of a lot of set up and preparation for upcoming events like Ash Wednesday. As his morning comes to an end, students will filter into the campus ministry office asking questions or just wanting to connect with one of the campus ministers.
“A lot of times we’ll have students who come in just to kind of chat and hang out, so that’s also a big part of our days—just making sure that we can chop it up with students whenever they come by for anything throughout the day,” said Mr. Libunao-Macalintal, who also moderates the Asian American Pacific Islander Students Club.
Not only does Mr. Libunao-Macalintal work in the campus ministry office, but last semester he also proctored and taught Mrs. Hudson’s freshman religion class along with two other classes.
“That was a really big shift because then I saw people who were on the screen or suddenly, you know, in the classroom, and it was definitely easier to be able to build relationships with these guys, which has really been a gift,” Mr. Libunao-Macalintal said.
Along with monitoring senior service, proctoring three classes and doing day-to-day work in the campus ministry office, Mr. Libunao-Macalintal also helps with underclassmen immersion trips.
“I’m able to walk alongside high school students, particularly here in their very formative years as they think about their place in the world, as they think about their future, who they can be as leaders and individuals both in the classroom and outside of the classroom. I love being a part of that process,” Mr. Libunao-Macalintal said.
When school started this year, it was hard for Mr. Libunao-Macalintal to connect with students, but as everyone started to show up on campus, he began to create relationships with them through his work. He grows closer to students everyday through small conversations, club meetings and retreats.
Coming from a small town in New Jersey, attending Fordham University and receiving his master’s degree in divinity at Yale Divinity School has led Mr. Libunao-Macalintal to the community at Gonzaga. After a long hard day’s worth of work Mr. Libunao-Macalintal packs up his bag and heads home.
“It’s been great. I’ve been able to experience more and engage with the students more, which has been really awesome, especially on retreats,” Mr. Libunao-Macalintal said.