Brennan Foley ’20
What involvement did/do you have with MOVE? What program did/do you volunteer with and/or lead? What years?
Core Team Little Brother/Little Sister all four years
What’s your MOVE story?
My time with my mentee was cut short due to the growing pandemic at the time. What we thought was going to be two weeks ended up being a year-long battle that we are still battling as I write this. Unfortunately, on top of this was that it was my senior year, so I wouldn’t be able to return to SMC to reconnect with my mentee properly. I feared a lost connection between us so I did my best to stay connected, but as time went on we communicated less and less. However, one day in March 2021—nearly a full year after the pandemic began—my mentee reached out to me via Facebook for a Facetime call! We chatted for about an hour, catching up on everything that had happened since we’d last connected. It was one of the best feelings in the world for me to see how he was doing during such a challenging time. I got to see his resiliency about the situation, and was impressed by his flexibility and adaptability. He showed me that even in tough times, we must keep moving forward and stay connected. This lesson he taught me without even trying reminded me that MOVE is way more than just serving others. MOVE and Little Brother, Little Sister are about building connections with our peers and partners to uplift all parties involved. It’s amazing to me that almost a year out of SMC, I am still learning from the people I met while I was there. It’s something I will continue to cherish moving forward as I do my best to “do good” and “do well.”.
In what ways did/does MOVE impact you?
MOVE impacted me by taking me outside of my comfort zone in a supportive way to show me that I was capable of giving so much. It made me realize my privilege in life in a way that kept me humble, so that I could always find a way to support others around me. It made me take a community-focused lens to the world around me, showing me how we are all connected in some fashion or another. The more we can do for others, the more we are supporting a WHOLE community where no one gets left behind.
If you are an alumni, what influence does MOVE continue to have on your life today?
MOVE has made me more reflective in my day to day life. Actively practicing reflections taught me appropriate strategies for doing so, but also that it doesn’t have to be complex to be reflective. Thoughtfully acknowledging what happened in the past is all it takes to reflect, and that is something I try to do each day.