The last Junior Leadership Retreat is complete! On Feb. 27, 40 Loyola juniors excitedly set out to Serra Retreat Center in Malibu. During the two-day retreat, Cubs nurtured their leadership capabilities through various activities and bonding in a technology-free environment.
The retreat allowed Loyola juniors to explore the concept of leadership while finding their own leadership methodologies. One of the activities involved a team game where students had to collaborate with their group to rank 15 different items in terms of their importance when surviving on the moon. Liam Skillings ‘26 said, “This was a very engaging team activity where people had opportunities to come together and speak out for a common goal. It felt nice working with others in a competitive setting.”
Some other activities that students participated in were a personality test based on a series of questions, a team house-drawing game where precise communication was key, and a quiet written reflection at the end of the first retreat day. During the first day of the retreat, students were also given about three hours of free time to relax and reflect before a group dinner. When asked what he used his free time for, Abraham De La Cruz ‘26 responded, “I walked around with a couple of friends, and we ended up playing ultimate frisbee together. I didn’t have any outside distractions, and I could just relax without having to worry about anything else.”
This retreat experience allowed students to grow outside of their comfort zones and focus on discovering their own inherent leadership abilities. Skillings added, “This retreat helped me realize just how many different types of leadership there can be. It also showed me how hard it can be for a group of people to efficiently work together due to all of their differences.”
The leaders, led by renaissance man Jason Cruz ‘12, helped guide the retreatants. Seven senior leaders and nine adult leaders participated in the spiritual journey. All took time out of their busy schedules to nurture their compassionate voices as future potential leaders of Loyola, all while also enjoying their time off campus.
“I really enjoyed this Junior Leadership Retreat experience. It was the best 36 hours of reflection, activities, and even food that I could have at a retreat,” Joseph Hernandez Vidal ‘26 noted. “Not only did I learn more about myself, but I also learned more about my fellow Cub brothers. I know that I would’ve regretted not going on this retreat, and I strongly recommend future juniors to participate in at least one Junior Leadership Retreat.”
Retreat leader and service-oriented senior, Connor Von der Ahe ’25, voiced, “Despite the hours spent in traffic, the retreat center ended up being the perfect place to meet the juniors who I hadn’t gotten a chance to meet.” It will continue to serve as a great opportunity for future students to come. See Campus Ministry to get involved!
