Article by Juventino Meza Rodriguez

I met Hector R. Matascastillo, a MSW student at Augsburg, over the summer. We had no idea either of us existed. I had been told I should meet with him, so I emailed him and asked to go for coffee, a random offer I thought. He responded saying randomness had been part of his life for some time now, so sure, we would have coffee some time.

After our first meeting, I understood to some degree what he meant by the “randomness” comment. He then told me about his experiences with the military, genocide, and not long ago with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD), the police, and the judicial system.

I nominated Hector for the “25 on the Rise Award” this summer. He is one of the recipients and will be honored at a ceremony on Nov. 12.

The “25 on the Rise Award” is given by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to Latina/o leaders under 40 years of age in Minnesota. The day I met Hector I knew he was a great candidate for the award, not only because he has a long record in the military and serving as a ranger as well, but also for his work in advocating for veterans in the judicial system.

This Spring I was interning in the Office of Representative Carlos Mariani where I saw the importance of those affected by a certain policy or the lack thereof, and the work Hector was doing was certainly crucial. Moreover, Hector was the only Latino I knew involved in changing the lives of veterans in Minnesota.

In response to receiving the award, Hector writes:

When I heard about the nomination I thought that this was an honor in itself and was appreciative that I would be considered so. I was humbled as well simply because I have met and encountered so many impressive Latinos that I immediately thought I honestly wasn’t worthy to be amongst them or considered to have done more than them.

I have always believed I have been placed on the earth to serve the oppressed, to fight for a level playing ground and when necessary, to overcome whatever the enemy might be. In some ways this is why I joined the military. At that young age, there was more than one reason. As I grew older, it became more about living a life as much like the apostle Paul as possible—go where He commands me to go and do the work at hand when I get there. His work is found in the beatitudes. It’s about lowering yourself and becoming more and more humble in service. I always thought I’d be rewarded more as Hebrews 6:10 said, and I wanted it to be that way. I still do.

This award is an expression that the things that have been accomplished through me so far are considered worthy of being repeated by my fellow Latinos. It’s the action that is being rewarded—not the accomplishment. It’s the willingness to do something and not the potential for reward that is being honored. It’s the choice between serving and being served.

Today Hector is in his second year in the MSW program at Augsburg and has an internship at La Familia Guidance Center in St. Paul as a clinical therapist working with the Latina/o Âáó±¹±ð²Ô±ð²õ. About his leadership and work, Hector says, “It is my calling to live in servitude and to do so with honor knowing who I represent in the end.”

He deserves to also be recognized for his work and leadership by Latinos for his work of all veterans and the Latina/o community. Also, he is a Rapid Response specialist, and he is involved with the Dislocated Worker Program and DEED for the state of Minnesota. Hector and his partner Trista live in St. Paul with their children.

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For his URGO research project, titled Augsburg College Maps and Papers, Meza-Rodriguez is exploring the relationship of the College to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, examining the history, growth, and present relationships. His goal is to identify best practices for colleges and universities that seek to maintain mutually beneficial relationships with their surrounding communities.

Meza-Rodriguez initially sought to determine whether Augsburg really was serving its neighbors, particularly the immigrant communities in the Cedar-Riverside area. “I have been a critic of Augsburg in this area,” he said.

He chose to work with Augsburg’s president, Paul Pribbenow, because of Pribbenow’s expressed commitments to and understanding of the neighborhoods. “If I am being critical of what he says,” Meza-Rodriguez says, “then why wouldn’t I work with him so we can learn together?”

With Pribbenow, Meza-Rodriguez began by looking at Augsburg’s growth over the last 140 years and how it has affected the community. He found that from the 1920s to the 60s, Augsburg was very isolated from the neighborhood, particularly when the College considered relocation. “They trained seminarians to go into the community, but not into the neighborhood,” he said.

Pribbenow has drawn on his research on Jane Addams and her work with Hull House on the west side of Chicago to assist Meza-Rodriguez in his project. He’s helped Meza-Rodriguez understand that knowing our neighbors helps us serve them, or work with them, in the most appropriate and beneficial ways. “We are trying to define where we haven’t known our neighbor well and to see where we haven’t been as effective or where we said, ‘We know best,'” Pribbenow said.

In early July, Meza-Rodriguez traveled to New York to visit Wagner College on Staten Island. There he met with people who have developed Wagner’s reputation of playing an active role in the community.

“The most impressive, or most evident, is the way departments partner with organizations in the community through courses and community-identified projects. This benefits both the students and the community,” he says.

He also spent time at University of Pennsylvania where he says, much of the university’s outreach work is being done in area schools. The schools are used as community centers where students and members of the broader community can benefit from the various programs in place.

At Wagner and U Penn, Meza-Rodriguez says the community helps identify where resources from the schools can be applied. He also noted that the most committed faculty and staff at both schools had the strongest connections to the community and were committed to continuing their work.

“At Augsburg, I have noticed that pattern, too,” he says.

“The underlying goal of all institutions is education, and a better and healthier community,” Meza-Rodriguez says. “There is also the theme of mutual benefit—where I don’t go into a community and say, ‘This is what you need.’ Rather, I have the privilege of offering some of my resources for the benefit of the community, and in the case of institutions, for the benefit of students as well.”

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Students from ALAS (Allied Latina/o – Augsburg Students) organized their trip to explore Chicago’s Latina/o neighborhoods such as Pilsen on the west side. This neighborhood has long welcomed immigrant families and now houses the largest Latino/a population in the city. There, students are visiting cultural centers, meeting residents, and learning about community activism.

“We have been visiting neighborhoods in the city every day,” says sophomore Juventino Meza-Rodriguez [pictured far left]. “We are trying to see the city not just from a tourist perspective, but also from the people who live in those neighborhoods as much as we can.”

In addition to exploring the city, Meza-Rodriguez says the ALAS group has grown close. “The most important thing about this trip I would say is the community bonding we are creating.” The students, who have been involved with ALAS since it was created a year ago, are traveling, living, and cooking together.

“I know that when we get back, we will be an organization with close ties to each other, a group that cares about each other, and a group committed to stand up for the Latina/o community at Augsburg.”

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Selected annually by the Minneapolis-based Foundation, the scholarships are aimed at furthering the commitment to peace and justice of the late Rev. Vincent L. Hawkinson, who served as pastor of Grace University Lutheran Church in Minneapolis for 30 years. The scholarship program has awarded more than $100,000 to 87 students since 1988, and 20 students are receiving the 2008 scholarship awards.

The Augsburg scholarship recipients are (l to r) Ulises Ayala-Beltran, Maria Alvillar Hinojosa, Ryan Treptow, and Juventino Meza-Rodriguez.

Ulises Ayala-Beltrán ’11, accounting major, French minor — He has been active in Project Navigate, aimed at increasing the number of immigrant students pursuing higher education in Minnesota. At Augsburg, Ulises is involved with the Spanish Club, Queer and Straight in Unity, and is a member of Allied Latino/a Augsburg Students (ALAS).

Maria Alvillar Hinojosa ’12, biology major with a pre-med emphasis — In 2008, she graduated from Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, where she was president and historian of the National Honor Society and took part in student council and yearbook club. At Augsburg she volunteers twice a week with the Augsburg Reads program.

Ryan Treptow ’08, marketing and business administration major, specializing in international business — He served as a teaching assistant in China. While at Augsburg, he was active in the Augsburg model United Nations Committee, participated in the annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum, and tutored refugee students in local schools.

Juventino Meza-Rodriguez ’11, sociology and justice and peace studies majors — At Augsburg he is active in student government, Diversity Committee, Allied Latina/os Augsburg Students (ALAS) and other organizations, and volunteers at a community center in the Pillsbury Neighborhood (Waite House). He is an intern with Project NAVIGATE to increase the number of immigrant students pursuing higher education and volunteers with organizations like Admission Possible, which helps promising low-income students obtain admission to college.

In addition to scholarships, the Foundation presents a lifetime achievement award to individuals who have made significant contributions to peace and justice. Receiving the 2008 honorary awards is Augsburg alumni Arvid “Bud” Dixen, ’52, an ordained Lutheran pastor who marched for civil rights with Martin Luther King Jr., organized efforts to support farmers during the farm crisis and helped found the Nonviolent Peaceforce.

The honorary award and scholarship recipients will be recognized at the Foundation’s annual program at 4 p.m., November 16, 2008, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2730 East 31st St, Minneapolis. The event is open to the public.

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