At 5:30 each morning in Bacolod, Philippines, Philip Goodwin and five Saint Mary’s College students headed to the basketball court at Bahay Pag-asa, a center for youth in conflict with the law. The boys would emerge from their dormitories, grinning when they spotted their visitors already waiting. No formal agenda. No expectations. Just time to sit, talk, engage and connect.

That simple routine became the heart of a monthlong Lasallian service-learning experience, one that would transform the way everyone involved understood service.

For Goodwin, who works in Saint Mary’s Alumni department, the journey began with his own experience in the Lasallian Service Internship program. After participating in an international immersion, he felt compelled to lead one himself. When the opportunity arose, he approached Carrie Davis about building on the program’s Lasallian foundation. With approval secured, he and the students set out for the Philippines.

At Bahay Pag-asa, or “House of Hope,” they met young men whose lives had been shaped by difficult circumstances, yet who welcomed them with remarkable openness. Days filled with shared meals, farm work, conversations, music, and UNO games. Students also stepped into unexpected roles as math and English teachers.

In one group exercise, the boys built a sentence together, word by word. Their result was both sobering and hopeful: “Poverty is a challenge for a family, but they are able to improve their life.”

The lesson extended far beyond the classroom. Goodwin had urged his students to arrive with open minds and open hearts, free of expectations or a checklist of accomplishments. As he reminded them, the goal was to live simply so others could simply live.

In the quiet moments, sharing stories in plastic chairs, singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” or gathering for prayer, students discovered that service was never a one-way exchange. They came to give their time and energy, but left with something just as profound: new friendships, a broader perspective, and a deeper sense of their responsibility to others.

The group’s stay at the University of St. La Salle further connected service with learning. Students sat in on classes related to their majors, bringing their academic interests into conversation with a world beyond their own.

For Goodwin, the friendships forged in Bacolod did not end when the trip did. He has returned to the Philippines and remains committed to sustaining those connections, with plans to continue the work alongside fellow travelers.

The experience affirmed a central truth of Saint Mary’s mission: service is not simply about traveling somewhere to help. It demands that we show up, listen, learn, and recognize our shared humanity. The most lasting difference may begin not with what we bring, but with the relationships we build and the commitment to keep showing up.