With hopes to pursue a master’s degree in divinity in the future, Taiga Guterres credits his involvement in the Magis service organization for giving his life a foundation of service, spirituality and diversity.
Magis is an all-male service organization that is built on those three key principles. This organization fulfills these standards by gathering a diverse group of men who are dedicated to service and committed to their growth as a complete individual. Members of Magis are expected to complete various on-campus services and many members are concerned with issues concerning social justice domestically and internationally.
Taiga, a senior health and human sciences major from Pasadena, is the president of Magis, which he joined in Fall 2012. He has also worked as a resident advisor for Student Housing and is involved in Campus Ministry. After he graduates on Saturday, Taiga will spend the two years in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps as the director of retreat ministry for the Toledo District in Punta Gorda, Belize. He will be joined in the JVC program by former ASLMU president and fellow 2015 graduate Alyssa Perez.
As part of the ‘10 for 15‘ interview series, freshman Nathalie Rubin asked 10 questions to 10 seniors from the Class of 2015 who were involved in Student Affairs. Here’s what Taiga had to say about his experience in Magis, which is part of LMU’s service organization program in the Center for Service and Action.
Why did you choose to come to Loyola Marymount University?
Honestly, I didn’t know too much about LMU before I came here. I chose it because it was close to home. When I went on a tour here, I of course noticed how beautiful the campus was, but I also recognized the atmosphere of intentionality within the faculty and staff.
How did you come to be involved in Magis?
My resident advisor from freshman year suggested that I go to the All Org Night. From there, I heard all the speeches and found Magis to be an organization that I could see challenging me to grow. I had close ties to homelessness and issues surrounding education, but I had never really done service before. I ended up getting accepted into two other orgs, but was waitlisted for Magis. I chose the waitlist and was accepted in the fall of my sophomore year.
How has your involvement in Magis affected your experience at LMU?
Magis has been my rock and foundation here. It has been a place where I can get away from the societal pressures and norms of what it means to be a college male. Magis has been an environment that has constantly challenged me to focus on my character rather than my reputation and is where I have formed my lifelong mentors and friendships. It has challenged me to stand up for what I believe in while always challenging what I believe. Magis was where I was able to fully understand and live out the LMU mission.
What is your favorite memory from being in Magis?
My favorite memory was during one of our fall retreats where our opening reflection was, “what is your biggest dream/goal without limitation?” We hangout with each other so often and know so much about each other, yet we realized that we don’t know what we all strive to do with our lives. Hearing the passions of each of my fellow brothers in the organization not only inspired me to chase my dream, but also to create a vision for my dream. Our vision changes our perception and our perception becomes our reality. I’ve learned that in the process of working on our dreams, we will incur a lot of disappointment, a lot of pain, a lot of setbacks and defeat. But in the process of doing so, we will discover some things about ourselves that we don’t know right now. We will realize that we can live the life that we have imagined.
Who in the Center for Service and Action has inspired you and how have they done so?
Tom King is one of my biggest mentors on this campus. His advice has always been tailored to who I am and he is always honest and transparent. He continuously invests himself in the person I am becoming and always challenges me to go outside my comfort zone to live a life that is in line with the service of faith and promotion of justice.
What is the most important lesson you have learned from being the president of Magis that you’ll take with you?
The most important thing I have learned from being president of Magis is that you can’t make people come to meetings and do service, but you can create an environment where people want to do it for themselves. If there ever comes a time where people are reluctant to come to an event or a meeting, instead of asking them why they aren’t there, I ask myself, “Who am I being and how is this meeting that they don’t want to come?” Fostering an environment of growth and meaning are key to membership.
What is something most people don’t know about being the president of Magis that you would like them to know?
Most of the work that I did was planning, delegating and challenging others. The credit for most of the work that has transformed the organization belongs to the men in the organization. As an executive board member, I can only do so much. It is the work of active general members and their leadership that the org has continued to grow. Having Patrick Furlong as moderator and Bishop Bennett as chaplain has been a huge part of the identity and culture of the organization. They serve not just as mentors, but also as the conscience of the organization.
What are your plans after you graduate and how do you think your experiences in Magis will benefit you moving forward?
I will be spending the next two years in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps as the Director of Retreat Ministry for the Toledo District— also known as the “Forgotten District” — in Punta Gorda, Belize. I will be traveling around more than 30 villages in the Toledo District leading spiritual retreats for teachers and catechumens. Afterward, I hope to pursue a Masters in Divinity. Magis has grounded my life with a foundation of service, spirituality and diversity. My experiences have taught me that I won’t always know how I will do things but if I can strengthen and develop my ‘why,’ I can overcome any ‘how.’
What advice do you have for current and future LMU students?
Take time to reflect on your day. I know that the initial reaction is usually that I don’t have time, but the reality is that you do. Even if it’s for ten minutes or even an hour, before you go to bed, reflect on what went on throughout the day. Get quiet externally and internally. Make a choice to be honest with yourself while you review the day. Pay attention to where in the day there has been a doorway to love and gratitude. Ask yourself if there is anything you should have done differently. Finally, look toward the future with hope. When we reflect on our experiences, feelings and thoughts, we’ll come to a better understanding of ourselves because our thoughts become our choices, our choices become our habits, our habits become our values, our values become our character and our character becomes our destiny.
What will you miss the most about Loyola Marymount University?
The thing that I’ll miss most about LMU is watching the sunset over the bluff with my friends. Throughout my time here, I have often felt LMU to be similar to a retreat center. I can go to the chapel when I want, walk around campus and watch different animals pass by me throughout the day. However, similar to a retreat, I’ve also found this place to be a place of reflection and growth. There’s something beautiful about watching nature together with people you love. Watching the sunset on the bluff with my friends has been a spiritual practice to keep my wonder about the world alive.
By Nathalie Rubin