Immacculee Ilibagiza

I know I post it often, but I love my job. Most times for the students and the challenges it brings, but sometimes little opportunities wander into my day that remind me how thankful I am to work where I do. Last week was one of them.

Each year we have had speakers come to Xavier and speak on different topics. A few of my favorites have been hearing Holocaust survivors, Renee Firestone and Cesare Frustaci speak. I am proud to work in a school that teaches history the best it can from living witnesses as opposed to textbooks. People who can attest to not only the academic details, but to the emotion it carried.

This past week was no different.  Immacculee Ilibagiza, a Rawandan genocide survivor, came to speak to us last week. I had read her book, The Boy Who Met Jesus before, but her newest book, Left to Tell is what all the teachers have been buzzing about the past few weeks. During the 1994 genocide nearly 1 million Tutsi were killed in only 100 days. Immacculee spent 91 days hiding in a 3'x4' bathroom with 7 other women trying to survive the genocide. Her family was not so lucky. Her amazing story of hope and and forgiveness was incredible to witness first-hand.

Xavier tweeted out a few links that I think are worth checking out. The following video of Immacculee's story is a powerful testament to this incredible woman, and the horror of the Rawandan genocide.