End of Year Justice Fellow Reflection: Ciudad Nueva

By Debbie Ledesma, 2025-’26 Loretto Justice Fellow

When I first walked into orientation with Loretto Justice Fellowship and Ciudad Nueva, I was stepping into a world that was entirely new to me, unfamiliar with the work, the community and the deeper rhythms of what justice truly looks like in practice. What I could not have anticipated was how profoundly this experience would change me. Over the course of my practicum placement, I grew in ways I never expected emotionally, culturally, personally and spiritually. Meeting incredible people whose stories and spirits left marks on my heart, and working alongside young students who reminded me every single day why this work matters. They shaped me in ways that words simply cannot capture. Along the way, I also experienced the heartache of losing loved ones. Losses that, as painful as they were, taught me some of life’s most profound lessons and served as a gentle but powerful reminder to be present, to cherish each moment and to never take for granted the time we have with the people and work that mean the most to us. I came to understand communities that expanded my perspective and reshaped the way I see the world.

Through every step of that growth, Annie was there a steady, unwavering presence whose check-ins were so much more than routine. Her encouragement held me up in moments of doubt, and her support reminded me that I was never walking this journey alone. I am deeply grateful for the connections I built, the fellows I met, the community I became a part of and the humbling and beautiful work of Loretto Justice Fellowship and Ciudad Nueva. And then there is Saul, someone I met on the very first day of orientation when we sat next to each other, neither of us knowing we would end up serving at the same practicum, let alone becoming like family. He became like a younger brother to me, and our friendship is one of the greatest gifts this experience gave me. Most of all, I am grateful for who I have become because of it all. I leave not as the person who walked in at orientation, but as someone deeply connected to this mission, forever shaped by it, and truly grateful for this amazing opportunity.