Finding Community in the Work of Justice

By Astrid Ochoa, 2025-’26 Loretto Justice Fellow

How is your internship or community life experience helping you to engage in or think about social justice?

One of the most meaningful ways my fellowship experience has shaped how I think about social justice has come not only from my fellowship, but from the community we have built with one another. While social justice work often focuses on external systems and advocacy, this experience has shown me that it also requires intentional spaces for connection, reflection and care.

Our monthly gatherings have become a consistent reminder that we are not navigating this work alone. Each time we come together, we create a safe space to share our experiences, both the challenges and the small victories. Being able to hear others speak openly about their placements, their emotions and the realities they are encountering has helped me feel grounded. These conversations have allowed me to step back, process what I am experiencing and better understand the broader impact of justice work across different spaces in El Paso.

More importantly, these gatherings have been a way to decompress. Social justice work can be heavy, especially when we are constantly engaging with systems that impact people’s lives in serious ways. Having a space where we can be honest, laugh and support one another has been essential. It has reminded me that caring for ourselves and each other is also a form of justice.

The recent spring retreat further deepened this sense of community. Spending extended time together allowed us to connect beyond our usual check-ins and build stronger relationships. It created space for more intentional conversations, reflection and simply being present with one another. That experience reinforced how important community is, not just as support, but as a foundation for sustainable engagement in social justice work.

Through these moments, I’ve come to understand that social justice is not only about the work we do individually in our placements, but also about how we show up for one another. Building community, listening with intention and creating space for rest and connection are all part of what make this work meaningful and sustainable.