For two weeks this summer, Blue Jays traveled more than 1,500 miles from Carrollton & Banks to rural communities in Panama and Guatemala. They returned with sore muscles, lasting friendships, and a deeper understanding of what it means to become men for others.

Partnering with Courts for Kids, students spent part of their summer working alongside residents in Chepo de las Minas, Panama, and Pachum, Guatemala to construct multipurpose athletic courts that will serve as gathering places for generations. Accompanying the Blue Jays were faculty and alumni chaperones Roger Bacon ’10 and Jackson Cheramie ’21 in Panama, and science teacher Travis Kieff ’17 and Hilda Fattah in Guatemala. While the courts will provide safe places for children to play, compete, and grow together, Blue Jays soon discovered the project’s greatest impact would not be measured in concrete, but in the relationships formed while building them.

“The happiness the locals display is something I admire and will try to replicate.”
— senior Hayes Mestayer

Each day began with the same mission. Blue Jays joined local volunteers in hauling materials, mixing concrete, leveling forms, and pouring the courts one section at a time. What began as individual assignments quickly became a shared effort, with students and community members relying on one another to complete each phase of construction. Every bucket of concrete, every wheelbarrow of gravel, and every finished section represented the partnership, trust, and shared purpose that developed throughout the week.

By the time each court was completed, it no longer felt like something the Jays had built for the community, but something they had built with it. The finished courts will provide lasting spaces where children can play, neighbors can gather, and communities can continue strengthening the relationships that already make them so vibrant.

“I learned to work for others rather than myself,” reflected senior Finn Monahan. “When the court was finished, I realized how much better it feels to help others rather than myself.”

As meaningful as the construction became, some of the most memorable moments happened after the tools were put away. Shovels gave way to soccer balls, wheelbarrows to basketballs, and language barriers to laughter. In Panama, Blue Jays found themselves playing barefoot soccer through rain and mountain fog before joining neighborhood baseball and softball games. In Guatemala, local children introduced the students to traditional games like trompo, marbles, and hoop-and-stick before eagerly learning Spikeball. Every afternoon became another opportunity to discover that friendship rarely requires a common language.

“We may have walked in getting a welcome celebration worthy of celebrities, but now we feel more like family.”
— seniors Hayes Ponder and Michael DiPaola

As the days passed, the Blue Jays found themselves immersed in communities where neighbors gathered not out of obligation, but simply to be together. They attended Mass alongside their hosts, celebrated local traditions, and witnessed a generosity that asked for nothing in return. Many students reflected that the experience challenged them to reconsider what truly brings happiness, not possessions or convenience, but relationships rooted in faith, gratitude, and community.

When construction was complete, each village celebrated with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, music, prayer, and the first games played on the new courts. In Panama, community leader Ernesto reminded the students that by helping build the court, they had left their footprint on Chepo and on everyone who would gather there for years to come.

Leaving proved to be the hardest part of each journey. Goodbyes were exchanged with the families who had worked alongside the students, welcomed them into their communities, and quickly become friends. Looking back on the experience, one student summarized what many of the Blue Jays were feeling.

“Today I shed a tear when the ribbon was cut—not because the work was over, but due to how many lives we helped change for the better.”
— senior Rowan Gleason

The courts in Panama and Guatemala will stand for years as places where children will play, neighbors will gather, and communities will continue to grow together. For the students, however, the greatest foundation built this summer was one of faith, friendship, and community. It served as a lasting reminder that authentic service is found not only in what is accomplished, but in the relationships built and the transformation along the journey.

“While we are excited to return home to see our families, a part of us stayed behind in Pachum.”
— Travis Kieff ’17

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All Courts for Kids participants were members of the Class of 2027, continuing the tradition of intentional service project experiences.