Blue Jay of the Month: Elliott Derbes
Blue Jay of the Month: Elliott Derbes
Prefect of Sodality, leader of Campus Ministry, Elliott Derbes is always seeking the greater glory of God.
February’s Blue Jay of the Month is senior Elliott Derbes, the mastermind behind the brand-new Campus Ministry Nights. Elliott is a pillar of Jesuit’s faith community, as he is present at every taking every opportunity to live for the Lord that this school offers. He is the Prefect of Sodality, an altar server, a Eucharistic minister, a board member of the Pro-Life club, head retreat manager, the assistant volunteer coordinator for Hams for Fams, and, above all, a man devoted to his faith. The Blue Jay sat down with Elliott for an exclusive interview:
Q: What brought you to Jesuit High School?
A: I am a 4th generation Jesuit student. I always knew I was supposed to come here, but when I went to open house in 6th grade I truly felt at home. There were so many opportunities here. When the time to choose a school came, it was the only real option.
Q: What lead you to being Prefect of Sodality?
Ever since my freshman year I was involved in Sodality. During my junior year I noticed a lack of members, so I wanted to take on a greater role to bring in more guys. Plus, I was interested in leading and executing more ideas.
At Jesuit, we get so many opportunities to grow in faith. We have things like Adoration every Thursday, Confession available every day in the second floor chapel - we even have not one, but two actual chapels. I say students should branch out, try new things like “Campus Ministry Night.” There’s always something you can do here: Do it.
Q: You serve on the executive board for the Pro-Life club, can you walk us through what that is like?
The board mainly comes up with Pro-Life events. This year, I helped with the Pro-Life movie night. There’s going to be another one of those soon. I also attended the March for Life in D.C.
Q: How did you come up with the Campus Ministry Nights?
A: Jesuit used to do “Truth and Glory” nights with Jesuit and Dominican students. Going to those was a great experience, but I felt like people were missing out. I pitched the idea of a night centered in Christ open to all the girls’ catholic schools to Mr. Miraflor while on the Portugal service trip. It seemed hard to pull off, but I knew we could do it. He liked the idea and when I got elected Prefect we got them up and running. I’m hoping more underclassmen join in on this experience and that “Campus Ministry Night” becomes a Jesuit tradition for years to come.
Q: Any plans for life after Jesuit?
I’m going to Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. It’s a smaller, Christian school that’s exactly what I was looking for in a college. I’m going to study marketing there.
Q: As a figurehead in Campus Ministry, what do you recommend for students looking to improve their faith?
A: At Jesuit, we get so many opportunities to grow in faith. We have things like Adoration every Thursday, Confession available every day in the second floor chapel - we even have not one, but two actual chapels. Most schools don’t have these opportunities. I feel like we take these things for granted. I say students should branch out, try new things like “Campus Ministry Night.” There’s always something you can do here: Do it.