Companions

Companions Program

Central to the mission of WJ is the Graduate at Graduation. The five core characteristics that make up the Grad at Grad are: Open to Growth, Intellectual Competence, Religious, Loving & Committed to Doing Justice.

The Companions Program is a cohesive, communal approach to teach, experience, and integrate the Grad at Grad into our students' lives. This 4-year program explicitly creates symmetry between the Grad at Grad and the lives & experiences of our students.

In small groups, we engage the Grad at Grad to explore what it means in our lives, build community and increase the level of cura personalis (care for the whole person).

Symbolism of The Program

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Companions

In light of our Jesuit identity & mission, we named this program "Companions." We believe that this name reflects the communal nature & journey of this formation program, and it also invokes the name of the original group of Jesuits.

This enables us to share our history & embrace our challenge to "set the world on fire."

"It is possible to travel alone, but the journey is human life and life needs company."
The Companions Shell

The scallop shell has appeared as a Christian symbol throughout history, and it is associated with the pilgrim – one who travels a long distance to a holy place.

The scallop shell also represents the founder of the Society of Jesus, Saint Ignatius, who considered himself a pilgrim. He led his co-founders, whom he called "companions," to further deepen their relationship with God.

As the students in our Companions program have begun their own pilgrimage, our "pilgrims" will embark upon an exploration of who they are and who they will become in light of the characteristics of the Grad at Grad. The shell bears five segments, & these segments combine to represent the five Grad at Grad characteristics.

Our shell is turned on its side to project the image of a beacon of light shining outward. The Companions curriculum will ignite the students’ understanding of their Ignatian formation. It is also our hope that they will forever embody the true meaning our Jesuit motto, "Men and Women For and With Others."
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