Lucy Sjulin

As 2019 fast approaches, it seems important to pause and reflect on the journey thus far. The other Fellows and I are well into the fourth month of the program, and though it feels like only yesterday we were meeting and picking our bedrooms, so much has happened.

I’d first like to look back to before my introduction to the other “Questies,” back when QuEST was just an acronym and Seattle a city thousands of miles away. A year ago, in January 2018, I was halfway through my second year as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Madrid, Spain. I was loving my experience, but it was coming to an end. This was a moment of great anxiety for me; I was 24, and didn’t know what I wanted to do. I did know I was in need of a time and a space for grounding, discernment for the future, career exploration, and community. I wanted to slow down and prioritize working on myself, even though I wasn’t sure how or even what that would look like.

When a friend told me about QuEST, I was hesitant. I didn’t know anything about community living or if I would thrive in a house with five random strangers. I was concerned about the newness of a service year and the commitments outside of work, but through open and honest conversations with Promise (the Director of QuEST) and past Fellows, I began to feel curiosity, and that this might be the right next step.

QuEST has been incredibly enriching for me so far. I have had the chance to explore Quakerism and attend Meeting for Worship with the Friends who support the QuEST program. In September, the other Fellows and I joined the Quaker Quarterly Retreat in Ellensburg and participated in activities like small-group worship hiking. The silence and openness offered in Quakerism is something very unique, and it’s a beautiful way for me as a sometimes-skeptic to begin exploring pieces of my spirituality.

At home, we begin our weekly house meetings with a similar moment of silence, preparing to give group check-ins and to talk about our shared and individual goals. The intentionality of everyone involved in QuEST helps hold me accountable to my commitment to spiritual work and social justice advocacy.

While we often focus on the internal in spaces like our meetings and retreats, twice-monthly “QuEST Times” allow for engagement with the diverse communities of Seattle. We have been on a tour of the International District to learn about how Asian culture has shaped Seattle, and we walked through the Central District while learning about its history of redlining and gentrification. In March, we will be headed to Washington, DC, to meet with congresspeople and discuss immigration policy as part of Spring Lobby Weekend sponsored by the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

It seems especially meaningful to be discussing this issue as I continue work in my placement as the VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) Intake Coordinator at the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. Here, I am gaining knowledge of our legal system, the barriers immigrant survivors face when seeking justice, and what direct service work is like in the real world. I also get the chance to use my Spanish language skills and connect with attorneys, legal advocates, and other NWIRP colleagues. It is a privilege to gain experience in this field with such talented and dedicated individuals.

I am grateful to be in a workplace and program that prioritize my well-being and growth as an individual. Yet both also push me to examine the impact my identities have on my community and in society. I am consistently working to unpack my bias and privileges. In a world of instants, it feels good to be forced to slow down and think.

There are a lot of things to consider before beginning a journey with QuEST. You don’t have to have all the tools, but you have to be willing to put in the effort and get a little uncomfortable. The journey isn’t a picnic, either. I have had to recognize habits that hold me back and learn to celebrate myself at the same time. I have had hard conversations with myself and others. (And I hate conflict). Yet this is one of the most exciting parts of being a QuEST Fellow — the growth that is possible when we just say “yes.” Saying “yes” to QuEST means adventure and challenge. I am excited for the training, learning, and experience that lie ahead.