In January 2008, Assistant Professor Chris Rodriguez and four facilitators led fourteen Suffolk students on a Service Learning Alternative Winter Break to El Salvador where they retraced the footsteps of the late Suffolk Law School Alumnus and Congressman, Joe Moakley.  In the early 1990s, Congressman Moakley traveled to El Salvador to investigate the killings of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter.  His investigation revealed that the killings were done with the complicity of the El Salvadoran government, by forces trained at Fort Benning in Georgia.  Moakley had Congress cut appropriations to El Salvador, and his work led to the 1992 peace accords, which ended El Salvador’s 12-year civil war.  Students learned about Salvadoran history, participated in community development construction projects, and met with dozens of civil war veterans, legislators, US Embassy diplomats, UN Develpment Program officials, and those involved in the 1992 peace negotiations.  Since their return to Boston, the students have organized speaking events to share their experiences and, more importantly, to raise money for a scholarship program for Salvadoran youth to attend Suffolk University.

Facilitators and students from left to right:
Ana Vaquerano (Program Coordinator, Suffolk Legal Services, Chelsea), Yacinda Felix (Suffolk Diversity Services), Julia Collins (University Archivist and Moakley Institute Director), Dean Grubb, Megan Cullen, Luis Castillo, Valerie Gonzalez, Fernando Peguero, Salvadoran scholar, Jeff Pomponi, Janitza Medina, Yani Moreno (student leader), Cristina Seibert, Kaitlyn Winegardener, Salvadoran scholar, Derek Lomba, Jillian Rizzo, Tim Crouse (Salvadoran group leader), Marta Milagro Mijango (Salvadoran group leader), Chris Longnecker, Chris Rodriguez (faculty leader).