The Courage of Experiences by Thamara Diogo

Ill start off by re-stating Eleanor Roosevelt's infamous quote. “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience" (Roosevelt). As a senior at Iona College, this quote validates my reasons for signing up for this class in an effort to study the Holocaust. My major and passion as an undergraduate student is History. I realized that studying the Holocaust first hand in Auschwitz, Poland  would greatly contribute to my  knowledge as a credible historian.

 Today, Mach 17, 2014, I visited Auschwitz I concentration camp. Before actually going into the camp I felt a mix of emotions, from sadness to anxiousness as well as fear and worry. Upon entering Auschwitz my heart was racing, but I still felt a sense of courage. I believe the origin of my courage came from my passion for learning as much as I could about the history of the world. My peers who embarked on this journey with me also gave me courage because I knew that they would be experiencing first hand the same exact mix of emotions I would be feeling. The person who gave me the most courage was Professor Procario- Foley. If shes not the definition of bravery than I do not know what is. I first spoke to her on the phone about my interest in taking a religion class this semester a few months back. I did not know about this class on the Holocaust until she began to tell me over the phone. We must have stayed on the phone together for about thirty minutes.

As she told me more and more about this class and our trip to Poland it occurred to me that there was a reason why I called her that day seeking enrollment in a religion class. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. That reason, I believe,  was that I was destined to witness for myself what occurred in Auschwitz concentration camp. I also realized that I was destined to enter into a journey of understanding. The reason I say understanding is because people know about the Holocaust and about the horrors of it, but do they really understand it? I knew this opportunity would answer all my questions about this horrific event in human history.


The courage Professor Procario-Foley gave me came through to me that day from the passion in her voice over the phone. Her passion in explaining to me what this class consisted of, her passion in her patience while explaining this and her passion in her words and knowledge.  Lastly, Professor Procario- Foley gave me courage when I had learned about how this would be the fifth time she would be journeying to Auschwitz. I just could not wrap my head around the thought of why anyone would witness the scenes of a concentration camp more than once. But than I realized why she did it. Her determination to teach her students about the Holocaust and have them experience first hand how it was to be in a concentration camp was greater and more important to her than any fear or uneasiness.

The reason why I titled this blog, "The Courage of Experiences" is because sometimes in life you need courage to try out and explore experiences. With that being said, I came on this trip with courage but also with fear. I do believe my courage is much more greater than my fear. And I finally realized tonight that its okay to have fear as long as your courage is greater.

Lastly, since I started my blog with a quote about experiences, I'll end my blog with a quote about courage. As Ambrose Redmoon once said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear (Redmoon)". This quotes proves true that pursuing experiences is much more important than being anguished with fear.

This picture shows experience. Experience into a world of death and of horror. It is important to remember the history of millions on lives taken.

This picture demonstrates courage. Courage of survivors who proceeded in going back to Auschwitz after they were held as prisoners at the camp and tortured by the SS.