What is Your Peace Assignment?

As a Dominican community we are called to Be Peace, Build Peace and Preach Peace. Our Upper School students fully answered that call last week as they hosted the first annual Day of Peace.  

More than 600 high school students from SAA, CBHS, St. Benedict and Sacred Heart in Jackson filled the Memphis Sports Event Center on February 10 for a day filled with speakers, prayer, and workshops as students focused on how they each can be an agent of peace.

The idea for the event was inspired last year by SAA senior Jaila Hampton who started a nonprofit organization, Operation R.A.E. (Resources, Advocacy, Education), to fight against violence after losing a close friend to gun violence. Upon hearing her story, her St. Agnes classmates decided to take action, and the Day of Peace began to form.

Our Ministers of Service-Isabella Gardino (‘23), Nealy Sankey (‘24), Emma Maye Leonard (‘25) and Caroline Coffey (‘26) took the reins to plan the inaugural event, with the guidance and support of Mrs. Beth Odom, our Director of Dominican Identity, and our chaplain, Father James Martin Nobles.

“We wanted to host an event for high school students that promoted peace and change,” explained Isabella. “The theme for the day was I Am Peace. We wanted students to know that peace starts with them. Everyone is capable of making a change, and we wanted to help people recognize they have that power,” she shared.

The day kicked off with an inspirational talk from Cortney Richardson-pastor, singer/songwriter, and CEO of Peer Power, a local nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire and empower youth to take control of their success. Mr. Richardson acknowledged the turbulent world we live in and encouraged the audience to “be peace in the chaos.”

He encouraged the youth to rely on the promises of God and to seek to seek His “peace assignment” for their lives, saying: “Everyone wants to live in peace, but the question I have for this group of energetic, peaceful young people is - Will you be the one who brings peace to our city? Ask God for your peace assignment. What are the situations around you where peace is needed? What friend do you have that needs to experience the peace of God?”

After a moving message from Fr. James Martin and worship music led by Kevin and Bethany Paige, the students had a chance to hear from Jaila Hampton, the student speaker for the day, sharing her story of overcoming pain and finding peace. In addition to founding a nonprofit, Jaila is very active in the Memphis community serving as a council member on Mayor Lee Harris’ Shelby County Council on Gun Safety, a Bridge Builders Youth Action Board member, and as an Ambassador of the Memphis Ambassadors Program.

Jaila shared, “Through my work I have encouraged many people to join me in the fight against gun violence. From there, they invited or inspired others to join. So on and so forth. I was the first domino in my community…and the rest will be history and our future. Your future.”

Father James Martin closed out the day encouraging the students to start with small acts of kindness to spark change. “While we recognize the violence that has been happening in our city, the focus of the day was how we respond to these events, how we become the peacemakers of our time. It is important that we gather together to build peace.”

Reflecting on the event, Nealy Sankey said, “My reaction to that day was pure excitement! Not only because something we had worked so hard on came to life, and was functioning like we planned it, but people were enjoying it! The speakers brought the meaning of the day to life and really changed "I Am Peace" from an idea to a message of hope.”

The day was made possible by a grant from the St. Martin de Porres National Shrine and Institute at St. Peter Catholic Church. The Institute generously sponsored the transportation, meals, and event space for the day.  “So often in our city we see people reacting to violence rather than responding to it. This event gave our youth an opportunity to think about how they can be peacemakers for our time,” said Fr. James Martin who is Director of the Shrine.

Click to view News Coverage of the Day of Peace

Day of Peace Photo Gallery 

Reflections by Student Speaker Jaila Hampton