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Andrew J. Kubicek ’15 Serves Others in Nicaragua

Service is at the core of a Jesuit education, and at the core of Andrew J. Kubicek ’15 is service. Now a junior at Boston College studying finance, entrepreneurship and sociology, Kubicek discovered his passion for serving others on a Loyola summer service trip to Nicaragua in 2014. He has returned every year since—coordinating a trip after graduating in 2015, serving as a graduate student leader in 2016 and now, in 2017, interning with Fabretto, a nonprofit organization run by fellow alumnus Kevin C. Marinacci ’85 that is committed to empowering underserved Nicaraguan children and their families.
Kubicek spent his summer with Fabretto working on the Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial (SAT) program, an alternative, rural, secondary education program with a learning-by-doing approach for youth in rural communities. Specifically, he partnered with family-run coffee producers to support their business operations and a co-op of 35 Nicaraguan women who weave baskets and jewelry out of recycled items, pine needles and string.

“I would work from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on the coffee initiative doing market research, client outreach, calculating current cost of production and exploring distribution channels,” he explains. Kubicek also assessed the supply chain by visiting different coffee producers and collaborating with roasting and packaging companies to solidify a partnership and optimize the price at which the coffee beans would be sold.

Kubicek then spent his evenings working with women at a basket and jewelry cooperative, teaching them how to utilize Microsoft Excel spreadsheets for basic sales and management strategies. “They used to write everything by hand in a notebook and then burn old notebooks,” says Kubicek of the co-op’s former business practices. “The cooperative has great potential, but the lack of formal business education makes managing the cooperative difficult for the women.” Kubicek made strides to implement an online system of accounting and inventory management and also to expand the co-op’s product line. In fact, some of the product comes right back here, to Loyola. The LoyolaWear Store sells handmade “LA” keychains for five dollars a keychain, with all the money going back to the women in Nicaragua. To buy your own click here!

Kubicek shared some of the challenging realities of his work, which he calls an extremely humbling experience. “I had a barrel of cold water to use for my shower and more than half the time, I did not have running water,” he says. “One week I had to bring my barrel outside to catch rain water off of the tin roof. After fishing out the bugs and leaves, I used the same water to shower, do laundry, wash dishes and even cook.”

In June, at the same time as Kubicek’s internship with Fabretto, Loyola Academy students were experiencing Nicaragua on their summer service immersion trip led by Ms. Erin Hauri, Ms. Debbie Henslee and Mr. Chris Howe. Kubicek spent time with the Rambler volunteers, serving as a mentor and guide for the group. “He encouraged our students to jump in—not only to the hard physical labor, but to forming relationships and getting to know the personal stories of people in the community,” says Hauri, who teaches Spanish in the foreign language department. “His attitude really reflects the Loyola Academy mission of service for others.”

Kubicek knows that a future in the country would mean sacrificing time with family and friends, his lifestyle at home and, possibly, his dream of making it big in the business world. “But the more time I spend in Nicaragua, the more I feel drawn toward giving all that up,” he says. “Although I don't know what lies ahead, I do see myself coming back to Nicaragua, because the idea of women and men for others that my parents and Loyola Academy have instilled in me is still very much present.”

Kubicek’s project was made possible by the Boston College Eagle Intern Fellowship Program and the generous support of the Boston College Legacy Grant. To learn more, click here.
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