Minority Care International Students Association Annual Retreat: The “Unbroken” Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
By Jeremy Jimlan
DAVAO CITY –
The Minority Care International Students Association (MCISA) three days annual retreat held from August 8, 2025, at Emilia Healing Resort, was an immersive experience for the MCISA students and other participants. 
The books we studied at the retreat this year was ‘Unbroken’ a World War II story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. The book tells, in vivid detail, the story of former Olympic runner and WWII POW Louis Zamperini and it covers his goal to win an Olympic medal in the 1936 Berling Games, his disappointment at having 1940 games cancelled , his enlistment in the US Army , his WWII experience in training running bomber and rescue mission in the South Pacific, the crash of is plane, his 47 days lost at the sea, and his two brutal years in Japanese POW camps. 
The book is filled with incredible historical details and lessons and fascinating anecdotes as we walk alongside Louie and his journey. We then find Post WWII, trying to recover his life that was, finding love and loss, the battle with his was demons and finally redemption. 
The event brought together student leaders and SETBI students form College Education Behind Bars, creating a unique space for reflection on survival, resilience, and redemption. The discussion centered on Louie Zamperini’s journey of faith, as depicted in Unbroken. 
Participants explored how Zamperini’s spiritual awakening, even in the most desperate of circumstances as a prisoner of war, offered him a sense of peace and purpose. The retreat provided a platform for the SETBI students and youth to reflect on their own lives and find hope in their faith, reinforcing the idea that redemption is possible regardless of one’s past. With the theme “Survival, Resilience, and Redemption,” the sessions focused on the broader lessons of Unbroken. Participants delved into the incredible physical and mental fortitude required for survival, mirroring Zamperini’s harrowing ordeal after his plane crashed and his time stranded at sea. The retreat’s serene environment served as a backdrop for deep discussions on the human capacity to endure hardship and find meaning in the midst of struggle. Through these sessions, the students gained a deeper appreciation for the resilience of the people they serve and the power of 
t settings, the event underscored the importance of empathy and the power of humanitarian service.
