Caillou's 20 Summers at Operation Breakthrough

At Operation Breakthrough, we have the privilege of walking alongside children and families from their earliest years through young adulthood. Sometimes, that means watching a child who once learned and grew within our walls return years later ready to give back. For one former student, that journey has truly come full circle.

Caillou first came through the doors of Operation Breakthrough as an infant. While he continued to grow during his childhood, so did Operation Breakthrough. The Ignition Lab opened in 2021, Caillou was a high school sophomore and had the opportunity to explore his interests in graphic and product design. Through these new skills and experiences, he began thinking about what his future could look like. After graduating from high school, he took the next big step in his journey: heading to the University of Notre Dame.

Today, Caillou is going into his junior year as an American Studies major at Notre Dame. During his final semester in high school, Caillou was selected to join the AnBryce Scholars Initiative, which only selects eight to ten incoming freshman students each year. According to the AnBryce website, “Students are the first in their families to go to college. Our scholars have exceptional academic records, placing them among the top 1-2% of the nation in their high school class performance and/or national test scores. They also display notable intellectual promise, creativity, leadership, and a sense of service to others.” 

This program has opened the door to experiences far beyond the classroom. Through the program, he had the opportunity to travel to Dublin, Toronto and New York City. While in New York, he visited Goldman Sachs headquarters, gaining firsthand exposure to new industries, careers and possibilities. However, one of his favorite moments at Notre Dame was when Caillou and his class helped write a grant application for a local nonprofit, which received $5,000 to help continue their services for the South Bend community.

No matter how far his college experience takes him, Caillou continues to find his way back to the community that helped shape him. During his summers home, he returns to Operation Breakthrough, this time as a teacher. Working with our school-age children, he is now the mentor and role model for younger students that others once were for him. “This my 20th summer here, so I bring a unique perspective and shared experience that helps me connect with the children.”

This summer, Caillou also expanded his nonprofit experience even further through an internship with Kanbe’s Markets, a Kansas City nonprofit working to build a more inclusive food system. As a Community Engagement Intern, he gained valuable experience connecting with the community and seeing another side of nonprofit work. 

All of these experiences are helping shape what Caillou hopes will come next. After graduating from Notre Dame, he plans to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector, continuing the work of strengthening communities and creating opportunities for others.

If Caillou could give one piece of advice to current Operation Breakthrough students, “Take each and every opportunity offered to you because everyone has the possibility to change your life.”

His story represents what we hope for every child who walks through our doors: not simply success in the classroom, but the opportunity to discover what is possible for their future and the confidence to pursue it.

From growing up at Operation Breakthrough to attending Notre Dame, traveling the world and returning each summer to teach the next generation, Caillou’s journey is a reminder of the lasting impact a community can have on the future of our students. And perhaps the best part of his story is that it is still being written.