As a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, I live in Atlanta with a community of four other volunteers, and I work at a non-for-profit organization called Midtown Assistance Center (MAC) in downtown Atlanta. MAC acts as a safety net for the working poor by providing emergency rent, utility, and grocery assistance and by providing clothes and transportation for jobs.

My leadership and service trip experience in CCM not only helped me have the courage to step out of my comfort zone and embark on this journey, but it also exposed me to a type of faith that engaged with the world. Through Catholic Campus Ministry at Elon, I had conversations about my faith with other young people in small group, attended Mass with friends, and went on a service trip to Atlanta that connected my Catholicism to working in solidarity with those in need. I could not have anticipated that I would later return to serve in this city for a year, join a new community, and be challenged to more fully become "a person for and with others" through JVC. However, I am thankful for Elon CCM's guiding presence through my four years in college, and I look forward to keeping its spirit of faith and other-centeredness alive in me as I continue forward.