Carli Trice and Kaitlyn Tracey, both members of the Class of 2021, will begin a year of service this summer. Trice is heading to Denver, Colorado, to work with the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers (CVV), and Tracey is waiting for her placement with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC).

Tracey just completed a year-long internship with the Neumann University Office of the Dean of Students. During the November elections, she was instrumental in the university’s efforts to increase voter registration among students.

Last fall, Tracey was named a Democracy Fellow through the Campus Vote Project, an organization that works with universities and election officials to reduce barriers to student voting.

As she completed her degree at NU, Tracey turned her attention to life after college. She was debating whether to go out into the workforce or continue on with her education and obtain a master’s degree.

She listened to Maria Marx, associate director of campus ministry, speak to her class about the master’s degree she received from a Jesuit college. Tracey remembers the focus on social justice that Marx explained the college promoted. That concept stuck with Tracey and she soon realized that she wanted a similar experience.

“I just felt that a year of service was a perfect opportunity for me. The JVC has locations all over the country, the whole point of the year of service is to live simply and give back to the community that you are a part of,” Tracey explained. “My whole life I’ve wanted to help people.”

JVC’s mission is to engage young leaders in life-changing service, living and accompanying those in need to build a more just and hopeful world. Some of the programs where Tracey may be placed are supporting families who are struggling with financial difficulties in San Antonio, Texas, and a structured play program for children with emotional issues in Boston, Massachusetts.

“I was looking for something to help me build my individual spirituality. I wanted to keep the momentum going that I have now from being at Neumann,” said Tracey of the JVC.

Trice has a similar story regarding what led her to choose a year of service after graduation. She recently received her CVV placement at Mount Saint Vincent, a provider of mental health treatment, foster care services, individualized education, and trauma-informed training for children and their families.

Trice had many options after graduation. She considered going to graduate school or entering the workforce. When a friend asked her if she could do anything she wanted, what would she choose, her reply was a “year of service.”

“I honestly couldn’t see myself doing anything else right now. I’m being called to do this,” Trice explained. “My faith has been able to guide me everywhere. This is where my faith is taking me.”

Trice was drawn to CVV because of its similarities to Neumann University. She characterizes the organization as small and intimate led by caring individuals, the same way she describes NU.

While at Neumann, Trice participated in service trips to Beaufort, South Carolina, with Habitat for Humanity, and Wind River Reservation in Lander, Wyoming. These experiences solidified her faith and help her grow spiritually.

“I always had it and it was dormant, but I started to take it on as my ID when I came to college. I realized that I wanted it at the center of my life,” Trice said of her faith.