Meet the Interns

What is the ACE internship all about? Meet Catie Santos de la Rosa, one of our current ACE interns.

Hi, I'm Catie. I am a Senior Finance and Spanish major. I have a minor in Education, Schooling and Society. I am from Denver, CO, where this is, of course, an ACE site. I live off campus in the Peace House, with roommates all dedicated to social justice in one form or another.

As a Junior, I decided to apply for the ACE internship knowing that I wanted to teach. I was drawn to ACE because of its emphasis on creating not only great teachers, but recruiting those interested in education and educational policy as a long-term goal. I was drawn to ACE because of the focus on all three pillars of the program: Teaching, Community, and Spirituality. I personally feel that ACE will help me discern the significance and the space for action in the intersection of faith and social problems.

From the internship, I have already developed a space of community with my fellow interns as well as the ACE staff. My internship has involved everything from recruiting future ACErs to research for the ACE programs nationally. The internship has really helped me to understand the broader mission of ACE to promote and support Catholic education on a national scale, while trying to address social justice. This year has been a great opportunity to prepare for the commitment ahead, through exploring community with the other ACE interns and staff, and even reflecting on the nature of teaching. This year has also been one of transition, from student to teacher, through involvement in ACE activities as well as those in the South Bend community.

Here's what some of our interns from last year had to say about the opportunity to be an ACE intern:

Meet Tracy Lyons. She’s a math major living in McGlinn Hall:

Q. What are your activities as an intern?
A. I work in the library at St. Adalbert’s School, and I am also doing research and projects for ACE Academies. Working at St. Adalbert’s is incredibly rewarding because it gives me the chance to read and interact with the students.

Q. Why did you seek an ACE internship, and how do you see it benefiting you down the road?
A. I sought an ACE internship because I have been interested in teaching for many years and knew ACE would prepare me to be a great teacher, while at the same time giving me the opportunity to serve students in need. Not only will I have the knowledge and experience from the ACE Service through Teaching program, but I will know more about the other constituent parts of ACE and the work they do for Catholic education in this country.

Q. Why would you recommend the internship to others?
A. First of all, it has been a wonderful blessing to know what awaits me after graduation in May. In addition, the ACE internship has shown me how much more work ACE does than the Service through Teaching program. It has also opened my eyes to other ways in which I can get involved in Catholic education in the future. I have learned a great deal working and researching for ACE, and that is why I would recommend the internship to others!

Meet senior Nick Reed. He’s a theology major living off campus.

Q. What are your activities as an intern?
A. I enjoy being able to get a little bit of a behind-the-scenes look at the work that goes into the ACE program outside of the students who make it up. Some of the research I’ve had to do has also been eye-opening in the sense that it has made me realize the depth of the social problems that ACE is trying to help combat.

Q. Why did you seek an ACE internship, and how do you see it benefiting you down the road?
A. I knew I wanted to be in ACE since freshman year when I first heard about it. I’ve wanted to teach, and ACE is a great opportunity to do that and earn a master’s degree, all while giving back a little bit. I think it will benefit me to have worked with a great group of people and in an area of the country that will most likely be quite foreign to me.

Q. Why would you recommend the internship to others?
A. I’m looking forward to building skills that will help me the rest of my life. I would definitely recommend the internship to anyone who is sure that ACE is the place for them.

Meet senior Vickey McBride. She’s a history major living in Welsh Family Hall.

Q. What are your activities as an intern?
A. As part of my work, I’ve attended career and service fairs, held ACE info sessions for several dorms on campus, helped compile resources that will become part of a new website for ACE Advocates, and worked off-campus at St. Adalbert School as a library volunteer. I’ve really enjoyed going to St. Adalbert each week and getting to know the students and teachers.

Q. Why did you seek an ACE internship, and how do you see it benefiting you down the road?
A. I applied for the internship because I knew I wanted to do postgraduate service, and ACE seemed like a good fit for me personally. I hoped that the internship would allow me to learn more about the different facets of the organization. Now that I’m an intern, I’m grateful for the opportunity to really get to know and work with the people who will be supporting me over the next few years.

Q. Why would you recommend the internship to others?
A. ACE interns are given the chance to work on projects that truly interest them. The ACE internship is a great way to continue learning and cultivating those individual interests before diving into the process of becoming a professional teacher.

Meet senior Caitlin Wrend, She lives in Lyons Hall and majors in American Studies with a minor in Education, Schooling, and Society:

Q. What are your activities as an intern?
A. I have participated in various research, educational, and recruiting initiatives through the ACE internship. It is encouraging and exciting to be able to talk with others who are passionate about service through teaching. I conducted research for ACE’s Teaching Exceptional Children (TEC) program…. I have copy-edited manuscripts for ACE Press. One of the activities I have found most rewarding is my involvement with St. Adalbert School, one of Notre Dame’s Magnificat schools. Because of limited funding, St. Adalbert is unable to hire a full-time librarian, so I have volunteered as a library coordinator for the school’s kindergarten and fifth grade classes. This has given me great hands-on experience in a Catholic school classroom setting.

Q. Why did you seek an ACE internship, and how do you see it benefiting you down the road?
A. I had a strong interest in the ACE Service through Teaching program and knew I would be grateful for the opportunity to become a part of a community that was so dedicated to the mission of strengthening Catholic schools. The USCCB said, “Education is one of the most important ways by which the Church fulfills its commitment to the dignity of the person and the building of community,” and I believe ACE embodies that mission. I applied for the ACE internship because I was enlivened by the people I had met who had gone through the program and/or worked on the ACE staff.

Q. Why would you recommend the ACE internship to others?
A. The internship has given me the opportunity to work closely with ACE staff members and to be exposed to all of the initiatives in which ACE is involved. My involvement in the internship has expanded my interests in education and has formed the foundation for a lifetime commitment to Catholic schools. I would absolutely recommend the internship to others—without question!