The Holy Spirit Has My Back

There were many things I didn’t know about Notre Dame before applying. Like how South is objectively the better of the two dining halls, or how the squirrels here only seem to get bigger each year. The one thing I did know was that there was this program called ACE, and I needed to be a part of it. I didn’t exactly know how I was going to get involved but decided to leave that part up to God. 

At Notre Dame, when something is “random,” it usually means the Holy Spirit is behind it. I was randomly assigned to Ryan Hall, and it just so happens that ACE's Chaplain, Fr. Joe Carey (FJ), also lives there. FJ was the first person on campus that I told I wanted to do ACE Teaching Fellows. He was immediately excited for me and we have become good friends since. He’s taught me what it means to love like Jesus, and how to see God’s hand even in moments of suffering. 

The second person I met was Mary Claire Lewis (ACE 29, Philadelphia). She was an intern and I was a very homesick and scared freshman. Sitting outside the benches of LaFun, she first told me all about the internship, and shortly after, warmly embraced me as I shared my anxieties. I’ll never forget her compassion and kindness. She would then connect me with Mike Comuniello who would hook me up with my first on campus job with the Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI). 

As a student worker, I was able to dip my toes into the world of ENL (English as a New Language), and explore a side of education that deeply resonated with my experience. I loved working there because it was full of past ACErs who spread God’s love wherever they went. During these years, I collected every single piece of merchandise (from shirts to silly socks and pens) with the hope that one day, I’d be offered the chance to follow their footsteps. 

When the time came to apply for the ACE Internship, my desire for the position intensified. I realized that the initial spark I had felt had transformed into a firm conviction for ACE’s mission. I wanted to become a great teacher for students who needed it, and take on voluntary displacement as an opportunity to grow, and build community out in the world. All of the encounters and conversations led to a firm conviction that God was calling me to serve His children in this way. 

The ACE Internship program has allowed me to do more of what I love — talking to others about ACE and being able to invite them into this joyful service opportunity! One of the best experiences has been getting to tutor through TutorND. At first, I was so scared. How was I supposed to be a high-impact tutor for a kid? However, I’ve learned to value progress over perfection, the importance of showing up, growing in patience, and how to love someone while explaining the difference between “b” and “d” for the 10th time. 

This internship has helped me start to see myself as a teacher, and has given me a community that will witness my moments of celebration, frustration, progress, and courage. I can’t help but look back and thank all the people who helped me get here, and look forward to thanking all the mentors that will push me to be better. 

In a couple of weeks, I’ll find out where I’ll be serving for the next two years. I’m beyond nervous, but like all things that are “random," I know the Holy Spirit has my back.