“The Jean Donovan Fellowship has helped me cement my future occupational path as a lawyer. Despite the Fellowship turning into a remote only placement, the knowledge of what it takes to be a lawyer flows through the emails and conference calls held throughout the organization. Thanks to my placement, the knowledge I learned about housing law during and after the COVID-19 outbreak has allowed me to help my friends and family dealing with a difficult landlord and money hardships due to job loss or being in-between jobs. I have made amazing networks and met many people I hope to continue to connect to during my journey of pursuing law or graduate school.”

"The greatest part about my Fellowship has been the interactions that I have had with the IRC clients. Most of the clients are refugees and Special Immigration Visa Holders, and they are so eager to learn and ask questions about the material I teach in class. By teaching Job Readiness Training classes, I have discovered my own love of teaching and learned much about the financial and employment spheres of US life. Forming connections with my students has also taught me much about the unique struggles that refugees encounter during their resettlement experiences and the strength and fortitude each of them possesses to uproot their lives and move to a wholly new place."

“JDF has not only allowed me to continue to work with the Andre House, but it has also encouraged a critical discussion regarding inequality and social justice as a whole. By having both a service component and critical discussions around inequality, the Fellowship has allowed me to dive deeper into societal issues while providing a supportive community to tackle pressing problems in my own community. As an engineering major, there is a lot of pressure to choose a traditional career path; however, the skills and learning done throughout JDF will not only hone core skills such as adaptability and resiliency but also cultivate one’s spirit and purpose."

"For me, the Jean Donovan Fellowship has been a gift of time for guided introspection. As a recent graduate from Santa Clara University’s School of Engineering, I have welcomed the opportunity to explore the meaning of my vocation during this Fellowship. In my summer position with D-Rev, a non-profit medical device development company, I am learning about the real struggles faced by international communities when it comes to access to quality healthcare resources. By focusing on listening to and empathizing with these very human-centered needs, my curiosity about biomedical engineering has been guided further on an exciting path that resonates whole-heartedly with my passions for medical ethics, human-centered design, and frugal innovation."

“During my Fellowship with La Mesa Verde in San José, I experienced the transformative potential of community-led organic urban agriculture. I learned that food justice efforts (and, more broadly, social justice efforts) are revolutionary only when the people most impacted by injustice play a central role in directing these efforts. As a person who has never struggled with food insecurity, I can promote food justice by empowering those who have struggled. This work takes humility, patience, and - above all - an open mind and open heart."

"Working at the Compass Center for Women and Families this summer has far surpassed my expectations for what it means to serve through accompaniment. The Jean Donovan Fellowship has allowed me to form a closer connection and commitment to my own personal community through the cultivation of specific project based assignments while working for Compass. Not only have I gained an increased awareness and understanding of the variations in culture, background, and identity present in my home state, but I feel that this experience has allowed me to better my commitment to becoming an avid listener, active participant, and responsible advocate for equality and social justice. Thank you, Ignatian Center, for supporting me through this experience - it has been illuminating."

“In the weeks I spent as a Jean Donovan Fellow, I feel more and more confident in my ability to be present with someone without being physically present. With turmoil all around us, we have learned how to continue planting and tending seeds of community and connection. I am grateful for these troubling times because they show me how we are all little, diligent seeds. We each seek to deepen our roots, grow in knowledge, and be more supportive of our neighbors and ourselves – ideas that were reinforced by my Fellowship experience."

“Working for Ikhaya le themba (“Home of Hope”) this summer has allowed me to directly translate the knowledge I’ve learned within my child studies and psychology majors at SCU to real, impactful work. I’ve had the opportunity to develop an educational book filled with interactive math activities for children, and I’ve also been able to delve deeper into my passion for design by redesigning their website. This specific work has made me understand with deeper meaning the importance that community and support can play in changing people’s lives. The support Ikhaya gives to not only their students but also the support they’ve given to me, an intern who lives across the globe, truly creates hope for living a better future.”