Releases

In May 2011, six years after her Jesuit Volunteer year at Catholic Charities Mobile, Alabama, Bridget Monohan graduated from the University of San Francisco with a master's in nursing and clinical nurse leader certification.

"Contributing to the healing of others expresses who I am. JVC gave me the ability to articulate and reflect on the four values as a framework for what is important."

The road leading to graduate school was a winding one. She worked in the development office of her alma mater, Boston College, and connected with the many Former Jesuit Volunteers in the Boston area. Eventually she returned to the West Coast and worked as a youth minister and an intervention specialist for children with special needs and she opened her own business, Learn it With Bridget. Even with all of these opportunities, nothing really fit.

Bridget traces her career choice to situations she encountered at Catholic Charities, where she was a caseworker for persons on disability. She said she had more responsibility as a JV than she has in any subsequent job.

"It was like a doctor's office, with lots of clients in emergency situations."

She learned how living in low-income neighborhoods affected people's health and ability to work. She saw how the cycle of unemployment led to no money and loss of health insurance, which led to living on charity, which in turn affected their mental health.

"Prior to JVC, I thought I was social-justice oriented, but JVC shattered my glorification of the poor and showed me the realities of the poor." Not only was she reflecting on the struggles of clients, but a bout with appendicitis during her JV year highlighted the gap between the health insurance resources she had and the lack of resources others had.

Bridget stayed involved with JVC as a support person, a cook at JVC retreats in California, and organizer of the fall FJV weekend retreat in the Bay Area. "There's a sense of coming home when you are with FJVs. Even playing trivia can be more meaningful!"

For JVs pondering life after JVC, Bridget has a few words of advice: "Find community and stay in touch with FJVs. Transitions are difficult and it can be a shock outside the JVC structure. Be forgiving. Deal with the guilt of earning money!"