Another season of the NEXT Internship is upon us at the Jesuit Spiritual Center! The youth team is so excited to work with and form our three interns for the 2016-2017 season, and we are all excited to give you glimpses into our lives as a youth team here on this blog once a week. You’ll see everything from reflections on retreats, thoughts on scripture, videos showing what we do for fun, and much more. We’ll kick things off by allowing our three interns to introduce themselves. You’ll learn more about them, our full-time team, and the work that we do as the year continues!
Matthew
As I sat in an adoration chapel and prayed Psalm 145, I knew that this internship was to where God was calling me. At 36 years old with a wife, two kids, and all kinds of grown-up bills, it seemed a little unconventional to take an internship. After several years of part-time ministry followed by a decade of full-time parish youth ministry I was given the opportunity to stay home with my daughter and then newborn son. I decided to go back to school and complete a degree in theology with an emphasis in pastoral ministry. It was two of the most peaceful years of my entire life. That being said, I had a sense that God was going to invite me into a new area of ministry as early as this past February. My course work for this coming year is only part-time as I prepare to graduate in May. As soon as that was clear, I began to discern how God would have me spend my time during the coming year. My wife and I wanted to find something for me outside of the home that would give me the opportunity to use my new-found knowledge. Shortly after my discernment started, I was contacted and asked to continue praying about whether or not the NEXT internship would be something of interest to me. My first reaction was that I could not take an internship because I needed to find some way to better support my family. God promptly rearranged several things in our lives to reassure me that this was all in his part of His will.
I have many hopes for this coming year. I truly hope that I might encounter new depths in my faith life. I am also looking forward to expanding my ministerial skill set. It is a truly unique opportunity to work with a team of professional youth ministers and I am very excited for the benefits that it will bring.
Jennifer
Hi there! I’m Jenny, a graduate of Saint Ursula Academy and Miami University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. I left my 9-to-5 job to delve deeper into the spiritual side of life. After over 6 months of personal faith exploration I joined the Youth Ministry team. As a NEXT Intern I hope to further develop my leadership skills and grow both personally and spiritually as I help others along their faith journey. Some fun facts about me: I have 3 brothers, no sisters (I always wanted a sister but being the only girl has its advantages!), a case of wanderlust, and a mild obsession with coffee and brunch. Some other interests of mine include health and nutrition, psychology, reading and writing. I’m excited to write for this blog and look forward to seeing where this internship takes me!
Shannon
Hey there! I am Shannon, and I am from Cincinnati. I found out about this internship at the Jesuit Spiritual Center through a prayer group that I am part of. The internship was an unexpected opportunity that fell into place, and I am very glad to be a part of the JSC team. I look forward to gaining ministerial skills with youth in the light of Ignatian spirituality and becoming more tech-savvy with all of our A/V equipment so we can continue to make our retreat experiences the best they can be. I am an animal lover, a horseman, and I enjoy expanding my artistic skills by doodling. We get things done with plenty of fun here between retreats and planning! Already, I have worked with a staff member’s dog, and doodled Yoda on the corner of our dry erase board in the office. The doodled Yoda humorously states the fact in a speech bubble, “Luke, your Dad is a meanie!” along with the ever true and serious wisdom of “Do or Do Not…there is no Try…” I promise my team that I simply will not try but will do my best to give my all to this opportunity of working here among the great staff and retreatants of the Jesuit Spiritual Center.
