Photo by Joseph McLaughlin

WHO SHE IS
Global Outreach Administrator, Office of Campus Ministry

TIME AT FORDHAM
Five years

WHAT SHE DOES
Mary provides tools for students to have rewarding experiences on their GO! service projects. She makes arrangements for the projects, including buying plane tickets, helping students get visas, renting vans and collecting money that is fundraised. She also supervises the Global Outreach Executive Board.

BACKGROUND
She graduated from Fordham College at Rose Hill in 2004 with a double major in history and classical civilization, and is pursuing a master’s of social work at the University.

WORLD TRAVELER
As both a student and chaperone, she has participated in GO! projects in Kentucky, Florida, New Orleans and Mississippi, as well as international efforts in Guatemala and Thailand. On her own, she has traveled to the Bahamas, Mexico, Laos, Canada, Ireland and China.

GO! BENEFITS
“There are so many benefits for students who participate in GO!. They are able to take what they learn in the classroom and put it into action. It is also an opportunity for them to put their faith into action. Many students feel that these projects are life altering, and have changed majors and career paths after participating. I love hearing about their experiences when they return.”

REWARDS
“Everyone asks me what my favorite GO! project has been, but I honestly feel that each is special in its own right. One of my most profound moments was working in New Orleans six months after Hurricane Katrina. I was fortunate enough to meet the man who owned the house we were gutting. I was able to find his dog tags from Vietnam. He was so grateful to get this little part of his life back. Living and working in solidarity with the people of New Orleans has been the most profound experience of my life.”