More than 350 at-risk teens from two Bronx middle schools and four high schools take part annually in the program operated at Fordham through the Graduate School of Social Service (GSS) and managed under the leadership of Program Director Diane Ode, GSS ’11. Over 30 Fordham undergraduate and graduate volunteers work alongside the teens both at the Rose Hill campus and in their respective schools. In addition to their volunteers, the program recruits MSW candidates to provide individual and group counseling to the teens during the school day.

“For many of these students it’s their first time on a college campus,” said Ode. “We collaborate with different Fordham departments such as The Center for Community Engaged Learning, Career Services, and various student-led organizations. It’s amazing work when you start to see the students begin to understand the opportunities that they can have.”

Ode said that the program is one of the many areas where education and social services overlap. She said the reason she and other social workers are drawn to the program is that it tackles the challenges facing at-risk youth through “holistic service that  promotes student’s academic success, as well as their social and emotional well being.” In promoting academic success volunteers help students with homework, prepare for standardized exams, and fill out college applications. To promote social well-being the teens go on campus tours together, take enrichment trips to Broadway shows, and attend STEM conferences. For emotional well-being, the program also provides a series of interventions that include individual and group counseling.

“This program really shows how the Graduate School of Social Service can bring together all our Fordham communities to affect the change,” said faculty adviser Janna Heyman, Ph.D., professor of social work and the Henry C. Ravazzin Chair.

Ode started as a MSW intern in the program in 2010 and continued on as a summer program coordinator when she graduated in 2011. She steadily rose through the ranks to become an assistant director in 2012 and then program director in 2015. Bronx-born and raised in New Jersey, Ode still has family near campus. As a young 8-year-old girl, Fordham was the first college campus she ever saw during her frequent visits with her family to the Fordham Road shopping district. She said that she feels a strong kinship with the students and their families because of her own upbringing in the Tremont section of the Bronx.

“Resources at many New York City schools are overwhelmed; a guidance counselor can serve up to 100 students,” she said. “That’s where we come in with the extra support.”

The teens in the program face a variety of risk factors that often stem from problems at home, which can cause high absenteeism and deter motivation. She noted that many of the program’s volunteers are not from the Bronx and that their initial exposure to these young people, as well as the public schools themselves, can in itself be a learning experience.

“I think it opens up their eyes and they learn about the social and economic disadvantages that Bronx students are facing every day,” she said. “Many of the volunteers are shocked when they have to go through a metal detector or see that there are six schools in one building. It’s a huge culture shock.”

To prepare them, she said, the program provides an orientation and ongoing volunteer meetings to support volunteers’ work with at-risk youth, and the culture of service at the University advocates listening to the community.

“We do our best to have discussions to help them understand that, ‘Yes, you’re giving back to the community by teaching students how to better improve their grades and be motivated to pursue their education, but this is a mutual transaction and you’ll also get something back,’” she said.

Feeling Like a Part of the Bronx

Katrina Cullen is a junior at Rose Hill majoring in history. She started volunteering with the Liberty program more than a year ago. Though she said she was very involved with other student groups, she said she didn’t feel like she was part of the Bronx, even though the campus sits in the heart of the borough.

“It is completely transformative to have a purpose and have kids depend on you to help you with their school work or to know they have a test coming up and they’re counting on you,” she said.

Cullen, who grew up in Putnam County, New York said she was initially nervous about whether the kids would accept her into their community, but soon realized they had more in common than not. She said once she started building relationships, a few of the Latino students found out she was studying Spanish. From that point forward, they would speak to her in Spanish to help her prepare for her classes.

“When I started there were definitely a lot of cultural differences, but they’re so patient with me,” she said. “They’re just normal kids who are extremely accepting and a great time to be around. It makes you feel really good that you build relationships bigger than yourself.”

“I know it sounds cheesy,” says the San Antonio native. “But it looked like a great place to study. I can still remember the ’70s-green carpet, the wooden chairs … it was all about comfort.”

Beyond the library, Valentine was particularly attracted to Marymount College for the five-year bachelor’s/master’s program in social work it offered with Fordham’s Graduate School of Social Service. She moved from Texas to New York in 1999, without ever visiting campus, and immediately felt at home.

“At Marymount I became who I am,” she says, “and then at Fordham I was really able to shape myself professionally.”

Now a licensed clinical social worker, for the past five years she has been supervising veterans programs for Westhab, a Yonkers-based nonprofit that provides housing, employment, youth, pantry, and other social services to New York residents.

“I know I’m in the right career, not just because I enjoy what I do,” she says, “but I really believe I’m channeling good work for people.”

This spirit of service has also drawn Valentine to volunteer work. She has served on the Marymount College Alumnae Board and the Sacred Heart of Mary Extended Family Board, and she is currently a member of the Fordham University Alumni Association Advisory Board, which is supporting Fordham’s Day of Service events in April and May in honor of National Volunteer Month.

She also serves on the alumni board’s Forever Learning task force—a perfect fit for someone who loves fulfilling the continuing education requirements needed to maintain her license as a clinical social worker. “You learn about different things outside of your own work,” she explains. “I did one in pet therapy, one in working with food aversions. It can be really interesting. But I’ve always been about seeing open doors and opportunities.”

In 2018, Valentine became the youngest recipient of the Golden Dome Award, given to an alumna whose continuous service has advanced Marymount’s mission.

“I always feel like I could do more,” Valentine says, “and it’s always hard to see the impact of what we do, so it’s nice to see it through somebody else’s eyes.

“To be part of this elite group of Marymount women who have done amazing things before me … it’s something very unreal.”

Fordham Five

What are you most passionate about?
I believe in volunteering time, energy, and ideas; helping each other out as people or through organizations; self-care of body, mind, spirit, relationships; active listening; family; work/life balance; not keeping your gifts to yourself; acknowledging a person’s strengths and challenges; believing in yourself; the power of a good story; being in the here and now; living life to the fullest; the need to love, be loved, and be part of a community; continuing education; doing what you love; taking risks; everyone needing and accepting help in some way or another; decompressing; disconnecting from electronics; sending cards in the mail; saying thank you—the list can truly continue. 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Professionally, when I was in high school my Aunt Sylvia suggested I consider a career in social work. That sparked a fire in me. It clicked; something just felt right. So, whether she knew it or not, she guided me in the right way. She saw something in me I didn’t know was there. Now I love what I do and cannot see myself in another career.

Personally, the R.S.H.M. retreats and days of reflection have taught me to slow down in this hustle-and-bustle world. It’s not as simple as driving your car slower but rather taking time to be at peace spiritually, with myself and others. It’s about mindfully listening and looking around you and not constantly being on the go 100% of the time. This can be quite challenging for us intrinsically driven folks. My husband came into my life about seven years ago, and he also indirectly taught me to slow down without compromising my goals.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
I don’t have one favorite physical part of the city. My favorite aspects are the experiences and complexities of NYC. There are parts that stand still and then ever-changing parts. I love experiencing parks, gardens, museums, theater, history, new and old architecture, and the variety of faces and food. My favorite place in the world is a tie—I love being anywhere in Texas, my home state, because nothing beats the feeling of home. And I love vacationing with my husband, my favorite person. With him, I love going somewhere new, just being, and completely unplugging from work.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I loved the tone, the family and social complexities of the time, and the characters. Oh, the drama! Plus, Austen’s novels translate fantastically to film. This was the first classic novel I embraced at a younger age. I love a good book that can sweep you away and plop you right into the story. While I never aspired to be a writer, authors like her leave me in awe of the art.

Who is the Fordham or Marymount grad or professor you admire the most?
As is true for countless Marymount grads, Ellen Marie Keane, R.S.H.M., is someone I hold dear to my heart as a friend and an example of how to serve others.

As my first-year academic adviser, she was the first sister I remember meeting at Marymount in fall 1999. As a philosophy professor, she was always challenging us as women to question any system.

She was a born teacher who could speak to any audience. She was the embodiment of the R.S.H.M., both professionally and personally: passionate, intelligent, gifted, religious, patient, loving, dedicated, nonjudgmental, unconditional. She was a champion of women, children, and the poor. I admired her commitment to service to the R.S.H.M., Marymount, and the college program at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women. Sadly, Sister Ellen died in August 2018, but she inspired hope in so many.

On their last day on the island, several Fordham alumni, staff, and friends spent the morning volunteering at La Fondita de Jesús, a local organization serving people who are homeless, including many affected by the hurricane. In the evening, they had the opportunity to attend the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, brought to Puerto Rico by creator Lin-Manuel Miranda to support local arts and culture initiatives that promote tourism and economic recovery. And, thanks to Fordham Law alumna and adjunct professor Vanessa Nadal, who is married to Miranda, the group also enjoyed a private post-show reception.

Loukoumi is the title character in a series of children’s books written by Nick Katsoris, GABELLI ’88, LAW ’91, and the inspiration behind the Loukoumi Make a Difference Foundation, a nonprofit Katsoris established to engage and empower kids to lend a helping hand with charitable projects.

Outfitted in green “Make a Difference Day” T-shirts, more than three dozen kids, families, and friends of Loukoumi joined forces with students in the Fordham Kiwanis Club to sell handmade bracelets and toys and create get-well cards for patients at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The activities at Fordham were part of the day’s events that included a park cleanup in Queens and a Loukoumi good deeds award presentation to the producers of Come From Away, the hit Broadway musical about the citizens of a Canadian town who embraced passengers from around the world who were stranded there after the September 11 attacks. “It is the ultimate story of kindness and making a difference in the lives of others,” Katsoris says.

Each year, more than 100,000 kids across the country participate in activities sponsored by the Loukoumi Foundation, Katsoris says. Partnering with other organizations, like St. Jude, Kiwanis, and rock star Jon Bon Jovi’s JBJ Soul Kitchen, they have contributed to clothing drives and food banks while raising hundreds of thousands of dollars (through kids’ $1 donations) for various projects, including an ongoing effort to provide $150,000 for a literacy program and treatment room at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Beyond the numbers, Katsoris always keeps his eye on the mission.

“The most important thing about the Loukoumi Foundation is it teaches kids that doing good can be fun,” he says. “They have a ball doing this stuff, and they want to do more.”

From Candy to a Character

A graduate of Fordham Prep, Fordham University, and Fordham Law School (“I’m what they call a triple Ram”), Katsoris, who is general counsel for the Red Apple Group, always wanted to be a writer. “I wanted to be the next John Grisham,” he says. “It didn’t happen.”

Years later, in 2005, inspired by the birth of his son and a box of Greek candy called loukoumi, Katsoris wrote and published Loukoumi, about the eponymous lamb who gets lost trying to find her way back to America after visiting her grandparents in Greece. He established the foundation four years later, after publishing the third book in the series, Loukoumi’s Good Deeds, which was narrated on CD by Jennifer Anniston and her father, John. “That’s what put us on the map,” Katsoris says.

Other high-profile personalities came on board. Olympia Dukakis and Gloria Gaynor narrated stories on CD; Al Roker, Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey, and Justin Timberlake contributed recipes to Loukoumi’s Celebrity Cookbook (2011, NK Publishing). And NBC sportscaster Bob Costas will narrate Loukoumi Saves a Park, the eight book in the series, which is scheduled to be released in time for Earth Day 2019 and the start of the new baseball season.

The Fordham Connection

Katsoris, whose father, Constantine “Gus” Katsoris, is a longtime law professor at Fordham and whose son now attends Fordham Prep, credits his passion for serving others to his Jesuit education and a strong legacy of philanthropy at the University.

Indeed, several members of the Fordham community have joined him in his efforts. Fordham senior Olivia Jones, president of Circle K, the college division of Kiwanis, volunteered for the third straight year at the November event. Eileen Gill-Franklin, GABELLI ’90, LAW ’91, ’96, one of Katsoris’ former Fordham classmates, helped sponsor the Loukoumi Good Deed of the Month curriculum, a program offered in 250 Catholic schools in the New York Archdiocese and the Diocese of Brooklyn, and soon to be incorporated into public school curricula on Staten Island.

Another Fordham alumna, New York Assemblymember Aravella Simotas, FCLC ’99, LAW ’02, participated in the park cleanup in Queens. She says she is grateful for what Katsoris’ stories teach, because “sometimes we’re too busy to remember to instill those values in our kids.”

But Anne-Marie Kirmse, O.P., president of the Fordham Kiwanis Club, may have said it best. “The Loukoumi Foundation helps children see that they can make the world a better place—as children.”

—Deborah Anders

Watch the Loukoumi Foundation’s video documenting the day

The tips her guests share are practical, often based on their own life experiences. For example, Bethenny Frankel, the reality TV star and founder of the Skinnygirl brand, emphasized the importance of being financially independent and always prepared for the unexpected.

“She went through a very public and difficult divorce, but because she knew what she owned, learned about investing, and kept working, she came through that experience quite well,” Dagher says.

Real estate mogul and Shark Tank investor Barbara Corcoran told listeners to buy only those investments they fully understand. With many complex products out there, it’s important for women to be clear about where they are putting their money. Another guest, comedian Sandra Bernhard, spoke about the importance of living beneath your means and saving.

“She’s been able to do well financially despite the ups and downs that often come with a career in entertainment,” Dagher says. “She never felt the need to keep up with the Joneses or what’s often the very ‘spendy’ Hollywood/NYC celebrity lifestyle.”

A Holistic View of Wealth

Dagher says the idea for the podcast came to her at a time when more and more women are seeking guidance on how to manage their money.

“There’s an estimated $33 trillion wealth transfer happening in America, and women stand to control a large portion of those assets,” she explains. “Women are inheriting, earning more, and many are generating wealth from their own businesses. They are understanding that they need to take greater ownership of their money and careers.” They generally live longer than their husbands and often assume more control over their finances after a divorce. What’s more, women view wealth differently than men, seeing it more holistically—related to their career, family, and health—and as a way to achieve specific goals, like putting a child through college.

Though most of Dagher’s guests focus on earning and investing, some share stories of personal challenges and triumphs. Bonnie St. John, for example, urged listeners to keep pushing forward when facing life’s difficult obstacles. She spoke from experience: She won silver and bronze medals in the 1984 Winter Paralympics for ski racing despite the fact that her leg was amputated when she was a child.

Meditation expert and author Sharon Salzberg suggested that women take a deeper look at what wealth and happiness really mean. “She led us through a meditation to figure out what we are really striving for,” Dagher says. “She also gave tips on how to come to greater peace with our current financial situations.”

The Alumni Network

Dagher says she was honored to host fellow Fordham alumnae Mary Higgins Clark, FCLC ’79, and Liz Ann Sonders, GABELLI ’90, on the podcast, calling them two of the most “down-to-earth women” she’s interviewed. “Mary is 90 and still writing page-turners, and Liz Ann travels extensively to teach people how to be smart investors. The fact that both still have such a strong work ethic inspires me.”

Although she always wanted to be a writer, a career in journalism wasn’t what Dagher envisioned when she started out at Fordham. Instead, she pursued business, inspired by her late father, William T. Dagher LAW ’54, and grandfather who both had their own businesses, and she also earned an M.B.A. at Fordham.

As an undergraduate, Dagher contributed to The Fordham Ram and later freelanced for Ms. Magazine and Newsday while holding down 9-to-5 jobs. But after taking a career class at her church, she decided to follow her heart and transition from business to writing full time. She landed a position as a reporting assistant at The Wall Street Journal after networking with alumnus Scott Stearns, GABELLI ’02, who was an editor there.

Dagher, a Long Island native, credits her alma mater not only for connecting her with great mentors and lifelong friends but also for meeting her husband. She and Patrick Mormino met at the wedding of mutual friends Deanna Rytell, FCRH ’00, and Bryan Connelly, FCRH ’11, and married five years ago.

An Advocate for Women

In her spare time, Dagher enjoys traveling—some favorite destinations include Iceland, Haiti, Israel, and Turkey—and often her travels are service trips organized by churches, such as a trip to Tanzania, where she volunteered with AIDS orphans. Service is important to Dagher, who also volunteers with LifeWay Network, a Queens-based organization that provides safe houses for survivors of sex trafficking. She became interested in the issue after seeing a documentary on it.

“Human trafficking is a several billion-dollar global business, the second fastest-growing criminal enterprise after drugs,” she says. “There are brothels full of trafficking victims right in midtown and in private residences in Brooklyn. I was appalled and felt I needed to do something.” Dagher speaks to various groups to raise awareness about the crisis, and also does special projects, such as visiting New York City hotels, which are hot spots for trafficking, to educate staff members about warning signs and how they can help.

In addition to hosting the podcast, Dagher is a wealth management columnist at wsj.com and frequently appears on Fox Business, Fox News Channel, and nationally syndicated radio to speak about personal finance. In October, she was a panelist a Fordham’s second annual Women’s Philanthropy Summit.

She says there’s a personal connection to the work she does related to women and wealth. Her mother, Monica Dagher, faced a life-changing experience when she was widowed at a very young age.

“She wasn’t financially savvy when it happened and she had to learn at the worst possible time,” Dagher says. “To her credit, she learned about managing investments and made sure I learned, too.”

What secret to success does Dagher wish to share with other women?

“Follow your dreams sooner than later,” she says. “I’ve found that you have a better chance of success if you follow your passions.”

—Claire Curry

Both organizations place Jesuit Volunteers (JVs) for one- or two-year stints in communities that are tackling some of the world’s greatest challenges: homelessness, hunger, mental illness, crime, and poverty. This year’s Fordham JVs are serving in urban and rural areas across the United States and in six other countries around the world.

Both JVC and JVC Northwest share Fordham’s emphasis on values-centered service that focuses on solidarity over charity, making it transformative for both the communities and the individuals involved.

Since 1977, almost 250 Fordham alumni have served with JVC.

Related Stories
Learn more about the Fordham alumni who served with JVC in 2016–2017.
Read about two sisters who both went from Fordham to JVC.
Discover the connection between Fordham’s Global Outreach program and JVC.

Luckily the 2001 Fordham College at Rose Hill grad made it to the church on time. He now lives with his wife and two kids in Westchester County, New York, where he heads the local alumni chapter, planning events like wine tastings, networking receptions, and a very popular holiday toy and decoration drive. At last year’s Fall Gratitude Reception at Fordham’s Westchester campus, Rosa, a wealth management adviser, was honored for his work connecting Fordham alumni with the campus and the larger Westchester community. 

Fordham Five

What are you most passionate about?
My family. My wife and I have two awesome kids, a 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl. I try to spend lots of time with them. I coach their teams, we cook together—they love making breakfast—and we have fun and simple adventures. My family makes me laugh and smile; they help me keep things in perspective and remind me that life doesn’t have to be too complicated.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Two of the best pieces of advice I ever received go together: “be a sponge” and “listen twice as much as you talk.” My mentor at work told me these things 15 years ago, and I still reflect on them daily.

What’s your favorite place in New York City?
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. That’s the place my wife and I had our first date, got engaged, and take yearly trips to with our friends, our kids, and our families. We continue to enjoy the magic and beauty of the holiday spirit and season there.

What book has had a lasting influence on you and why?
Many different books have made many interesting impressions on me, so there’s not just one. And sometimes reading a book at a different period in your life brings new meaning. For example, I read Dr. Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go when I was a kid, when I started work, and with my kids, and every time I feel pulled by a different part of it. It’s such a simple book, but you can really look deeply into a lot of it.

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most and why?
The Fordham professors I most admire are those who challenged me to learn and to keep learning in the Jesuit spirit. One of my favorites is Father Ray Schroth, who officiated our wedding at the University Church.

You can contribute to the Alumni Chapter of Westchester’s 2017 Holiday Toy Drive benefitting Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center in Yonkers until December 22. Learn more about all of Fordham’s regional alumni chapters on Forever Fordham.

“We bonded over a love of science,” Rog says of the night they met at a gathering of fellow resident assistants. “There was a magnetic force between us after that first chat, and we never left each other’s side.”

They spent hours together that fall, setting up bulletin boards in Martyrs’ Court and Walsh Hall, walking the campus between classes, and stopping for marathon chat sessions, including one in front of Collins Hall that lasted nearly eight hours.

“Had we not been RAs, we would not have crossed paths,” Rog says. “We learned that we have different interests and strengths, but we use those to be a strong team.”

The couple also developed a lasting bond with a Fordham Jesuit—Joseph A. Currie, S.J., JES ’61, GSAS ’63—who, Rog says, gave them “meaningful trainings on social justice.”

Father Currie, who died last March at the age of 80, was Fordham’s associate vice president for mission and ministry at the time. Lucas got to know him when the two lived in Tierney Hall, where Lucas was an RA, and Rog was impressed by Father Currie’s patience and understanding when she came to him with questions about her faith. “We both love this man,” she says they soon realized.

Like their love for each other, their friendship with Father Currie would continue beyond graduation and influence their lives in many ways.

Lucas graduated in 2008 with a degree in finance and began working in New York City. The following year, after Rog completed her degree in psychology, the two moved to Queens, where she enrolled in a doctoral program in psychology at St. John’s University. But each year, as summer drew to a close, they returned to Rose Hill for a romantic picnic on Eddies Parade.

Lucas proposed to Rog in Central Park on All Saints’ Day, 2010. In homage to the back-to-school season in which they met, the two were married on August 27, 2011, with Father Currie presiding at a ceremony in Buffalo, where Rog grew up.

“Father Currie continued to be a close friend and mentor to both of us,” Rog says, noting that every summer he would host her and Lucas at the Jesuit retreat house in Wernersville, Pennsylvania. “We were grateful to have gotten even more time with him when he moved to Philly shortly after we did.”

Rog, who earned her doctorate in 2014, is now a pediatric psychologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she specializes in treating children with pain disorders, and Lucas is a financial services technologist at TD Bank. The couple also makes time for service work. “We want to focus on the life Fordham and its culture inspired,” says Lucas, who is a regular volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in Philadelphia and recently traveled to China to work on a homebuilding project.

This past summer, he and Rog trekked to Zambia to help residents in a rural village establish a small school for children in what Rog described as a “repurposed chicken coop.”

“We hope to return one day and continue to provide educational and psychosocial services, along with some infrastructure improvements,” she says.

Closer to home, Rog and Lucas are house parents at the Milton Hershey School, a private, cost-free boarding school in Hershey, Pennsylvania, that serves more than 2,000 children who meet criteria in financial need and potential to learn. Rog and Lucas spend every other weekend living with a group of middle-school girls on the campus.

It’s a familiar role for the couple who met as Fordham RAs. They find themselves using techniques they learned on campus, like suggesting “ice breakers” to get the girls talking and more engaged with each other.

“We offer a lot to these kids, being an adult guiding force in their lives,” Rog says. “But we are also learning so much from them.”

—Maja Tarateta

When Carlisdania Mendoza, M.D., left New York to begin medical school at Duke University, she brought many of Fordham’s Jesuit values with her.

When it comes to service, the 2012 Fordham College at Lincoln Center graduate explains, her undergraduate experience taught her that “you don’t do things reflexively, but you’re rigorous and methodical and reflect on what you’re bringing to the table. Being partners with the community is more enriching for everyone involved.”

As part of both STEP and CSTEP at Fordham—two New York state programs designed to support minority students and prepare them for careers in science, health, and technology—Mendoza had mentored younger students, organized cancer walks, volunteered with those affected by cerebral palsy, and much more. It was through these programs that Mendoza first realized she wanted to study medicine.

Once in North Carolina, she joined Duke’s new primary care track on a half-tuition scholarship. She also maintained her focus on service and began working with a support group for transgender Latina women, including some who were undocumented.

But she wanted to do more. “I knew I could go deeper,” she says, “and also help [these women]live longer and trust the medical system. What’s more humanizing than acknowledging that someone has a need and then helping them get that?”

Mendoza was frustrated when she couldn’t get the support she needed to create a medical clinic for the women, but the experience made her rethink her trajectory. Midway through medical school, she gave back her scholarship and switched to Duke’s psychiatry track, a bold move that did not surprise Renaldo Alba, FCRH ’02, GSE ’10, associate director of Fordham’s STEP and CSTEP programs.

“Carli is strong-willed and stubborn in her principles. She doesn’t do things because they are financially convenient,” Alba says. “And that’s what we need. When we are most vulnerable, we need conscientious dissenters.

“Other folks are looking to win, win, win. Carli is looking to do good, good, good.”

Though Mendoza initially wanted to be a neurosurgeon, she had not considered the mental health field until she entered medical school. “I’m a one-and-a-half generation immigrant,” says Mendoza, who was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the Bronx with her family when she was 10, “so my views on mental health were very limited. My community looks at mental health like it’s a white problem.”

But during her psychiatry clinic, Mendoza realized how rewarding she found working with mentally ill patients. “It felt very easy and natural for me,” she says. At the same time, the women in the support group were expressing a need for mental health services. “They’re under acute stress on a regular basis,” she says, “so it was a really important need that they identified.”

Now, having graduated from Duke in 2016 and completed the first year of her psychiatric residency at University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, Mendoza knows she’s found her path. “I just feel so energized working with people and achieving goals with them,” she says.

But she’s looking forward to returning to New York after her residency, when she hopes to help develop intervention programs that could help LGBTQ, trans, gender-nonconforming, and sex worker communities struggling with mental health issues.

“I’ve realized how much I enjoyed my work at CSTEP, so I also hope I can collaborate with Fordham again in some way.”

Are you a graduate of Fordham CSTEP? Join us for our 30th Anniversary celebration on Saturday, June 3, during Jubilee.

The sisters credit Fordham’s Global Outreach (GO!) cultural immersion and service program for giving them “the chance to find and develop new passions and skills,” Meg says, “and then find ways to channel these into careers that align with our values.”

Meg was entering her sophomore year at Fordham in late August 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. A few months later, she was helping with relief efforts through GO!, gutting destroyed homes to see what was salvageable. “It was really raw,” she says of the experience. “It was one of my first times working alongside social workers and people on the front lines of racial inequity and social justice.”

Meg went on to complete four more domestic and international GO! projects. She was a senior when Lily entered Fordham, and Meg urged her younger sister to look into the program for herself.

Lily participated in GO! Mississippi during her very first year at Fordham. The community-building nature of the program particularly attracted her, and she went on to complete two more projects before she graduated. “Going through those eye-opening service experiences with people with different perspectives really helps you get outside your bubble,” she says.

After graduating, Meg went on to earn a master’s degree in social work from Fordham and join the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC), which places volunteers in one- or two-year positions with communities tackling challenges like homelessness, hunger, mental illness, and poverty.

Though many GO! grads go on to JVC, Lily was initially wary of following in her older sister’s footsteps yet again. She applied to the program in secret, but finally decided that “it didn’t matter if I was following Meg again,” she laughs. “She makes good life choices.”

What started as volunteer positions are now full-time jobs for both sisters. Meg, a licensed clinical social worker, is a senior clinical case manager at Miriam’s Kitchen, a nonprofit that aims to end chronic homelessness in Washington, D.C. Lily is a development manager at an HIV/AIDS transitional housing facility in New Orleans called Project Lazarus.

While Meg works in a clinical setting, Lily focuses heavily on communications and event planning. “It’s cool having similar but unique perspectives on social services,” says Meg, “because we can keep each other in check, and remind each other why both sides are important.”

For Lily, one of the most rewarding aspects of her job has been seeing the difference between Fordham and some of the other volunteer groups that assist at Project Lazarus. Fordham’s students are “not just people who sign up for a trip to New Orleans,” she says. “They make a conscious commitment to service. It makes me really proud.”

That distinction is also one of the reasons Meg is excited to speak at this year’s GO! Gala. The timing is particularly poignant for her. In early March her mentor Joseph Currie, S.J., JES ’61, GSAS ’63, former associate vice president for mission and ministry at Fordham and the speaker at last year’s gala, died suddenly.

“He was a chaperone on my first GO! project to New Orleans and encouraged me to apply,” Meg says. “I’m lucky he called to give me tips on my speech before he passed, so I got the opportunity to show him my gratitude for everything.”

It was that first trip that got Meg interested in social work, and that put both her and Lily on the path they’re on today.

“You can’t forget or unsee the realities of systemic injustices, privileges, and oppression that you’re exposed to,” Meg says. “We both chose to build on what bothered us most. It certainly struck a chord with me. It tied into my faith and also into what feels right for me in giving back and fitting into this world.”

But nothing compared to being in Kolkata and witnessing those social issues firsthand.

“You walk out of the airport and everything kind of hits you,” said Andrew Friedman, a senior in the Gabelli School of Business and the project’s student leader. “The sights, sounds, and smells are completely different than what I think some of us are used to, especially coming from New York. It’s a big adjustment and a bit of a cultural shock—but in a good way. I think that’s the best way to become fully immersed in the project.”

From Jan. 4 through 14, 11 Fordham students and one GO! chaperone teamed up with Kolkata’s St. Xavier’s College, Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Joseph’s Old Age Home, and Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity to assist sick, hungry, dying, abandoned, and orphaned individuals in various group homes.

The St. Xavier team, which hosted Fordham, organized several activities for participants that were focused on service and community engagement. The GO! team also participated in the college’s “Village to College and College to Village” program, which brings underprivileged children in rural villages and slums to St. Xavier’s campus.

“There was a wonderful cultural exchange that went on between our students and the students from St. Xavier,” said Claire Cumberland, GO!’s assistant director at Lincoln Center, who served as a chaperone for the project. “It was a great way for Fordham students to make a Jesuit connection halfway around the world.”

Through the Matthew J. Lavan Endowed Scholarship, six Fordham students received financial support to cover the cost of the project. The scholarship was created in memory of Matthew Lavan, FCRH ’98, an alumnus of GO!, who died in 2003. The Lavan family, the program’s largest sponsors, has been funding GO! immersion projects for over ten years.

For Friedman, a recipient of the Lavan Endowed Scholarship, the generosity of the Lavan family, allowed him to not only travel to India, but also see the world through another lens.

“The trip has an impact on everybody differently,” said Friedman. “Spending time with the Missionaries of Charity, being at the Mother House for Mass, and having the opportunity to visit St. Teresa’s tomb were all spiritual experiences.”

Cumberland said that in addition to working as a team to support the GO! partners’ work with the destitute people of Kolkata, participants spent time reflecting on the injustices they observed and what it means to be privileged Americans who are coming into a city or culture that is not their own.

“We hope that we’re helping students to be better men and women for others because we want to facilitate an understanding of standing in solidarity with people who are marginalized,” she said. “It’s not just about recognizing that our community is the 12 people on the trip, but recognizing that we’re part of a global community.”