About two days ago, when I received a copy of my college alumni magazine in the mail, I wasn't sure what to expect. I imagined that it had been printed and sent out before the news of Tim Russert's (an alumnus of my alma mater) untimely death, but I wasn't sure. What I was not prepared for was a picture of Russert and a very influential man in my own life, Fr. Joesph Schell, on the inside front pages accompanying a story memorializing Fr. Schell. My heart dropped and my mind was instantly flooded with memories of college swimming and life decisions that ultimately have shaped the person I am today. Where would I be today without Fr. Schell? Does he even know the impact he made on my life....on the lives of others?

Fr. Schell could always be seen around campus. He was a tall, thin man who always wore a large, warm smile. The kind of man who just made you feel welcome...like you had just come home. This was comforting to me, who was not always at peace at my small, very white and often times racist alma mater. It was important to my parents that I go to a Catholic college. It was important to me that I go somewhere that I could swim competitively....I didn't care about the Catholic part....but in choosing John Carroll University, I was too young and niave to look for certain things that I had in high school, but didn't realize were important to me....like diversity. I realized almost immediately that the lack of diversity was deafening and heard racist jokes for literally the first time in my life. I clung to the swim team as my family in college and really lived and breathed swimming (which with 5-6 hrs a day of practice its hard not too). Fr. Schell was a devote swimming fan. He came to every single home swim meet. I can't remember one that he didn't attend. You could just always count on him to be there. And it felt comforting, and consistant, and like someone cared. Especially given the fact that although we were by far the best team on campus (having won conference titles 6+ years running and having a National Champion on the team) we often received the least funding and recognition. We could always count on Fr. Schell. In fact, during our conference swim meet we would make signs to cover the walls of the pool area. A sign for each swimmer, and other signs of encouragement. Each year we usually put up a sign for Fr. Schell...that said Thank you Fr. Schell ...and then some smart ass remark like "we've got God on our side". We were a bunch of smart asses.

My senior year of college I was searching, like many seniors, for what I really wanted to do after graduation. I was greatly leaning towards applying for the peace corps. I felt like I needed to do some type of service work. Although, my family had struggled quite a bit while growing up, I had been given many privelages that a lot of people never get, including a college education at a very good school. I wanted to give back. I felt deeply called to serve other people, but I was scared of the commitment required of the peace corps. Two years away from all my family and friends in another country seemed very dramatic to me and I was wrestling with my ability to fulfill such a commitment. Then at a swim meet early in the season, Fr. Schell starting talking to my Dad and asking him what I planned to do after graduation. My father mentioned the peace corps, and Fr. Schell asked if I had any interest in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC). And there my life changes forever. It's sad that I was at a Jesuit University and had never heard of JVC, but I met with Fr. Schell several times after he mentioned it to my Dad and I was sold. JVC had national and international programs and was actually the oldest volunteer program around, older than the peace corps. It had four components of spirituality, social justice, simplicity, and community. These all appealed to me greatly. I could stay stateside, live in a poor neighborhood, live in community, work for social change and social justice, live simply, and work on my spirituality. And so I did. I spent a year in Kansas City, MO living in community and working as a counselor in a battered women's shelter, then I spent the next two years in Houston, TX on the staff of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps working with the volunteers in the Southern region of the country. These three years greatly shaped my life. And I am so grateful to Fr. Schell for pointing me in the right direction.

I wonder how many other lives he changed and shaped and directed in his 93 years. How amazing. If only we all lived in a way that was about influencing others to make positive changes. If only we lived in a way that was about making positive changes in our own lives. I am so grateful to have known this great man and to have been influenced by him.

Thank you Fr. Schell.