"Hot Damn, I'm a Mission Man!" Aligning Career with Service and Purpose

Sitting on scalding hot bleachers for orientation as a freshman at De Smet Jesuit High School , wondering what exactly this august body of young men had done (or failed to do) to deserve this exposure to stifling heat, words pierced through the oppressive humidity - "we are called to be men for others."

I was an awkward 14-year-old freshman certain of many things, but decidedly uncertain what this phrase meant and what it would mean for me.? I spent the following years exploring this concept in depth - both academically and in practice - with my classmates.? Service was a central feature of our education, but the concept of a "man for others" did not immediately take shape for me.?

It was not until Fr. Matt Ruhl, S.J., extolled the virtues of service in our annual Mission Week Mass, that the concept landed.? In his animated personal testimony of the impact service had on him, Ruhl said something indelibly etched into my memory: "Hot damn, I'm a mission man!"? Using the word damn from the altar notwithstanding, his declaration was so resounding because of the connection between service and sense of personal purpose (vocation).

These clarifying words and the formative college-prep education I received set me forward on a path to connect my passion with purpose - all in service to others.? As a first-generation college student, I committed to work to provide others access to the same type of rigorous academic experience complemented by 'cura personalis' - care for the development of the whole person - mind, body, and spirit - I had received.

Following my master's degree in education, I landed a job working with first-year students at Santa Clara University .? Supporting students and parents as they were admitted to college and in their first year was an exhilarating, deeply fulfilling experience.? This role gave me the opportunity to support the LEAD Scholars at SCU.? LEAD scholars were first-generation college students who were economically disadvantaged, under-represented minorities who faced seemingly insurmountable odds.

The disparities between their life experiences and the typical student who descended on Silicon Valley each Fall were striking (and my own), but these students were undeterred and on their own "mission."? With the support of the LEAD program faculty and staff, these courageous students became navigators of their own journey to be the competent, conscientious, and compassionate graduate SCU committed to build.? Working with them was a seminal experience in my growth as a person and professional.

Answering the call to business was difficult and left me deeply conflicted.? It meant leaving a job I loved and an institution that quite literally has their "mission" in the center of campus for a career in consulting where values congruence and personal purpose were uncertain.? I was back on the bleachers - only not quite as hot.

The transition to consulting was jarring, but what I did not realize is how much the mission-centered work at SCU did for me.? Deeply invested in the efforts to produce graduates who are open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, and committed to justice ('grad at grad') - was shaping me at the same time.? As Ruhl explained decades before, service is transformative for all involved.

Shortly after I left SCU, I moved to Houston with my wife, and we received an invitation to the Mass of the Holy Spirit to dedicate Cristo Rey Jesuit High School .? Perhaps, the only thing Jesuits excel at more than educating young men and women is finding you after you move. ?I was familiar with Cristo Rey from my time at SCU working with the LEAD Scholars and we decided to join.? Mission meets the moment.

While our support of the school was interrupted for a time by the growth of our own family, I reached out to Paul Beck a few years ago to see if there was a way I could better support the school and its mission.? He asked me to join the Corporate Work Study committee - a perfect blend of my professional experience helping companies build a dynamic, diverse workforce for the future with the innovative Cristo Rey work-study program designed to equip these young students for academic and professional success.

These work-study internships are transformative - for company and student alike.? It funds part of the student's education and allows them to develop their work skills and confidence in a corporate work environment.? The Cristo Rey work-study program goes beyond corporate altruism - it is a direct, first-hand investment in the future of the Houston economy and the diversity of our workforce.

It pulls these students out from the margins and offers them a first-rate, college preparatory education that will make a multi-generational impact on the life of the student and their family.? And so, it was with great honor and humility, I accepted Paul and Chris Simon's invitation to join the Board of Trustees of Cristo Rey Jesuit earlier this Summer and serve as the Chair of the Corporate Work Study committee.?

If you are interested in learning more about how your business, law firm, or professional practice might support Cristo Rey, please feel free to reach out to me or visit https://www.cristoreyjesuit.org/work-study/become-a-corporate-partner.

I am honored to be a steward of their mission to inspire and prepare students of limited economic resources to succeed in college and lead their communities as compassionate, committed, and competent men and women for others.? I only hope I can do as much for them as they will for me.

Jill Ribbeck Felix Garcia