Friendship in Service
Kaitlin O'Neill and Daniela Ochoa have been friends since their freshman year at Marian University in Indianapolis. Bound by their passion for service, they chose similar paths after graduating—a year of service with Notre Dame Mission Volunteers.
Daniela (right) and Kaitlin (left) during their Spring Break trip together.
Kaitlin, who loves urban gardening, crafting, and being outside, chose a service site called EarthLinks in Colorado with the Colorado Vencintent Volunteers. EarthLinks provides Earth-centered programming, from crafting to rendering beeswax, for people experiencing homelessness and economic poverty. "I want to gain hands-on experience in the workforce, especially doing what I love–that brings me to life," Kaitlin said.
Daniela serves with the Seton Teaching Fellows at Brillante Academy Elementary School in Mission, TX. "I desire to be a teacher. I wasn't an Ed Major, so this allowed me to try it out. I've always wanted to serve people in underserved communities. [NDMV] was a nice way to try teaching, jump into a school, and see if it's the environment I want to work in and do something meaningful." Daniela said.
Service is the foundation of Daniela and Kaitlin's friendship. They both believe in finding joy in serving others, and they both hold community close to their hearts, whether that be in their friendship with one another or in the small service communities they are a part of during their service year.
Kaitlin voiced, "[There were] parts of college that were really good and parts that were really hard. When things got tough, the community stood by me, and Daniela was one of those people".
Daniela said, "Community is grounding because we all need each other. We all need people...I don't want to live in isolation. I value life with other people and sharing the highs and lows of life, learning how to love each other and how to love each other well. Life is about our relationships with one another and how we care for each other—recognizing that we are not perfect but calling each other to be better".
Both Kaitlin and Daniela have spent their year of service living in an intentional, Christian, learning community with a small group of other people who have hearts and minds to serve, just like them.
They still manage to make time to maintain their friendship. "Kaitlin and I have talked about every two weeks, a good, long FaceTime call. We have had really similar experiences this year, especially compared to our other friends' post-college experiences. We're some of the only ones doing this together in a way," Daniela said.
On one of their FaceTime calls, Daniela presented an idea to Kaitlin about her Spring Break plans. "Could I maybe come to Colorado?" she asked Kaitlin.
Daniela needed to continue gaining service hours while her students were on break, and she wanted to connect with her close friend, Kaitlin. They made plans, and Daniela booked a plane ticket! "We were both far away from home, so it was comforting to see a familiar face," Daniela said.
Daniela attended one of Kaitlin's workshops for community members experiencing homelessness to gain income. "I really enjoyed having Daniela. Unless you come to a workshop during a workday, you don't get the full picture—that's the most exciting part," Kaitlin explained.
Daniela's Spring Break experience at EarthLinks moved her. She reflected, "I remember the commute to the service site. I saw a lot of people on the street who were experiencing homelessness. Seeing the poverty in your face like that did strike me a lot, but then simultaneously showing up to a service site where I could directly see that there's a mission to this service, I could see the direct impact of the service."
Daniela even got to be in a workshop when the EarthLinks team announced that someone had gained housing.
Kaitlin loved the opportunity to share her service experience with her friend. The experience has opened Kaitlin's eyes to different needs in society. "[Though service] there comes a deeper understanding for what people go through," Kaitlin said.
Their service year experience has profoundly impacted both of them, and they look forward to what's ahead. Kaitlin is planning to attend the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago to get a Master's degree in Theology and Divinity. "I would love to be in university ministry and coordinate social justice trips in culturally sensitive ways. Eventually, I would love to be a theology professor," Kaitlin said.
Daniela plans to continue teaching with the Seton Teaching Fellows in Cincinnati, Ohio. "After that, I'm hoping to be a teacher," Daniela said.
They are both planning to stay connected. "I know I'll be planning to visit Kaitlin in Chicago. I'll be planning another spring break trip," Daniela said joyfully.
