More Than a Service Year
Natalie Reina (middle) with Taft Elementary School students
By Cora Davis, Communications Director
When Natalie Reina began serving with Notre Dame Mission Volunteers in January 2016, she never imagined how deeply the experience would shape both her career and her outlook on community. For Natalie, NDMV was more than a service year—it was the foundation for a life of purpose.
Her service started in Redwood City, California, at Taft Elementary School as a Family Center Assistant Coordinator, and later as a mentor at Sequoia High School. During her service years, Natalie founded a Junior Varsity dance team–she created a space where students could build confidence, express themselves, and belong. “I thought it was cool because I felt like I got to integrate my passions into my service year,” Natalie said. She also served at the teen resource center that was a drop-in space for students in crisis.
At the teen resource center, Natalie came to understand the profound impact of being that “one caring adult” who helps a young person navigate life’s challenges—a realization that became a foundation for her future work as a therapist. Natalie shared, “I was in a class recently that was talking about trauma. One of the protective factors to kids experiencing trauma is to have one caring adult. I feel like I was that one caring adult to someone to help them get through the school year and get through life”.
Supervision was another formative part of her experience. Weekly meetings with her site supervisor, Judy, modeled what it meant to pair professional accountability with genuine compassion. Judy’s thoughtful guidance sowed seeds in Natalie's heart that would sprout years later through her counseling career, where she continues to meet regularly with supervisors as part of her practice.
The community of NDMV members also left a lasting impression. Natalie recalls peers like Gyasi, who began a podcast during his service year and went on to found San Fransico Black Pride, as an example of how service sparks lifelong impact. The Sisters of Notre Dame expanded her views of the overlaps of religion in service. She had never been around sisters before and had some apprehension. However, she was blown away the more she learned about the work the sisters did—whether starting schools or serving meals, their bold, practical commitment to service demonstrated that there are many ways to dedicate one’s life to others.
After completing two service years, Natalie continued with NDMV as a Site Manager in California from 2018 to 2022. That role offered a new perspective: seeing how individual service at the local level connects to a wider national mission. Natalie believes so many people can benefit from a year of service…or two!
Looking back, Natalie credits NDMV with giving her tangible skills in facilitation, leadership, and reflection—tools that continue to support her work as a therapist today. More importantly, NDMV provided a safe and intentional space to grow, explore, and think critically about privilege, humility, and community. She expressed, “Having a service year makes it so you can explore and grow in a way that feels safe. NDMV creates a container to try new things in a way that’s supportive.”
