BUFFALO, NY– Seventeen members of the Canisius University Class of 2012 have committed to one year of post-graduate service work in various cities and communities across the country. The students will dedicate the next year to living simply, working for social justice and serving those who live on the margins of society, with such organizations as the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, AmeriCorps, the Mercy Volunteer Corps and the Peace Corps.
Three young alumni will serve as members of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC), which assists in education, advocacy, and direct and community service for low-wage earners, homeless, unemployed, refugees, individuals diagnosed with AIDS, elderly, street youth, former gang members, abused individuals, mentally ill, developmentally disabled, and others who strive to find justice in their lives. The JVC volunteers from Canisius are:
- Julie Dahlkemper (Placement - Philadelphia, PA)
- Mary Mietlicki (Placement - Syracuse, NY)
- Joshua Onderdonk (Placement - Ashland, MT)
Two young alumni will serve with as AmeriCorps members during the next year.
AmeriCorps tutors and mentors disadvantaged youth; fights illiteracy; helps build affordable housing; works to improve health services; manages or operates after-school programs; and helps communities respond to disasters. The AmeriCorps volunteers from Canisius are:
- Sibohan Maloney (Placement - Southern California)
- Jacob Catiglia (Placement - Rochester, NY)
Twelve additional young alumni will dedicate the next year to various other service organizations. They are:
- Maria Eugenio, Alliance for Catholic Education (Placement - Dallas, TX)
- Bryce Hopkins, Alumni Volunteer Corps (Placement- Buffalo, NY)
- DavidLee Klimchuk, Amate House (Placement - Chicago, IL)
- Justine Duquette, Change a Heart (Placement- Pittsburgh, PA)
- Jeanne Clemmer, Francis Corps Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement (Placement- Syracuse, NY)
- Sandy Casey, Jesuit Nativity Middle School (Placement - Rochester, NY)
- Ashley Stewart, Mercy Volunteer Corps (Placement - Baltimore, MD)
- Katherine Gorham, Mercy Works Volunteer Program (Placement - Chicago, IL)
- Bridget McPhelin, Operation TEACH at Notre Dame (Placement - Baltimore, MD)
- Laura Knab, Pacific Alliance for Catholic Education (Placement - Sacramento, CA)
- Samantha Bobbe, Peace Corps (Placement - Ghana)
- Holly Brown, Teach for America (Placement - Dallas, TX)
For more information about these students and their post-graduate service programs, contact the Canisius University Office of Public Relations at (716) 888-2790.
One of 28 Jesuit universities in the nation, Canisius is the premier private university in Western New York.
