New Student Employees Join Office of the Chaplaincy
University of Richmond students are talented and driven, and the Office of the Chaplaincy benefits from an incredible team of student employees who work alongside our Chaplaincy staff to help our various programs and events unfold throughout the semester. Over the past two years, the Chaplaincy has built a robust student employee program during the academic year that welcomed 12 students into the office this Fall and plans to add an additional three positions this Spring, for a total of 15 student employee positions.
What began as a single student assistant position for the entire Chaplaincy has now blossomed into a formative leadership experience that promotes a sense of student identity, welcome and inclusion within the office, while also helping the Chaplaincy connect with students on a peer-to-peer level across campus. Research demonstrates that students who participate in on-campus employment programs feel an increased sense of belonging and engagement both inside and outside of the classroom.
Hosting student employees within our specific religious and spiritual communities was initiated by Josh Jeffreys, our Jewish Chaplain and Director of Religious Life, with the establishment of four Jewish life internship positions (current Jewish Life interns pictured above). After the introduction of this initial cohort, the Chaplaincy expanded the reach of these positions and now hosts student employees in several of our communities.
Our Christian Life program has student employees who serve both our Catholic students as well as our Kairos community, an ecumenical student community that centers around a weekly contemplative worship service each week. Muslim Life includes two student employees and this Spring, our Spiritual but Not Religious community will also welcome its first student employee.
University of Richmond sophomore Sarah Ebinger serves as the Outreach Coordinator for Catholic Mass. She shares that “working in the Chaplaincy has provided me the amazing opportunity to help grow my faith community's engagement on campus while cultivating professional skills.” Senior Jules Kawczynski, Outreach Coordinator for Kairos, notes that she loves working in the Chaplaincy because “I get to be with the greatest people worshiping and spreading God’s love….and I have the opportunity to share my creativity with my fellow students and Christian community members on and off our campus.”
While our student employee initiative is only in its second year, the Chaplaincy is already reaping the benefits offered by these hard-working students, and we look forward to developing these positions further in the years to come!