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VOICE is the student advisory board for the Center for Social Concerns (CSC). VOICE seeks to:
Applicants who serve on VOICE are students selected by the existing advisory board. VOICE meets regularly on its own and attends weekly CSC staff meetings. For more information, please contact any of the current members listed below. They welcome suggestions, questions, and comments.
Allan Jones
Ajones16@nd.edu
Class of 2012
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Allan Jones came to Notre Dame filled with excitement for the possibilities Notre Dame had to offer him. His career of service at Notre Dame started with his participation in a Summer Service Learning Program (SSLP) in Belmont, North Carolina and he has been hooked ever since. Allan continued his career of service with the CSC by participating in an Urban Plunge and served the South Bend community through his involvement with Habitat for Humanity. Now a senior and RA in Keenan Hall, Allan is very excited in continuing his involvement with service at Notre Dame, both in a hands-on role and as a part of VOICE. As anyone who knows Allan will tell you, he loves to share and swap stories. So if at any point there is a story or point that you would like to share with someone but do not know who, Allan can be found in his room in Keenan Hall's 3North ready to listen and share. Allan can also be reached by e-mail at: ajones16@nd.edu
Patrick McCormick
wmccorm2@nd.edu
Class of 2012
Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia
Majors: Political Science and Peace Studies
Patrick is a senior political science and peace studies major. He is an alumni of Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. and is particularly interested in issues at the intersection of public policy and poverty. Patrick currently serves as Student Body President. He likes to go scuba diving, river running, and rock climbing, to see shows and movies at DPAC and in South Bend, and to be with friends who challenge him to become more fully alive. Patrick usually can be found in either LaFun or the CSC, and hopes that if you’re reading this you will get in touch with him. If you’re up for it, please send him an email at the address above to grab some coffee, or whatever else you like to drink. All are welcome—especially those who are still looking to find their “place” at Notre Dame.
Abby McCrary
amccrary@nd.edu
Class of 2013
Hometown: Midland, Texas
Major: Anthropology, Peace Studies
Abby McCrary hails from Texas and became involved with the Center for Social Concerns her freshman year. She adores being an anthropology major and learning about other cultures, as well as books, tea, writing letters, and photographs. She has participated in several CSC seminars and spent last summer working at a farm in New York through SSLP, where she felt close to nature and learned a lot about herself. She is interested in women’s issues, international development, and sustainability, and will be co-president of Students for Environmental Action next year. Abby eagerly anticipates spending this summer in India experiencing the vibrancy of their culture and hopes to come back with a different outlook on life.
Meghan McKinney
mmckinne@nd.edu
Class of 2012
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama
Majors: English and Spanish
Minor: Education, Schooling, and Society
After growing up on the Gulf Coast, Meghan can’t believe that she has now survived three winters in South Bend. She is excited to spend her fourth year serving the CSC as a member of VOICE. Meghan would be happy to share stories about taking an Urban Plunge in her not-so-urban hometown, laughing with her students on an SSLP at Heart House Austin, replacing the floor of a home in Hurley, or venturing outside Dublin to tutor English at an alternative high school during her semester abroad. She is particularly passionate about education and hopes to teach her own Community-Based Learning classes after becoming an English professor. If you’re ever looking for a conversation about education, the Center, Ireland, or Flannery O’Connor, contact Meghan – she’ll meet you in the Coffee House with a pot of tea to share.
Colin O’Neill
coneill7@nd.edu
Class of 2013
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Major: American Studies
After an exciting summer in Portland, Oregon through the CSC’s Summer Service Learning Program, Colin is excited to be back at Notre Dame as a member of VOICE. Passionate about urban education reform, Colin explores the issue through the intersection of his minors in Education, Schooling and Society and Poverty Studies. When not working with the CSC, you can probably find Colin on stage, either as a member of PEMCo. (Notre Dame’s student-run musical theater company) or off-campus at the Robinson Community Learning Center, where he works as a teaching assistant for the Robinson Shakespeare Company. In his spare time Colin is a huge Chicago sports fan and loves reading contemporary non-fiction and 20th Century American lit. During his junior year, Colin hopes to pursue independent research while helping himself and others “be the change” through a campus-wide commitment to social justice.
Aaron Patzwahl
apatzwa1@nd.edu
Class of 2012
Hometown: Fort Myers, Florida
Major: Science Pre-Professional Studies
Minor: Catholic Social Tradition
Aaron is a senior from Fort Myers, Florida and am a pre-medical major at Notre Dame and hope to attend medical school in the future. He has been involved with the CSC since his freshman year participating in three different Appalachia seminars and two Summer Service Learning Programs (San Antonio, TX and Sarasota, FL). Additionally in the past year he have become involved with Notre Dame’s Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases and look forward to continuing his work for this cause in the future. Next year, He will be a RA in the remote lake-side estate of Carroll Hall, so if you find yourself lost on the far-side of the lakes stop in and say hi! Aaron greatly enjoys cycling, camping, hiking and anything else outdoors. He is excited to serve on VOICE for this next year and looks forward to contributing to the many great programs offered by the CSC.
Jon Schommer
jschomme@nd.edu
Class of 2013
Hometown: Plainfield, Indiana
Major: Civil Engineering and Program of Liberal Studies
Jon Schommer is a junior in the five-year Engineering-Arts and Letters Program studying Civil Engineering and the Program of Liberal Studies. He enjoys spending his days at Notre Dame working at the rock climbing wall, playing guitar for Four:7 Catholic Fellowship, fixing bikes at the Notre Dame Bike Shop, attending mass in various dorms, and attending Peace Fellowship meetings. You may also find him slacklining on Knott Knoll (outside his dorm of residence), zooming across campus on his bicycle, doing many hours of homework in Geddes, eating Ben and Jerry's Half Baked ice cream in La Fun, going to First Friday at the South Bend Catholic Worker, or attending Professor Dinners at the Peace House. He has been involved with the CSC in two Summer Service Learning Programs the past two summers; the first in South Dakota working at St. Joseph's Indian School and St. Francis House, the second in West Virginia working at Nazareth Farm. Jon enjoys reading and loves pondering the words of Jesus, Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa, and Wendell Berry. He is also very interested in making new friends, poetry, music (rock and roll, folk, blues), building things, food, experiencing nature, and seeing Christ in others.
Molly Siguler
msiguler@nd.edu
Class of 2012
Major: English
Minor: Poverty Studies
Molly is a Senior English major and Poverty Studies minor. She became involved with the CSC in her sophomore year through the Appalachia Seminar and the Leadership Through Solidarity Seminar. Molly has made service an integral part of her time at Notre Dame through volunteering at the Center for the Homeless, Take Ten, the South Bend Juvenile Correctional Facility and the Catholic Worker. She was also the Service Commissioner for Farley Hall. The past two summers Molly has worked at a not-for-profit that develops permanent, affordable, supportive housing for formerly homeless and low-income populations. After graduation, Molly is interested in working towards permanent solutions for homelessness or possibly teaching. When Molly is not busy with everything else, she fills her time with reading, running, cooking, and traveling.
Stephanie Spriet
sspriet@nd.edu
Class of 2012
Hometown: Overland Park, Kansas
Majors: Marketing and English
Stephanie is a senior living on campus in Howard Hall. Her home away from the Dome is Overland Park, Kansas (a suburb of Kansas City). When she is not studying for her Marketing and English classes, Stephanie enjoys baking new recipes and taking fitness classes on campus. In addition to being a part of VOICE, Stephanie is Multicultural Commissioner for Howard Hall as well as a member of the Canadian Club and eND Hunger (a CSC service group). Stephanie is very excited to join VOICE this year. She especially looks forward to putting her survey and research skills to the test. See you around Geddes Hall!
