Rewarding Service for Community-Engaged Fellows

“At Xavier, the concept of service is lived out in many ways—in classrooms, on retreats, and in the community. But a select group of students choose Xavier precisely because of its focus on service and are awarded scholarships to make service a central focus of their Xavier education. Students who want to continue volunteering in college love that Xavier backs up its commitment to service by offering a scholarship to students who commit to 10 hours of service a week. But the Community-Engaged Fellowship is so much more than counting service hours, and it’s why the program has been so successful,” said former Director Sean Rhiney.

"The Fellowship is leveraging the talents and assets that students bring to the community in a way that can be impactful and that grows from sheer volunteerism to full participation and partnerships. I expect the Fellows to forge a partnership with people, talents, and resources in a meaningful way" Rhiney explains.

Evanston Academy is a great example of the depth of Xavier's investment in community engagement, he says. The after-school tutoring program has five components run by Fellows, but that includes about 100 students who pass through the school each week to provide specific services such as occupational therapy, nursing, psychology and counseling. Evanston Academy and Xavier have a true partnership.

"It used to be just volunteerism. Now we collaborate with our partners," Rhiney notes. "The evolution of the program is that students build programs and build legacy leadership within Xavier to continue leading those programs." 

Hear From The Fellows

Gabrielle Clark 

Year: Senior
Major: Engineering Physics Major
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Service Sites: Xavier Jesuit Academy, Cincinnati Animal Care, Atrium (Lydia's House), Autism Connections, Su Casa

I am on the board of Xavier University’s Astronomy, Physics, and Engineering Club as well as a Community Engaged Fellow. In addition to my commitment to several other organizations, my main service site is Xavier Jesuit Academy (XJA). In 2024, another fellow and I spent countless hours preparing new 3D Printers, Laser Cutters & Engravers, Desktop Computers, LEGO STEM Kits, and much more for their new STEM Lab. As that continues, this year I was granted the position as the Head Coach for the XJA Division B Science Olympiad Team. Seeing the growth of these boys as they are becoming young men has been my drive through it all. Every moment counts with them. Service is about supporting their growth in every way possible and ensuring them that they can do everything they put their mind to. Their smiles, big hugs, and determination are what really matter when I enter XJA.

Makayla Rausch 

Year: Junior
Major: Neuroscience
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
Service Sites: Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled, Xavier Jesuit Academy, Ladies of Awesomeness, Girls on the Run

Coming from a Jesuit high school in Indianapolis, I’ve grown up surrounded by the values of a Jesuit education. One of the principles that resonates most with my work as a Community Engaged Fellow at Xavier is the idea of service rooted in justice and love. As a fellow, my time at one of my favorite after-school programs, Ladies of Awesomeness at Frederick Douglass Elementary School, has embodied this principle in every way. Being able to connect with the young girls there on such a personal level by listening to them, encouraging them, and consistently showing them kindness, has shaped the way I understand service. In many ways, they’ve impacted me just as much, if not more, than I’ve impacted them. The Community Engaged Fellowship is a way to build community, grow as a leader, and make a genuine impact beyond campus, this program is an incredible place to do that. It’s more than service but rather it is connection, growth, and a chance to live out Jesuit values in a meaningful way.

Donnie Patterson

Year: Sophomore
Major: Economics
Hometown: Columbus, OH
Service Sites: Xavier Jesuit Academy

I’ve been blessed to do my service at Xavier Jesuit Academy (XJA). XJA was the first service site that I was introduced to, and to this day I feel that I was destined to be a part of such an amazing school. I’ve had the opportunity to get involved in multiple after-school programs, and I was also an Assistant Basketball Coach for the 3rd grade boys from 2025-2026. Serving at XJA has helped me discover a joy and passion I never knew that I had. Working with these young boys and watching them grow every day is the reason I look forward to service.

Michael Rentmeester 

Year: Alumni
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Minor: Spanish, Medical and Health Humanities
Hometown: Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Service Sites: Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Hope's Closet, Saturday Hoops

For the past two years, I have volunteered weekly at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital through both the Child Life Department and the Perlman Center for Cerebral Palsy. These experiences have been integral to my journey toward medical school and have deeply informed the kind of physician I hope to become. At the Perlman Center, I work alongside speech, occupational, and physical therapists in a group setting to support children with cerebral palsy. One afternoon during free time, a child asked to play with toy cars, and within minutes we were racing around the room in a full-fledged chase. A therapist later explained that the child struggled with visually tracking moving objects, and that our play directly supported his development. What initially seemed like a simple activity was actually a meaningful therapy. Creative interactions like these, whether they be singing to soothe infants, choosing the perfect color of Play-Doh, or simply sharing conversation, have taught me that quality care is built on empathy, collaboration, and genuine connection with patients.

Key Elements of the Program

• Eight Fellows are selected each year from a pool of 40 invited to interview on campus, for a total of about 32 students
• The program began in 1989 with five students, graduated its first class in 1994 and celebrated its 36 ^th anniversary in 2025
• Fellows must be full-time, maintain a 3.0 GPA, and complete 10 hours of service in the community each week
• Fellows explore different sites as first-years, select favorite sites as sophomores and juniors, and become program leaders as seniors
• The Legacy Leadership aspect allows graduating Fellows to pass on leadership of a program to rising seniors
• The program has about 160 different partner sites throughout Cincinnati