With the Power of “J Crew” (Catholic Charities Series Post No. 03)

This blog post is part of a series written by Jaclynne Nader, N’18 and Jacy Neczypor, N’18, who will chronicle their journey of starting a Pre-Orientation program for first year students at Georgetown in August 2017. The pair is working with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington and looks forward to sharing its progress on this project over the next month.

Since the end of August, our team has been working diligently to put together a thoughtful and thorough application for review by the Center for Student Engagement. As a human science major used to taking classes that have a strong tendency towards the micro scale (molecular cell biology, microbiology, etc.), shaping learning outcomes and assessment strategies took some getting used to. But in struggling through Blooms Taxonomy for the first time and painstakingly reading and re-reading learning outcomes, this experience has taught me more than I ever expected. This process has given me a new perspective on how exceptional programs are developed and has provided me with interesting insight on how professors shape learning outcomes and assessment strategies for their students at Georgetown.

Working as a team, our individual strengths added incredible depth to this application. With Justin’s expertise in forming learning outcomes, Joan’s knowledge of community health, Josh’s passion for language and writing, and Jacy’s diligence and organization, this process has exemplified how a great team, such as “J Crew” (because all of our names start with a ‘J’), can work together to create a finished product. I am confident that the hard work and time we have put into crafting this pre-orientation experience will provide incoming students with an incredible opportunity to witness and experience the social issues that are at the center of influence on health. I am also confident in our program’s ability to enact Jesuit values in partnership with peers, colleagues, and the DC community. I am anxiously awaiting the decision from the committee at the Center for Student Engagement, and I am excited to see what the next few months have in store for our team!

Written by Jaclynne Nader, N’18