For those who complete Seton Teaching Fellows, the year deepens hearts and sense of mission in a life-altering way. Whether alumni enter a religious community, continue teaching, or live deeply in an intentional community, the STF mission sticks.
For Jess Marter, Cohort 8, this meant becoming a teacher, a fixture in her Bronx neighborhood, and, at times, a barber!
Jess’ Road to STF
Jess, an Indiana native, studied education at Franciscan University. After graduation, she wanted a program to help her continue to grow as a teacher, which she found in Seton Teaching Fellows.
“I wanted to do something to ease me into teaching. In some ways the program does that, but it puts you in as a teacher, and then gives you the support,” Jess explains. As a Fellow, she served as a second-grade learning specialist at Brilla College Prep Elementary School in the South Bronx.
This provided that much-needed teacher training and gave her even more. “I think something I both did and didn’t expect, and was so grateful for, was how much the fellow year stretched my heart. Going into a mission year, I knew there would be difficulties and changes; the Lord is going to stretch your heart and it’s going to grow,” says Jess.
“the Lord is going to stretch your heart and it’s going to grow.”
Seeing how much she and the children grew through her time at Brilla, Jess decided to stay on as a teacher: “ I saw how much the kids benefited from having teachers stay. Getting to see my El Camino kids grow, and my love for the mission, and seeing the job help me grow all gave me reasons to stay.”
Jess also loved Seton Teaching Fellows’ emphasis on the dignity of every person. “You really see the dignity of each person, which is so strongly instilled in Brilla, El Camino, and everything affiliated with Seton Education Partners,” she says. She also saw that focus on the dignity of others through her growth in community life. Blessed with a fantastic community of women, Jess found herself pushed to lean into quality time and friendships that deepened through “wasting time” together.
Surprisingly, community life also led to another, unrelated, way to serve. In college, Jess had casually started cutting friends’ hair. Then during her STF year, one of the men asked if she could cut his hair. So, Jess bought some clippers and obliged him!
A Hobby Transformed
Jess quickly became the barber to many of the fellows in her cohort – giving over one hundred haircuts to fellows and other friends that year!
Now, Jess is still cutting hair in the community—this time out of a desire to continue a life of service and mission.
Jess pursued this calling by teaching catechism at a nearby parish and by serving as a substitute for the El Camino faith formation program. Before long, she realized she had a particular desire to serve the homeless. Through a chance email, Jess found an opportunity to do so through the lay apostolate Sant’Egidio.
Sant’Egido is a worldwide lay movement, started in Italy, that emphasizes prayer, solidarity, ecumenism, and dialogue. Inspired by their work with the homeless, she now serves with Sant’Egido! Specifically, she ministers as a barber for the homeless community once a month.
“It’s a unique relationship,” she says of being someone’s barber. “People open up when you’re standing behind them.” She loves building friendships with those who come for a haircut and appreciates how this simple act of service can remind them of their innate dignity.
As Jess has learned, a life of mission isn’t isolated to a certain year or type of service. “It’s not just for you and the kids in front of you; you can serve Him for the rest of your life,” she says.
Jess has certainly discovered what it is to serve. Him in all areas of life—whether in the classroom, the community, or the barber chair.
After finishing up this school year, Jess Marter moved to North Carolina, where she now works for Catholic Charities.
