Every journey to becoming a Seton Teaching Fellow is unique, yet many share a common thread: an open heart and a courageous “yes” to something greater. Through these stories of discernment, five Cohort 12 fellows share how they found their way to the fellow year.
Anchored in Hope: Megan and Mark Trust the Peace That Abides
“That peace has to be God.”
For Megan Gifford and Mark Akert, the path to becoming a fellow began early. Megan first heard about Seton Teaching Fellows as a freshman studying education at The Ohio State University. The idea of a mission year stuck with her throughout college. During her junior year, she attended a Come and See in the Bronx. Watching current fellows interact with students, Megan “saw so many opportunities to grow, in my career and as a person, more than what I thought I could have at this stage in my life.”
When applications opened, Megan didn’t hesitate. “I wanted to know my postgrad plans as soon as possible, and most schools don’t hire until later in the year. Having that clarity early in my senior year was exciting– I was excited that whole year, basically.”
Mark shared Megan’s early conviction. As a student at the University of Minnesota, he heard about STF through a friend-of-a-friend. Mark was drawn immediately to STF, especially the intentional community life that fellows share. “I think I could have signed on the dotted line the first moment I learned about STF,” he said. “It was love at first sight.”
For both, the deep peace that came with saying “yes” to being a fellow remained, despite the unknowns. Megan remembers receiving her acceptance call on a difficult day of student teaching. “It turned my whole day around,” she said. “My decision to become a fellow is one of the only things in my life that I feel totally at peace about, despite leaving my hometown, moving to New York, and all the things I can’t control. That peace has to be God.”
Sent to Serve: John Paul Finds Direction in a Detour
“I want to devote my life to missionary catechesis and evangelization.”
Seton Teaching Fellows had been on John Paul Quejada’s radar, but he hoped to enter religious life with the Dominicans after college to “devote [his] life to missionary catechesis and evangelization.” When applying immediately wasn’t possible, the disappointment was real. “It was admittedly difficult to not be moving forward [with the Dominicans]… but I gradually became more excited about the opportunity to serve as a Fellow.” Seton’s focus on teaching, professionalism, and community life resonated deeply, and the vocations director for the Dominicans encouraged him to apply.
“Throughout the application process,” John Paul said, “my excitement grew, and my impressions of Seton’s strong identity and mission continued to be confirmed.”
What began as a backup plan turned into a genuine calling for John Paul. During his fellow year, he is excited to “grow more and more into a capable and understanding man, with a deep heart. As a teacher, catechist, and community member, I want to learn to use stories to communicate the holiness, love, and drama of the One whom I encounter in the silence.”
Freedom to Love: Roseanne Surrenders to Receive
“Once I let go of what I thought I wanted, once I wasn’t grasping onto things, then it felt like I could actually see what God was providing.”
Roseanne Figueroa had planned to attend graduate school to become a Marriage and Family Therapist. But as graduation neared, doors along that path began to close rapidly. In the midst of that uncertainty, Roseanne went to Eucharistic Adoration one night, unsure of what came next. “I was looking at jobs, and nothing felt right,” she said. “I felt no peace.” That night, she prayed, “God, if You want something for me, You can bring it to me. I trust that You will provide.”
In that surrender, Roseanne says, she was able to receive what God had for her. “Once I wasn’t grasping onto things, then I could actually see what God was providing.” The very next morning, she received a text from a recruiter inviting her to consider STF.
Though she had heard of Seton years before, she hadn’t considered it seriously until then. Looking back, the pieces began to fall into place. Occasional substitute teaching had deepened her desire to teach, and what once felt like a random longing to move to Texas was now becoming reality. “It was like there were little hints, and I was just following along, not sure where it was going,” Roseanne said. “When I got that text, so many things made sense… I had even written in my journal, ‘God, I’ll give You a year of my life, and You can do what You want with it.’ I had no idea that I’d be giving exactly a year to Seton Teaching Fellows.”
Living as One: Maria Embraces Challenge and Community
“I want those around me and my students to know that they’re made for greatness.”
Two months before graduation, Maria Rodriguez-Brannon faced the familiar senior-year panic: I have to do something with my life in two months. While studying history and Catholic studies at the University of Mary, Maria was deeply moved by the idea of hospitality and the formative effect of education. When she received an invitation from Seton Teaching Fellows through Handshake, it was “just another option” among other mission programs. But the program’s clear structure and “rich, explicitly Catholic identity” stood out.
As she also discerned going into civil rights law, Maria felt a pull toward the Bronx. “I need to be back in the city,” she said. “I need to know what people’s experiences are in urban settings.” Her spiritual director encouraged her to “discern on paper,” by weighing the pros and cons of her options. Seton Teaching Fellows came out as the most balanced.
“One of the virtues at the core of my spiritual direction is magnanimity— greatness of soul,” she said. “I want those around me and my students to know that they’re made for greatness.” For Seton Teaching Fellows provided Maria an opportunity to grow in magnanimity while exploring both education and law. “I realized that Seton and the Bronx would challenge me,” she reflected, “but within the program’s structure. Especially my first year out of college, that structure is a gift.”
