Back Row (left-to-right): Melanie Farrell, Jocelyn Trainer, Melissa Farrell, Hannah Dorfman. Front Row: Jackie Schmitz, Mary Louise Pabello, Susan Nichols, Laura McHenry.
Meet our current volunteers!
Hannah Dorfman is from Columbus, OH and graduated in 2015 from Tufts University where she double majored in Religious Studies and American Studies. After graduating college, Hannah was an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at a community development organization in East Boston. Last year she joined Loretto Volunteers as a staff associate at the Women’s Alliance for Theology Ethics and Ritual (WATER) in Silver Spring, MD with Mary Hunt and Diann Neu, two dear friends of Loretto. She’ll be staying with WATER for a second year as a Loretto volunteer. Hannah is an ultimate frisbee player, long-time cellist, and finds zen in the kitchen.
Jackie Schmitz is from Des Moines, IA and graduated from Saint Louis University in 2017 with a degree in Neuroscience and Public Health. She loves camping, hiking, and traveling. You can most likely find Jackie wearing thrift shop clothes and spending time in coffee shops. Jackie will be spending the year working with Missouri Health Care For All in St. Louis as a community organizer and advocate for healthcare accessibility. She is excited to join the amazing and spunky Loretto sisters in working towards social justice.
Jocelyn Trainer recently graduated from Loyola Marymount University, in Los Angeles, CA, with a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish. Jocelyn is a travel enthusiast and enjoys reading about current affairs and animals. This year Jocelyn is working as the International Project Coordinator at The Quixote Center, a multi-issue social justice organization that currently focuses on promoting peace and justice in Haiti and Nicaragua.
Laura McHenry is from Woodinville, Washington and a recent graduate of Carroll College in Helena, Montana. At Carroll, Laura studied Ethics, Media and Cultural studies. This year Laura is working in campus ministry and service learning at the Loretto-founded placement site, Nerinx Hall High School. Laura is an avid reader, has a serious travel itch, loves to work in any creative medium, and always loves a challenge.
Mary Louise Pabello is from Creve Couer, MO and graduated in 2016 from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO with a degree in history. Fun fact: Mary Louise is a graduate of Nerinx Hall High School (one of our placement sites)! Last year, she volunteered at the Interfaith Committee on Latin America in St. Louis (IFCLA). This year, she’ll be representing Loretto at the UN with Beth Blissman in New York. She’s also a lifelong choir gal and held the position of song chair in her college sorority. Melanie Farrell is from Warrington, PA and graduated from James Madison University in Virginia in 2017 with a B.S. in Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication. She also has minors in Communication Studies and Humanitarian Affairs. During her time in college, Melanie served alongside various communities, specifically working with survivors and victims of human trafficking. She is an avid coffee-drinker and lover of writing. She also enjoys reading mystery novels and playing with dogs. This year Melanie is working with M.I.C.A. Project, an organization committed to working with low-income immigrants to overcome barriers to justice in St. Louis, MO.
Melissa Feito is from Miami, FL and graduated in 2016 from Tufts University in Medford, MA with a major in English and a double minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Communication & Media Studies. Melissa is a self-proclaimed word nerd who loves storytelling in any and all forms. She also enjoys cooking, playing music, gardening, seeking four legged friends, and just a good conversation. A lifelong public radio listener and supporter, Melissa will be working this year at Interfaith Voices with Maureen Fielder, SL.
Susan Nichols is from Tulsa, Oklahoma but now calls St. Louis home. She recently graduated with her Masters in American Studies from St. Louis University. While she loves school, Susan is happy to be taking a break from her studies now. Her major hobbies include dancing in all forms, playing traditional Irish music, and petting stranger’s dogs. She is thrilled to spend a year with Loretto Volunteers in her placement at the Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America.
Follow their year as a Lovo on facebook
Loretto Volunteer Program lorettovolunteers@lorettocommunity.org New York, NY | Washington, DC | Louisville, KY | St. Louis, MO
