Jesuit Education Lasts a Lifetime

Three years following her graduation, Mary Beth Ryan ’05 still finds herself influenced by Holy Cross. During her time on the Hill, Ryan came to understand the spiritual element behind Jesuit education: learning about the purpose and meaning of life. To her, that led to pursuing a teaching career.

Ryan will join three other Holy Cross alumni in a panel titled “How My Jesuit Education Influenced My Life” on Sept. 26 at 4 p.m. in Rehm Library. The three other panelists include Sheila Cavanaugh ’81, senior vice president at Fidelity Investments; Sean Dillon ’04, a teacher at the Nativity School of Worcester; and Frank Kartheiser ’72, director of Worcester Interfaith. The event is part of Jesuit Heritage Week, which celebrates the vibrant spiritual and intellectual Jesuit heritage of Holy Cross.

The valedictorian of the Class of 2005, Ryan was on the women’s varsity softball team and was an active participant in many organizations on campus.

Ryan pinpoints her participation in the MAGIS program as sparking her investment in Jesuit education. The MAGIS program calls forth, mentors, and recognizes students who demonstrate potential for understanding and exercising leadership in the contemporary church through a combination of practical ministerial experience and prayerful reflection.

In committing to MAGIS, Ryan was surrounded by a group of people who took to heart the Jesuit mantra of “men and women for others.”

“MAGIS fostered an incredible sense of community that wasn’t forced, but developed,” she says.

In addition to guiding her leadership role within the church, MAGIS also gave her the opportunity to meet with a mentor on a consistent basis. For Ryan, it was assistant chaplain Paul Melley.

“I received direction and had an outlet where I could talk about my life free of pressure” she says. “It was just God, Paul, and me.”

It was through Ryan’s sessions with Melley that she discovered her call to become a teacher.

“One day we were sitting there and we were talking about how I liked helping others and really enjoyed spending time with kids. And he said, ‘Mary Beth, I think you’re meant to be a teacher.’ ”

It is not a surprise, then, that until June, Ryan’s days were spent teaching at the Nativity School in New Bedford, a private, tuition-free school for boys in grades 5-8.

“The call to teach and the idea of service and volunteer work steered me toward Nativity Prep,” she says. “I made personal sacrifices but at the end of the day I knew I was making a difference in my students’ lives.”

Ryan, whose post-college goal was to positively impact others, got hooked on teaching at Nativity. Despite most Nativity teachers only serving for one or two years, Ryan taught for three. “I wanted to be in a place where I felt like I was making change; a place where I could see change happening right before my eyes,” she says.

When it came time to pursue her master’s degree in education, Ryan decided to attend Boston College. “I looked at other schools … but I couldn’t get away from Jesuit education. I ended up at BC,” she says.

Ryan couldn’t be happier with her choice.

“It’s amazing,” she enthuses. “There’s such a difference in continuing to experience Jesuit education; sharing the same values and priorities as everyone else in the classroom.”

If all goes according to plan, Ryan will finish her master’s work by August. She plans on bringing her Jesuit education and her experience at Nativity into her own classroom.

“I want to instill in kids appreciation and recognition that they really can make a difference in other people’s lives,” she says. “Even at a young age, kids can understand that they can make a positive difference in the world; they just need to look beyond themselves.” She concludes, “men and women for others, boys and girls for others. Education the foundation of it all.”

By Cara Joyce ’09

Related Information:

• Jesuit Heritage Week