The Xavier Alumni Fellowship (XAF) serves Xavier High School in its mission to form young men of competence, conscience and compassion by sharing their gifts, talents, time and energy with our community. Fellows will also acquire beneficial skills to help them grow both personally and professionally.
Now in its 10th year, the XAF program is grounded in the foundational principles of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and challenges fellows to engage in simple living, hard work, and faith formation with a focus on community life during their 10 months of service.
General Fellowship Opportunities:
- Develop and strengthen professional skill set under guidance of department mentors with opportunities to lead projects tailored to career interests and educational background.
- Engage in spiritual reflection and faith formation throughout the year, through regular Fellowship cohort meetings and community liturgies. There are also opportunities to participate in personal retreats and spiritual direction if desired.
- Tutor and assist in the classroom. Opportunities to gain insight into academic life at Xavier for those interested in careers in education.
- Gain valuable experience coaching and moderating clubs and activities.
- Access the Xavier network and gain valuable career development opportunities through campus affinity groups.
- Lead retreats and international and domestic service trips in places like Mexico, Tennessee, South Dakota, and more.
Who Should Apply to the XAF Program?
Xavier alumni who will graduate from college in May (or summer) 2023 and will be looking to gain some valuable professional skills and experience, while also furthering the ideals of the Grad at Grad. This is a 10-month fellowship opportunity that will allow recent college graduates explore careers in advancement, admissions, communications and marketing, and campus ministry while participating in other aspects of student life. This is a paid fellowship and fellows should not be actively looking to begin other employment or studies during the term of service. We expect those interested in serving as fellows to speak with their parents about this opportunity since it will require the fellow to live at home and remain on his parents’ insurance.
Application Information
Applications for the XAF program can be found here (along with other necessary information about the application process for the XAF program). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Duration of XAF
Fellows will serve at Xavier from the end of August (starting on "New Teacher Orientation" day, through the end of June––approximately two weeks after graduation).
Assignments
There will be a total of four full-time fellows serving in the following areas. Our hope is that each of these individuals will acquire valuable professional skills that will help them pursue full-time employment opportunities in these areas after their service at Xavier:
1) Advancement: Assist with event planning and execution and alumni/donor outreach, and gain familiarity with Raiser's Edge software for data entry. This volunteer will acquire skills that will help him obtain employment in advancement/fundraising at another academic institution or not-for-profit.
2) Admissions: Assist with all aspects of the admissions process, including student recruitment, the Knight for a Day Program, admissions events, and application review and processing. This volunteer will acquire skills that will help him obtain employment in admissions or communications at another secondary or post-secondary institution.
3) Communications and Marketing: Assist with writing for and editing print and digital publications, and regularly shoot photo and video content for cross-platform use. This volunteer will acquire skills that will help him obtain employment in communications and marketing at another academic institution or not-for-profit.
4) Campus Ministry: Assist with retreat and service trip planning, service program initiatives, and organization of school liturgies. This volunteer will acquire skills that will help him obtain employment at a non-for-profit, faith and justice, or direct service organization.
Stipend
Fellows will receive a monthly stipend of $1,250/month to cover personal expenses, plus a monthly Metrocard to cover transportation costs.
Living
Fellows are expected to live at home during their time of service.
Insurance
Fellows are expected to remain on their parents’ insurance policy for the duration of the service period.
*Important Note:
Please note that the Xavier Alumni Fellowship Program differs from other post-graduate service programs that specifically focus on social justice and serving the poor directly, such as the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC), Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), Good Shepherd Volunteers, and Cristo Rey Volunteer Programs. These are exceptionally worthwhile programs that provide the opportunity to work for justice, live in community, and engage in spiritual reflection, and we greatly encourage our Xavier alumni to pursue these opportunities if interested in them. We are also happy to discuss these types of opportunities with you since we have many staff members that have participated in them. The XAF Program, while grounded in many of these same principles, is specifically an opportunity to give back to Xavier and serve in a dynamic community while learning professional skills that will help advance your career.