Santa Clara University

Alumni Update: Kaitin Hannon

Casa Spring 2004

Update: January 26, 2006
After graduating in the Spring, I made the trip back to El Salvador with my college roommate, Alli. We were there for that hurricane in May. My favorite night of that trip was hanging out at 'Julio's house' (Kevin and Trena's old house) preparing for the devastating winds that never came. I was able to meet Casa students from other semesters and spend some quality time with Chris, Julio, and Flor. Alli and I went on to explore Central America.

After returning home for a couple of weeks, I spent some time in Ecuador. I was working with a non-profit group that helps the indigenous people in Ecuador's mountains. They use their pristine wilderness to make money through tourism with things like mountain climbing trips.

This October, after about 2 months of denial and 2 months of job-searching stress, I started working at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago. I am a Long-Term Care Ombudsman. I work with the elderly in residential facilities, i.e. nursing homes, mental health homes, and assisted living, to make sure that their care needs are being reached. It has been eye-opening. I handle cases of the food being served cold to severe physical abuse and everything in between. I consider myself very lucky to love my first job out of college.

I am still considering further education. I took the LSAT this summer and did fairly well, but have not set my heart on law school. I think that I am going to look at Masters programs at Loyola, they have a pastoral program that deserves a second look. Speaking of Jesuits, one of the volunteer Ombudsman is related to the Berrigan Brothers. What a small world. Another side note, but huge in my life, I got engaged right before Christmas.

Have a great year!