Jean Donovan Fellowship
The Jean Donovan Summer Fellowship (JDF) is named in honor of Jean Donovan, an American woman who lived, worked, and died in solidarity with the impoverished and oppressed of El Salvador in the 1980s. This Fellowship is designed to support undergraduate students who desire to deepen their understanding of social justice issues through a summer community-based learning experience of 6 weeks or longer. The Fellowship provides $3,000 in grant funding to recipients who work a minimum of 30 hours/week with a non-profit organization.
The Jean Donovan Fellowship offers undergraduates a high-impact community-based experience rooted in the Ignatian Center's mission of a Faith that does Justice. Fellows work with organizations in communities with little access to wealth, power and privilege in the US and internationally. Fellows deepen their understanding of solidarity and vocation through pre-and post-experience gatherings that engage students in reflective practices informed by Ignatian Spirituality.
Jean Donovan was a lay American woman who went to El Salvador in 1977. Jean was seeking more meaning and purpose with her life and after local volunteer work in Cleveland she went to El Salvador to work with war refugees. Jean had very little knowledge of where El Salvador was or its history but a strong conviction that it was where she was meant to be. Jean accompanied a refugee community in La Libertad and was providing nutrition, shelter and transportation to communities facing devastation during the war.
Jean along with Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke, Ita Ford and Dorothy Kazel were murdered by the Salvadoran Military in December 1980. Jean’s life has come to represent an authentic transformation rooted in humility, faith and fellowship. It is increasingly important for today’s students to connect with the suffering in our world, and enable their own transformations. The Jean Donovan Fellowship allows students to create this opportunity, and the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education provides the guidance for critical reflection in a structured and nurturing environment.
“Jean Donovan was twenty-six years old when she went to El Salvador, and she was very much a child of her time. She was not a saint or a hero. She was idealistic and vulnerable; she had a great sense of fun, and she was hungry for life and experience.”
-Salvador Witness: The Life and Calling of Jean Donovan by Ana Carrigan p. 8
“What moved me about Jean’s story and what compelled me to want to write about her, was her youth, her accessibility, the integrity and modesty with which she approached her task as a lay missioner, and her political naivete. She never lost the innocence she brought to the complicated world in which she found herself. Jean was not trying to impress anyone. She went to El Salvador searching for more meaning and purpose in her life. She found what she was looking for helping the war victims of a humanitarian catastrophe caused by U.S. and Salvadoran government policies. Working in the refugee camps and among the orphans of El Salvador’s war, for the first time in her life she met the face of extreme poverty and need, and she was awed and humbled by what she saw. She opened up her large and generous heart and embraced this strange new culture, the culture of poverty and as she did so she lived out the eternal paradox, that only by giving can you receive, and only when you are useful do you find happiness.”
-Salvador Witness: The Life and Calling of Jean Donovan by Ana Carrigan p. 9
Watch the Documentary "Killed in El Salvador: An American Story"

Laurie Laird was instrumental in implementation of the Jean Donovan Fellowship when it was created in 2000 through a gift from the Jesuit Community and leadership from Catherine Wolff. She leaves behind a great legacy through her leadership at the Ignatian Center and her contributions in the field of community-based learning. Through Laurie's leadership the structure for the Fellowship includes a comprehensive preparation process and post-experience retreat. Laurie worked with over 150 Jean Donovan Fellows. Many of these Fellows have considered Laurie as a mentor to them on their journey to live more fully into the Ignatian values of solidarity, simplicity and compassion. In 2013 Laurie relocated to Portland, Oregon where she served as the Associate Director of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Northwest and currently serves as the Director of the Moreau Center at University of Portland. She leaves behind a great legacy through her leadership at the Ignatian Center and her contributions in the field of community-based learning. Each year a Jean Donovan Fellow seeking to work on issues related to food justice, women in the developing world or with local organizations will be selected in honor of Laurie. This Fellow will have the opportunity to share his/her proposal and to meet with Laurie. Gifts to this Fellowship should be directed to the Ignatian Center's Laurie Laird Jean Donovan Fellowship.
Central to the Jean Donovan Fellowship are the relationships that Fellows develop with individuals and communities. It is through these relationships that Fellows begin to deepen their understanding of solidarity and vocation and work toward these learning objectives.
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Cultivate a greater understanding of the assets and challenges facing the community in which the Fellow works.
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Grow in commitment to specific key virtues of solidarity, simplicity, and compassion/empathy.
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Develop a broader and deepening understanding of personal vocation.
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Develop a deepened faith life.
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Explore the meaning and intersections of service, authenticity, and humility.
How the Fellowship Works
Accompaniment-based Service - At the heart of the Jean Donovan Fellowship is the idea that Fellows accompany people with less access to wealth, power, and privilege. Fellows should seek placements and be in a role to work directly with or alongside people served by the host organization. At a minimum, accompaniment-based work should comprise approximately half of a Fellows work responsibilities ~15 hours/week of the 30 hours/week.
Simple Living - A core value of the Jean Donovan Fellowship is simplicity. Donovan Fellows are asked to embrace this value, which is rooted in the Ignatian value of Detachment. Living simply fosters increased presence, attentiveness to spirituality, justice and environmental sustainability.
Placement, Location, Dates - Fellows should seek a placement with a non-profit and/or community-based organization where at least half of the Fellow’s work is accompaniment-based service. Suggested steps for communicating with organizations include:
- Fellows are encouraged to do thoughtful research before reaching out to organizations.
- Fellows are expected to work for 6 weeks, or longer. Start and end dates for the Fellowship can be based on Fellows’ availability and organizational needs.
- Fellows are encouraged to reach out to 1+ organizations via email and phone and should have a minimum of 1 phone conversation with volunteer coordinator/supervisor at the organization. Questions that may guide those conversations are the following:
- Tell me more about the programs/services your organization offers.
- What are the community needs your organization is addressing?
- Tell me about some of the clients or community served through your organization.
- What are current issues facing your organization and community?
- Is there an opportunity for me to volunteer with your organization? Are there opportunities for me to work in a role accompaniment-based service with your organization and what might this look like?
Placement Organizations - In recent years Fellows have worked and had very meaningful in-person experiences with the following organizations:
- Sacred Heart Community Service - San Jose
- La Mesa Verde - San Jose
- Garden to Table - San Jose
- 826 Valencia - San Francisco
- St. Anthony Foundation - San Francisco
- Faithful Fools - San Francisco
- Rachel’s Women’s Center - San Diego
- International Rescue Committee - Various locations
- Virginia Garcia Memorial Health - Portland
- Boys and Girls Club - Various locations
- The LGBT Youth Space - San Jose
- Community Legal Services - East Palo Alto
- Soccer without Borders - Oakland
- tUrn Project - Santa Clara
Budget - The Fellowship stipend of $3,000 is an important consideration for Fellows, as they consider their summer location, housing, transportation and other financial commitments. Fellows receive $3,000 in spring 2024. Fellows have equally meaningful experiences regardless of budgetary constraints. Fellows are eligible to seek funding through other SCU programs as well as outside of the University.
JDF Intensive - Piloted in summer of 2023 the JDF Intensive will offer 2-5 students the opportunity to work with the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and live nearby.
Santa Clara undergraduate students in good academic and behavioral standing who will be returning to campus during the 2024-2025 academic year are eligible to apply for the Jean Donovan Summer Fellowship. Students studying abroad for 1 quarter or semester during the 2024-2025 academic year are also eligible to apply.
Applicants are responsible for contacting and applying to work with a non-profit community-based organization of their choice in the US. The Fellowship Director will support students with this process. There may be some limited opportunities to work internationally and applicants will be able to indicate this on the application. By the time of application submission, applicants should be in contact with their desired placement to discuss plans for Fellowship experience.
For assistance with this process refer to:
Helpful Hints
Community-based Organization Resources
For additional information. Fellows seeking support with this process should contact Valerie Sarma, Senior Program Director for Student Engagement and Special Projects.
- Donovan Fellows are expected to work for a minimum of 30 hours/week with a non-profit community-based organization for a minimum of 6 weeks or longer during summer 2024
- Donovan Fellows may receive monetary compensation from the organization for their work (with approval from the Fellowship Director)
- Fellowship placements will be in-person within the United States and internationally
- Students seeking an international placement may apply to work in countries with a Department of State (DOS) Travel Advisories Level 1 and Level 2 and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Travel Health Notices Level 1 & 2
- Donovan Fellows receive a stipend of $3,000 in spring 2024, which may be used to cover transportation, lodging, and program costs. It may also be used as a stipend for students who engage in unpaid work in their home communities
Spring Quarter Formation | 5:45-7:00 PM | Nobili Dining Room
- April 18 | Formation Mtg. #1/5
- April 25 | Formation Mtg. #2/5
- May 2 | Formation Mtg. #3/5
- May 9 | Formation Mtg. #4/5
- May 16 | Formation Mtg. #5/5
- May 23 | International Orientation
- May 30 | JDF Send-Off
- May 10 - 11 | Overnight Retreat
Additional Formation
- Meet with Listening Companion (1-2 meetings, Fall Quarter )
- Participate in 3-5 additional meetings to support Fellowship recruitment and donor stewardship on behalf of the Fellowship. (Fall - Spring Quarters)
Q: This sounds so cool! Where do I begin with the process of finding a placement?
A: Check out these Helpful Hints (see update for Helpful Hints page below)
Q: What organizations have Jean Donovan Fellows worked with in past years?
A: Check out this list!
Summer 2023 Jean Donovan Fellows

Anisha
Malani '26
Major:
Web Design & Engineering
Placement:
Ashraya Old Age Home
Kota, India

Bea
Ricafort '26
Major:
Economics
Placement:
826 Valencia
San Francisco, CA

Camryn
Brown '24
Major:
Psychology & Music
Placement:
College of Adaptive Arts
San Jose, CA

Caroline
Harrington '24
Major:
Child Studies
Placement:
The Waterside School
Stamford, CT

Cash
Stocks '24
Major:
Philosophy
Placement:
Project 150
Las Vegas, NV

Christina
Nelson '24
Major:
Sociology & Spanish Studies
Placement:
Garden to Table
San Jose, CA

Christopher
Lane '25
Major:
Political Science & Spanish Studies
Placement:
Yomol A'tel Chilón
Chiapas, Mexico

Daniel
Martinez '24
Major:
Religious Studies
Placement:
Kino Border Initiative
Nogales, Mexico
Elsa
Kinney '25
Major:
Biology & Public Health Science
Placement:
Camp Kesem at SCU
Santa Clara, CA

Felicia
Montes '25
Major:
Political Science & Ethnic Studies
Placement:
YouthLaw
Auckland, New Zealand
Grace
Davis '25
Major:
Political Science & Philosophy
Placement:
Equality Ohio
Columbus, OH

Grace
Yonkers-Talz '24
Major:
Child Studies & Women
& Gender Studies
Placement:
Kino Border Initiatives
Nogales, Mexico

Joy
Peters '25
Major:
Public Health Science
Placement:
La Mesa Verde
San Jose, CA

Juana
Melgoza '26
Major:
Marketing & Political Science
Placement:
Dolores Huerta Foundation
Kern and Tulare Counties, CA

Laura
Clark '24
Major:
Philosophy & Religious Studies
Placement:
International Rescue
San Jose, CA
Name | Placement |
---|---|
Annabelle Oldham '24 | Amigos de Guadalupe, San Jose, CA |
Bella Estrada '25 | Dreams for Change, San Diego, CA |
Daniel Martinez '24 | Catholic Worker, San Jose, CA |
Emma Samaniego '24 | Attorney General, Hartford, CT |
Gabby Yabut '23 | SCU's tUrn / ABS CBN Foundation, Philippines |
Grace Yonkers-Talz '24 | SCU's tUrn, Santa Clara, CA |
Hannah Trillo '23 | SCU's tUrn / Our City Forest, San Jose, CA |
Madi Smith '24 | Hopelink, Seattle, WA |
Megan Imai '23 | Boys and Girls Club, Santa Cruz, CA |
Pascale Wojcik '23 | SCU's tUrn / ACES, Aspen, CO |
Petra Glenn '23 | SCU's tUrn / Climate Action Coalition, Hailey, ID |
Rachel Stattion '24 | YWCA, San Jose, CA |
Isabela Ramirez '24 | MEarth / Project Fleri, Monterey County, CA |
Nandni Saraogi '25 | Nirdhan, Kolkata, India |
Name | Placement |
---|---|
Chanel Bullock '22 | SCU tUrn, Santa Clara, CA |
Elizabeth Chimalpopoca '23 | Independent School Alliance, Culver City, CA |
Maria De La Lima '22 | EduCare Foundation, Los Angeles, CA |
Preeti Devulapalli '23 | The Arc, Portland, OR |
Rosalie Dillon '22 | YouthSpace, San Jose, CA |
Sasha Eros '23 | Sacred Heart Community Service, San Jose, CA |
Natalie Henriquez '23 | Community Legal Services, East Palo Alto, CA |
Natalie Hoffman '23 | Heartfire Missions, Arizona |
Jessica Hwang '22 | Sacred Heart Community Service, San Jose, CA |
Jacqui Jones '23 | Faithful Fools, San Francisco, CA |
Gloria Karekezi '23 | SCU's tUrn, Santa Clara, CA |
Maryam Khatoon '22 | International Rescue Committee, San Jose, CA |
Carolyn Kuimelis '22 | Sacred Heart Community Service, San Jose, CA |
Yvonne Lu '22 | Sonrisas Dental Health, San Mateo, CA |
Robert O'Brien '23 | Project Fleri, Annapolis, Maryland |
Dhanya Paul '23 | StandUp for Kids, Silicon Valley, CA |
Liliana Regpala '22 | Sacred Heart Community Service, San Jose, CA |
Ciera Robinson '22 | La Mesa Verde at Sacred Heart Community Services, San Jose, CA |
Marie Schauer '22 | The Primary School, East Palo Alto, CA |
Meghana Sinnappan '22 | Sex Ed for Social Change, Washington D.C. |
Oladayo Thomas '22 | Soccer Without Borders, Oakland, CA |
Kimberly Wood '24 | SCU tUrn, Santa Clara, CA |
Name | Placement |
---|---|
Shakira Asuncion Perez '23 | Northeast Legal Aid, Lawrence, MA |
Jessica Britt '21 | International Rescue Committee (IRC), Sacramento, CA |
Holden Gordon '21 | Andre House, Phoenix, AZ |
Seamus Hudnut '20 (MS '21) | D-Rev, San Francisco, CA |
Emma McCurry '21 | La Mesa Verde, Sacred Heart Community Service, San Jose, CA |
Claire Murphy '22 | Compass Center for Women and Families, Chapel Hill, NC |
Caitlin Toth '21 | Community Housing Works, San Diego, CA |
MayWallace '21 | Kagha la Themba, South Africa |
Name | Placement |
---|---|
Abigail Alvarez '22 | RespectAbility National Leadership Program, Washington DC |
Kendra Bean '20 | Malama | Ke Ola Health Center, Maui, Hawaii |
Benjamin Davidson '20 | Parker Bounds Johnson Foundation & Four Worlds United, Portland, OR |
Lorena Delgado Marquez '22 | Mount Saint Vincent, Denver, CO |
Ali Fetter '21 | IVHQ, San Jose, Costa Rica |
Hiwad Haider '22 | International Rescue Committee, Oakland, CA |
Hana Seastedt '20 | Swiss-Laos Hospital, Laos |
Gladys Hilerio '20 | Esperanza International, Tijuana, Baja CA, Mexico |
Christian Jimenez '21 | Maximo Nivel, Cusco, Peru |
Maya Kuchan '21 | IVHQ, Kathmandu, Nepal |
Christopher Lundrud '20 | Parque por la Paz Villa Grimaldi, Santiago, Chile |
Vidya Pingali '20 | HEAL Charity: Health & Education for All, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India |
Victoria Salcedo '21 | Rachel's Women's Center - Catholic Charities, San Diego, CA |
Riley Scherr '21 | IVHQ, San Jose, Costa Rica |
Emily Swanson '21 | Sacred Heart Community Service, San Jose, CA |
Name | Placement |
---|---|
Annalicia Anaya '20 | International Institute of the Bay, San Francisco, California |
Lauren Cherrey '21 | Vive Peru, Tujillo, Peru |
Kristin Godfrey '19 | Root & Rebound, Oakland, California |
Mary Maas '21 | Women's Lunch Place, Boston, Massachusetts |
Richard Matthews '19 | Jesuits Province, Talasari, India |
Makda Mehari '20 | Placement via National Union of Eritrean Youth, Eritrea |
Ciara Moezidis '21 | Maximo Nivel, Cusco, Peru |
Victoria Montes '21 | ELI Abroad - Focus Area: Youth, Chiang Mai, Thailand |
Maria Muñoz Yepez '19 | IVHQ Quito/Inti School, Ecuador |
Javier Ortega '20 | Sacred Heart Community Service, San Jose, California |
Samantha Perez '19 | Connect 1-2-3 - Focus Area: Human Rights, Argentina |
Christopher Tian '21 | IVHQ, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam |
Vivian Vo '20 | Momentum Crisis Center, Concord, California |
Kaitlin Wheeler '19 | IVHQ - Focus Area: Environmental Justice, Philippines |
Madeline Wilcox '19 | BorderLinks, Tucson, Arizona |
Name | Placement |
---|---|
Nicholas Chan | Abalimi, Cape Town, South Africa |
Sarah Craven | Vive Peru, Peru |
Bridget Flaherty | Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, Masiphumelele, South Africa |
Ciaran Freeman | Commonweal Magazine, New York City, New York |
Jack Herstam | The Message Trust, Cape Town, South Africa |
Madison Hokans-Csurilla | International Volunteer HQ, Uganda |
Margaret Katheryn LaFountain | The Telling Room, Portland, Maine |
Jessica Lew-Munoz | St. Raphael's Roman Catholic School, Cape Town, South Africa |
Talia Menezes | YWCA of Bangalore, Bangalore, India |
Harshitha Mogallapalli | The Mountain Volunteer/Her Farm, Nepal |
Jenna Salinas | Center for Employment Training-Immigration and Citizenship Program, San Jose, CA |
Cooper Scherr | Projects Abroad, Cusco, Peru |
Veronica Shulte | Virginia Garcia Memorial Health, Portland, OR |
Nicholas Spragg | Nomi Network, Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
Grace Zimmerman | Narayan Seva Children's Home, Bali, indonesia |
Name | Placement |
---|---|
Alejandra Budar |
Child and Family Health International, Bolivia |
Marlene Cerritos-Rivas |
Greater New Bedford Community Health Center, New Bedford, MA |
Andrew Descourouez |
Martin de Porres Catholic Church, Soweto, South Africa |
Julie Dinh |
Kinh Luan School, Vietnam |
Saron Goitom |
Miracle Babies, San Diego, California |
Audrey Gozali |
Amartya and Agua Sustenable, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Elleni Hailu |
Walta Maternal and Child Health Care Organization, Ethiopia |
Rani Hanstad |
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Oakland, California |
Maggie May |
Resilient Families Program -SCU | San Jose, California |
Athena Nguyen |
Maximo Nive, Cusco, Perul |
Isaac Nieblas |
Cali-Immigration, Santa Clara, California |
Sriruthi Ramesh |
Equal Community Foundation Pune, India |
Meheret Semma |
SOS Children's Village - Nigssie Eshetie Village, Ethiopia |
Thelma Valadez |
Thriving Neighbors Initiative - SCU | San Jose, California |
Kassamira Carter-Howard |
US Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women, Washington, DC |
Sergio Olmedo-Ramirez |
CIESED, Mexico, Puebla, Mexico |
Jean Donovan Fellows | Making an Impact
Learning lequil cuxlejalil/El buen vivir
Driven by interests in sustainability and Spanish, Christopher Lane '24 spent his summer as a 2023 Jean Donovan Fellow working in Chiapas, Mexico with Yomol A’tel, a coffee, soap, honey, and textile cooperative.
Read Chris' storyPromoting Love, Positivity, & Solidarity
Ciara Moezidis ‘21, ASG President and 2018 Jean Donovan Fellow, strives to emulate the best of the #BodyPosi movement with the #BroncoPosi campaign #BroncoPosi's purpose is to encourage love and promote positivity.
Read Ciara's StoryBuilding a Life Disconnected from Home
Excitement, gratitude, sadness and nerves - all the feelings Sri Ramesh '17 carries with her as she embarks on a 10-month AIF Clinton Fellowship in India, the location of her 2016 Jean Donovan Fellowship.
Read Sri's Story