In the Spotlight: Jessica Fries-Gaither (ACE 6)

No matter what role she plays as an educator--resource specialist, author, classroom teacher--this ACE Teaching Fellows graduate emphasizes that she's doing not her work, but God's.

How did you come to be involved in education and Catholic schools?

I always tell people that education chose me, not the other way around. From tutoring to teaching religious education, I was involved in education from a young age. However, it wasn't until my time in ACE that I truly realized that education was, indeed, my vocation.

What led you to ACE?

The community pillar was what really made ACE stand out over other service programs I was considering, such as Peace Corps. I realized that I wanted to share my day-to-day experiences with a group of like minded individuals. My experience in community did not disappoint!

How did ACE prepare you for what you've done since graduating and for what you're doing now?

ACE challenged me to truly be a professional educator by staying current on research and translating that into my own practice. I also recently realized that while I (thankfully) don't keep a reflective journal about my students and my classroom like I was required to during ACE, that I do continually reflect on what I'm experiencing.

And while I'm not currently working in a Catholic school, I bring those experiences with me every day. During our first ACE summer, Fr. Scully told us that we needn't be anxious about teaching because we were doing God's work in our classrooms, not ours. I started each morning with a prayer asking God to help me do His work. I find myself still praying those words each morning.

How do you see ACE making a difference in Catholic schools?

ACE helps young people discern a vocation to serve children in Catholic schools. What bigger difference could be made?

Jess and her husband, Tre', live in Columbus, Ohio. After many years serving as an elementary education resource specialist at the Ohio State University, she returned to the classroom and is now teaching 1st-5th grade science. Her book, Inquiring Scientists, Inquiring Readers: Using Nonfiction to Promote Science Literacy, Grades 3-5, co-written with Terry Shiverdecker, can be pre-ordered and will be officially released on October 25.