Chris Bauer, A’12, took advantage of one of the major post-grad volunteer programs in the country, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, even though he never really thought about taking a year off post-grad.
“I remember hearing about JVC my freshmen year and thinking that there was no way I would be able to do that, but it kept coming up again and again as I thought about where my path was headed post-graduation and the decision to apply for a service program started to make a lot of sense,” Bauer said.
Jesuit Volunteer Corps is a volunteer organization that allows recent graduates the opportunity to work in areas where they can directly help the poor in various ways.
JVC puts a large focus on its four core values: social justice, simple living, community and spirituality. “They were values that I thought would be good to spend some time building into my life,” Bauer said.
Bauer said that he didn’t see joining JVC as “taking a year off.”
“I think many people see a year of service as an isolated experience separate from the ‘real world,’ but I didn’t and still don’t see it that way,” Bauer said.
Bauer was placed in San Jose, California.
“The transition was a bit of a whirlwind. I think the toughest part was getting settled living in an intentional community. You move to a new city, meet five new people and within a week you’re sharing meals, a house and a bank account. On top of that, you’re also working a brand new job that often is in an unfamiliar field,” Bauer said.
Bauer worked at the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley in the Mental Health Advocacy Project, which provided legal aid for people with mental illnesses in areas of housing, public benefits and patients rights.
Bauer said a lot of the situations were very emotionally and physically draining, but worthwhile in the end.
“Sometimes the job was tough, but then I would meet with an especially grateful client or have a successful case, and it would be worth it,” Bauer said. “MHAP helps people in tough situations have a little bit of a louder voice, and even though it felt like I was constantly fighting an uphill battle, I had an opportunity to work towards change that affected individual lives.”
Even though at first he didn’t know his fellow JVC volunteers, they became close as time went on.
“The community sort of functions like a family, they are there for support, to have fun together, argue etc. It was always nice to have people to go home to and hang out with, especially in a new place,” Bauer said.
One of his favorite memories of the experience was a road trip he took with fellow JVC volunteers.
“One of the most amazing trips we did was an eight day road trip to the Grand Canyon and through Arizona. It was a good break in the middle of the year for me and it was probably the best road trip I have ever been on,” Bauer said.
For those considering applying to the JVC program, Bauer advises allowing plenty of time to complete the application because it is lengthy and includes several essays as well as an interview.
Also, he said, “talk to those that know you best about your decision, often the people who know you best will be able to offer a lot of clarity into what you should do.”
Overall, Bauer enjoyed his time with JVC because he saw a transformation in himself.
“I wanted to do something that would challenge me to see the world and myself a little differently,” Bauer said, “It has only been a few months since I left JVC, but there are parts of my character and lifestyle that have changed for the better because of my JVC year.”
