When she isn’t obsessing over how adorable pit bulls are or doing a year of service with Rostro de Cristo, Anie Jamgochian is spending time with her family and friends and studying for her masters in Theological Studies at the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College.
Graduating with honors in 2014 from Cabrini with a degree in English, Religious Studies and American Studies, Jamgochian spent many stressful months prior to her graduation focusing on whether or not she would defer her acceptance to Harvard’s Divinity School and travel to Mount Sinai, Ecuador.
“I decided to do a year of service because I had been learning so much about my faith and social justice and really wanted to have a lived experience of all of that. I wanted to go from learning about it to actually living it, particularly to ground myself before going off to graduate school,” Jamgochian said.
“In addition to wanting a lived experience, I also just felt that God was really calling me to go and I couldn’t ignore how drawn I felt towards doing service. The moment I made the call to say yes, an immediate presence of peace overwhelmed me in a way I still can’t explain.”
She says that some of her best memories were spending time with the neighbors of Mount Sinai.
“Mount Sinai is where I experienced love, acceptance, patience, hospitality and friendship like never before,” Jamgochian said. “I worked at a women’s shelter for women and their children who have escaped from situations of abuse and domestic violence. I also spent much of my time visiting neighbors and getting to know the community within which I was living.”
Because of her experiences during her time at Cabrini, Jamgochian sees herself being a Campus Minister, leading service immersion trips and other retreats in either a high school or a college/university or teaching religious studies and social justice. However, no matter where she ends up she knows that she will have the love and support of Cabrini College always with her – a place that will forever be ingrained in her heart.
In the words of Anie herself, “opportunities are endless – sometimes it just takes a little getting creative and a little faith. Concentrate on you and what brings you joy. Don’t forget that you are part of a greater community which [is] there to guide and support you along the way. And when you find joy, you get to share and spread that joy with all the wonderful people around you.”