Tell us a little bit about where you’re from, your interests, and what you studied.

I grew up in Chicago and love my city! While I’ve lived in other cities, I'm grateful to now be back living at Elms University Center in the heart of Chicago, close to my parents and siblings.

Exploring the city is my main hobby. Many weekends I’ll catch up with a friend while walking along the lake path or river walk, or I’ll discover a new coffee shop in one of Chicago’s neighborhoods.

I studied mechanical engineering with a focus in product design. I was introduced to the human-centered design process in undergrad, and it has been the common thread in all my work experiences. It’s what I love most about what I do. Human-centered design starts with understanding the lived experience of those using or delivering a product or service. That context becomes the north star when designing new products and services.

Could you please offer a brief description of your professional career? 

I started in product design first for restaurant equipment and then consumer products. Then I worked for a few years in manufacturing, designing assembly lines for medical devices. From there, I shifted from working on tangible products to designing service experiences in the non-profit space.

Now I work as a design strategist for a public health institute at a university. I consult for health and government organizations, supporting them in creating equitable access to healthcare for populations with health-related social needs, such as food or housing insecurity.

What led you to this field of work in particular? What do you like about it?

I have been involved in social improvement projects from a young age, thanks to the example of my parents and opportunities during my high school and university years. As a young professional, I continued to spend a few hours a week volunteering for different service organizations. Many of them I got to know through the people or programs connected to Opus Dei.

In grad school, I studied system design and strategic leadership. At the same time, to complement my studies, I read the social teaching of the Catholic Church and began thinking about how systems and policy, informed by a rich understanding of the human person, have the potential to create pathways for the socially vulnerable to lead more flourishing lives.

The writings of Pope Francis on drawing close to our neighbors in need, as well as St. Josemaria’s letters, especially inspired me to seek professional opportunities where I could devote my full energy to social impact work.

Can you describe a typical day of work for you?

Each day is different! My favorite days are when I am “in the field” with the research team, learning from those closest to whatever issues we are trying to solve. It’s common to spend a week or two on each project on a road trip across the state, visiting health clinics, shadowing staff and talking to patients and their families.

When I’m not in field work, I’m either at home reviewing interview recordings and notes or in the office with my colleagues. We discuss findings, sketch possible solutions, and facilitate work sessions that bring diverse stakeholders together to envision future systems and to roadmap how to get there.

I work in an open office with many whiteboards and movable walls full of colorful sticky notes and sketches that map out processes we are working on. I love the dynamism and creativity of the process, space, and people. 

St Josemaria saw that one could sanctify work itself. In regards to your specific field of work, how do you see it can help transform the world?

I am in the midst of a project to integrate two government agencies who fund and deliver safety net mental health (MH) and substance use (SU) services. Right now in the US, most people with co-occurring MH and SU issues have to enter one clinic to address their anxiety or depression (for example) and a separate clinic to receive help overcoming substance dependency. We are trying to build a healthcare system where no matter what door you harness the motivation to enter, you gain access to holistic care that better supports long-term recovery. 

I’m also supporting state psychiatric hospitals to implement a tailored treatment approach for severely mentally ill patients who are justice-involved so that they can access quality care in the least restrictive setting. In most states in the US, there are not enough beds in psychiatric hospitals. People are languishing in jail for weeks and months without the treatment they need to stabilize such that they can engage in our justice system and participate in their defense. 

Transformation is very slow in this type of work and that can be disheartening. I try to do my part to realize change as effectively as possible, working through system constraints and collaborating with the people and strategies that can drive toward solutions.

How have the teachings of St. Josemaría on the importance of sanctifying yourself through your work helped you carry out your work? 

I’m very grateful to know that transformation on the personal and spiritual level follows God’s timetable and is not tied down by human constraints! 

I remember a conversation with a coworker in the midst of emotionally heavy research. One story in particular made us pause and even tear up. We felt deeply the stark contrast between our situation, sitting in a comfortable office planning for repairs to a broken system, versus the trauma-filled life of the individual who experienced the gaps firsthand. When my coworker asked me how I handle the contrast, I answered that it helps me to know I can pray for this person and her family with my work.

It’s deeply consoling to me to know that by receiving our Lord in the Eucharist every day, He lends his hands and heart to me in my work. I love the quote from St. Josemaria: “An hour of study, for a modern apostle, is an hour of prayer” (The Way, 335). I know that each hour of my work can be a prayer of petition where, with my concentration and intention rather than words, I ask Jesus to console the people behind whatever task is in front of me.

At the same time, I try to not stay at the level of theory and planning. I can’t personally solve the epidemic of loneliness or eliminate all deaths of despair, but I can do “little things,” as St. Josemaria taught. For me, this looks like the “battle of the latte,” for example. Each morning, I try to pass by a coffee shop on my walk to work and use the money instead to buy sandwich shop gift cards for the folks I meet who are asking for food. It’s hardly anything, but it’s spiritually helpful for me to connect to my work and the people my work serves in this way.

How has the spirit of Opus Dei and activities of Opus Dei helped you to see your work as a place to develop friendships and bring people closer to God? 

Few of those I work with share my faith, but all share my concern and desire to make the world a better place. I appreciate how the formation in Opus Dei emphasizes taking time to understand your coworkers and friends, to learn about how they see the world, and to let them get to know you. This naturally leads to some discussions about God. 

On work trips, for example, we share a car so it’s quite obvious when I ask for the keys so that I can go to daily Mass. Being natural about sharing this important part of my life has led to thoughtful conversations with my colleagues about their faith experiences.