“Educating isn’t a profession but an attitude, a way of being. In order to educate, you must go out of yourselves and be amidst the young, accompanying them in the stages of their growth, standing beside them,” said Pope Francis. And it is this attitude of love for others fueled by an altruistic nature that led alumna Mary Freeby ’18 to the vocation of teaching.
“I knew from a young age I wanted to be a teacher. I find a lot of joy in getting to help form the hearts and minds of my students. I especially love that I get to teach in a Catholic school and share my faith through my work,” said Freeby, who used her degree in education to pursue a passion for teaching. “I have been teaching third grade for the past four years. I currently teach third grade at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Fort Wayne, Indiana, alongside my best friend Reagan (Stout) Wood, who is also a 2018 Holy Cross College graduate.”
Holy Cross College was an instrumental resource in her vocation journey.
“The education program at Holy Cross College really helped me to see that teaching is my calling. Even though I thought I wanted to be a teacher before I got there, I really enjoyed the fact that in my freshman year, I was getting the opportunity to visit schools and get a feel for what my future career path would look like. The professors I had were very encouraging and helped me to properly prepare for life after college,” noted Freeby.
Freeby was plagued with poor health during her time on campus, and with the support of the college community, was able to finish her degree.
“I unfortunately had to work through a serious illness my senior year at Holy Cross and if it weren’t for my amazing classmates and professors, I would not have been able to graduate on time. The whole community of Holy Cross really rallied around me. Between blood drives and fundraisers, there was just such an outpour of love,” said Freeby.
The future is bright and educating future scholars, citizens, leaders, and disciples remains at the top of her priority.
“I plan to continue teaching for as long as I feel that God is calling me to do that. I am so grateful that Holy Cross College has given me the opportunity to follow my passion,” said Freeby.
Photos provided by alumna Mary Freeby ’18.