LIVING THE MISSION: The Pursuit of Purpose
Tess Niehoff, ’10 poses with some of the villagers she works alongside in Nicaragua
Being educated in the School Sisters of Notre Dame
development of their own community in their own hands.”
service mission tattoos images of Catholic social teaching
Tess’ work with Global Bridges aligns closely with the
on the hearts of most NDP girls. From human trafficking to
mission of the SSND.
immigration rights, educating and enabling the people of Haiti to be self-sufficient, to the right of all people of the
“[The organization’s] methodology includes providing
world to have access to clean water, the SSND’s mission is
medical relief via mobile medical clinics, followed up with
global and one Tess Niehoff ’10 has turned into a career. After graduating from the University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering, Tess landed a job as a field engineer on the Washington, D.C., Metro Silver Line, which was,
“
community health, water,
IF I DIDN’T PURSUE MY DREAMS AND ADVENTURES AFTER TWO YEARS ON THE PROJECT, THEY PROBABLY WEREN’T GOING TO COME TO ME.
at the time, the largest
”
public health, microfinance, and local business interventions. The model made so much sense to me. Without attacking every component of poverty, any advance made would never be permanent or sustainable.” Tess recalls her days at NDP
ongoing construction project in the United States.
fondly, saying she was taught to ask tough questions and
Although it was an amazing opportunity for a recent
think “outside the box.”
college graduate, something was still missing. “In my first mod of my first day of class freshman year, “If I didn’t pursue my dreams and adventures after two
Mr. [Chris] Lopez posed the question ‘Why is it 2006 and
years on the project, they probably weren’t going to come
we still haven’t had a female president?’ Debates like these
to me,” says Tess from her current home in a Nicaraguan
really helped to shape how I articulate my own beliefs.”
village. There Tess, who is now employed by Global Brigades, a nonprofit health and sustainable development
Tess credits the examination of faith and social justice in
organization, puts her degrees in Engineering and Spanish
religion classes to helping her listen to her servant’s heart
to work while giving the community members “the tools
and realizing that words can change the world. g
they need to rise above rural poverty and take the 44 • Roots & Wings • Spring 2020
