It is no question to the interns at the CCCG that it is truly the people who make the center feel like home. This semester’s five interns — Angela Moreno ‘27, Maria O’Dea ‘26, Rocco Giannotti ‘26, Lilian Jochmann ‘26, and Sarah Kerber ‘26 — each attest to the rich culture present among fellow interns, faculty, and staff, all united under a shared mission.
Moreno, a junior studying Political Science with minors in Theology and Constitutional Studies, explained that “One of the biggest reasons why I worked at the CCCG is the spiritual aspect — the rosary, Mass, and prayer. I think it’s super nice that they offer that and make it a part of their mission.” Moreno also noted that the intellectual environment during work shifts is equally formative: “The conversation during the work shifts is oftentimes very intellectual. The center really does integrate their student workers. The student is part of the team, not just someone answering the phone.”
Moreno has been a student intern since last fall, joining the center shortly after adding her Constitutional Studies minor. Her primary responsibilities include managing social media marketing efforts under the direction of CCCG Assistant Director Anna Bradley, keeping the center’s newly refreshed website up to date, compiling data for various types of reporting, and assisting with event planning and execution — most recently for the 2025 Jeannie Poole O’Shaughnessy Memorial Lecture featuring Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Alongside Logan Kevitt ‘27, who will return to his work with the CCCG after he concludes the Fall 2025 semester in Washington, D.C., Moreno initiated the center’s Instagram account. “I didn’t have much marketing experience,” she said, “so I was a bit nervous, but the center gave me a lot of support and the autonomy to explore different campaigns and content types. Working with Logan earlier this year and now teaching Rocco [Giannotti] how to manage the Instagram account, it’s taught me a lot about collaboration. I also never thought I’d ever do anything in marketing, but the center’s given me the opportunity to learn something new.”
Jochmann, a senior from Milwaukee studying Political Science, Constitutional Studies, and Portuguese, reflected on the value of the interns’ work: “It’s easy to internalize popular narratives about student work not having an impact on the bigger picture, but when it comes together, each project adds up and contributes to the mission. Everything I’m doing — the nametags, the placecards, the flowers, the conference booklets — helps the CCCG carry out those details that create beautiful results.” For her, the spiritual and intellectual culture of the center has been formative. “I’ve developed my faith the most in my life at the center. Everyone from the office goes to daily Mass, and I just started going with them because I didn’t want to be left out. But after going daily, I really started to be formed in the faith and made it my own.” After working at the center for a semester, Jochmann made the decision to prepare to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, and asked Bradley to be her sponsor. Jochmann was confirmed at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades on Sunday, December 7, with her colleagues from the CCCG – students and staff alike – in the congregation.
O’Dea, a senior from Arlington, Virginia and an ACMS major and Constitutional Studies minor, echoed the importance of the center’s unique culture. “The center takes undergraduate students so seriously,” she said. “I’ve never felt so seen and so challenged. We are brought in front of serious human beings and expected to meet a standard — it’s one of the few places where I feel like a whole person, not just someone preparing to be an adult.” O’Dea has been a student intern since August 2025 and began her time as a Tocqueville Fellow this fall. Her responsibilities range from assisting CCCG Co-Director Don Stelluto with data management, supporting Angela and Rocco’s social media efforts by combing through the center’s lecture library to source prospective “shorts,” assisting staff with the creation and distribution of programming materials, and keeping the center’s office space in Jenkins-Nanovic Hall organized and hospitable to the many students, faculty, and friends who visit the suite.
O’Dea reflected on how even small tasks contribute to the larger mission of the center: “The student interns aren’t involved with the grand vision, but we’re important in giving the center extra support on details — writing thank-you cards, steaming tablecloths — it’s what makes the center whole.” She also highlighted the personal and professional growth the center fosters: “Being thrown into conversations with people who are smarter and more accomplished than you — and being able to hold your own opinions confidently — has been huge for me.”
Giannotti, a senior from Columbus, Ohio, studying Political Science and Classics with a minor in Theology, described his experience as one of the most transformative he’s had at Notre Dame. “I really appreciate how driven everyone is at the center and how they live out their mission on a daily basis,” he said. His primary responsibilities include co-managing the Instagram account with Moreno, assisting Bradley in researching more effective ways to partner with the local community when it comes to hosting invited speakers, and attending to the various administrative tasks that arise in the day-to-day. He highlighted the sense of family within the suite: “We enjoy engaging in conversation about modern issues on the daily. One of my favorite parts has been Sweet Treat Tuesday, started by [Office Coordinator] Lauren Douglas, which brings grad students and professors into the suite to talk over baked goods.” Giannotti emphasized how working alongside faculty and staff who are deeply committed to the mission has helped him grow both professionally and personally.
Kerber, a senior from Dallas, Texas, studying English with a minor in Constitutional Studies, joined the center as an intern this fall. She has provided critical support in the execution of lectures and dinners, extended the center’s trademark hospitality to guests at its programming, distributed promotional materials to campus partners, and has taken the lead this year in organizing opportunities for the students to volunteer together. Her interest in the CCCG grew from attending lectures since her freshman year, particularly a talk on civil discourse by Judge Duncan. “I loved how the center is on the pulse of the moment,” she said. “The lectures respond to current events, which makes the experience dynamic and exciting.” Kerber noted that the welcoming culture of the center made her feel heard and valued. “Everyone is open to hearing about me as a person and my ideas, like brainstorming future speakers. I really feel that my opinions matter here.”
Bradley offered her perspective as the director of the student employment program at the CCCG. “When I joined the CCCG in August of 2024 and assumed oversight of the interns, I wanted to build an experience unique from many other student employment opportunities on campus. We require the students to volunteer together in the broader community at least once per semester, and we encourage them to spend time together outside of work so that they can get to know each other as persons and not just as colleagues. We also put a fair amount of thought into the strengths each hire brings to the office and how we can help that person grow, not just in their technical skills but holistically. At the end of the year, the students write a reflection and meet with me one-on-one so we can discuss how the year went and how they might build on what they learned in the following year.
“Attending to the spiritual dimension of their lives and work is something we prioritize,” Bradley continued. “New to intern culture this year is an effort to help them understand the high points of the liturgical year and other days of note in the life of the Church, so that their understanding of their faith can be integrated into their daily being and acting. It’s been rewarding to see them grow in this dimension, and to hear how their time with us helps them grow in many other ‘soft’ ways – their ability to articulate their ideas more clearly, learning how to present themselves professionally to different audiences, and the vocational discernment they undergo while they’re here.”
The CCCG provides not a typical desk job, but a true family. The interns recounted many memorable moments of fellowship with the rest of the faculty and staff. Jochmann recalled, “I remember when we went to cheer on [former Office Coordinator] Zane [Mabry] at his hockey game and made signs with his name on it. It was great to cheer on one of our teammates.” O’Dea added, “Following a conversation in the suite about how each of us has been moved by a given piece of popular media and the importance of wonder and awe, Anna had all of us over at her house to watch The Prince of Egypt. It was such a simple invitation but made such an impact on the culture.” Moreno remembered, “At one point we worked together to construct a gingerbread house to represent the center in the 2024 Arts and Letters gingerbread house competition. Doing a creative task like that with these people made it so much fun. These people are really what make me want to go to work everyday.”
For interns like Angela, Lilian, Maria, Rocco, and Sarah, the CCCG is more than a workplace — it is a community where faith, service, and intellectual growth are intertwined. “Public service isn’t just a job — it’s a vocation,” Jochmann said, “Seeing how each small task contributes to the mission has been a powerful lesson in humility and dedication.” Moreno added, “The CCCG integrates students into the team, invests in our development, and encourages us to see our work as part of a larger mission — both professionally and spiritually.”
The CCCG hires interns on an academic year cycle. Reach out to Assistant Director Anna Bradley if you’re an undergraduate student enrolled in the Constitutional Studies minor or participating in the Tocqueville Fellowship program and interested in exploring employment opportunities with the center.