How the Marian community serves in, beyond its walls

Above: Service Superstar: Junior Jane Slattery coaches boys second grade soccer at Christ the King grade school. Every weekend, she shares her soccer talents and experience. Photo courtesy of Jane Slattery '27. 

Story by Eleanor Thibodeau '26

Every Marian girl is given opportunities to volunteer and be a part of service through school. Many girls take these opportunities, and go above and beyond with more service. 

Marian does not require a certain number of service hours to graduate, like other Catholic schools, but service is still a core value that is important to the school community. Marian makes sure everyone has a chance to be involved in serving their community. 

Senior Charley Morrison has chosen to involve herself through Campus Ministry as a service site leader. Service site leaders are a small group of Campus Ministry that coordinate service events for other girls to participate in. To join in these events, you must respond to emails the leaders send out about the service activity. 

Besides her service site, Morrison has volunteered at the Open Door Mission. 

She said she specifically likes to help out at the Open Door Mission because “it is very faith-based and you also get to interact directly with those who need the meals.” 

Morrison’s enjoyment of service did not just start in high school, but rather in grade school. She remembers taking part in, and enjoying, service at St. Vincent De Paul grade school. Morrison decided to continue that service into high school. 

Another Marian girl who is involved in service, completely on her own time, is junior Jane Slattery. Slattery has chosen to live out the core value of service by being a volunteer head coach for second grade boys soccer at Christ the King grade school. 

Slattery said, “Marian really pushes the need for us to get into our community and share our gifts.” 

This is proven again and again by Marian girls carrying out service, like Morrison and Slattery. 

Similar to both Morrison and Slattery, Candice Iberg, Marian Class of ‘94, was inspired by her service at Marian, and has continued doing service throughout her life. But Iberg has also made a career out of her passion. 

Iberg is the community partnership manager at Share Omaha, a nonprofit organization that takes action in helping other nonprofits findWW donors to share money, resources, and time. Share Omaha works with nonprofits in five surrounding counties; Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders and Washington. As a part of her role as the community partnership manager, Iberg builds relationships with the nonprofits Share Omaha supports. The relationships she makes enable her to help other nonprofit members and their communities to continue doing good. Operation Others and National Honor Society, along with the service Iberg did with her sorority in college, began her passion for service. 

Iberg said, “These experiences sparked my passion for learning and helping others, and gave me the confidence to assume leadership roles.” 

After realizing her passion for helping others, she got her masters in public administration, which helped her build her career in the nonprofit sector. Being involved in service as a high schooler can help someone find a true passion in a specific field, or just a passion for helping others, like it did for Iberg. 

Share Omaha helps find volunteers for nonprofits around the Metro. These volunteers can be anyone looking to participate in their community. It is easy to find ways to participate by going to the Share Omaha website. They have a student guide for ages 13-17 with many volunteer opportunities. 

Service is not just a way to build your resume, it is a way to have fun, find your passion, and grow your faith, by giving back to the community.