Posted
October 08, 2025
Many high schools treat volunteer work as a requirement—hours spent pulling weeds, decorating bulletin boards, or pitching in at a campus event. It’s well-intentioned but often transactional.
At St. Edward, service is transformational. It means entering into a relationship, seeing others as equals, and discovering how faith comes alive through compassion. Students go where they’re needed most, working with organizations that serve the poor, the hungry, and the forgotten. The goal is not to do for, but to be with—to see beyond differences and recognize the face of God in everyone they encounter.
“Gone are the service days of raking your grandma’s leaves,” says President KC McKenna ’00. “Volunteering for a friend or family member isn’t what we’re going for. We want our kids outside of their comfort zones. We want them to meet people from every walk of life and circumstance—to see what they have in common and to be with them on their journey. Service is about building a foundation. A decade from now, they’re going to look back on that and say, ‘I am who I am because of St. Ed’s,’ and that’s exactly what we’re aiming for.”
Mission in Motion
Giving back has always been central to the Holy Cross tradition of St. Edward, but the way students live it out continues to evolve.
“Service should be from the heart,” says Director of Outreach and Service Emily McGee. Having first worked in the school's advancement department, McGee was already a part of the St. Edward community when she stepped forward to lead a new vision for service four years ago. “Servant leadership, one of the school's pillars, is about thinking of others first and lifting them up,” she says.
McGee wanted the program to help others while emphasizing the acceptance of each individual. Students are called to embody the school’s mission of bringing hope to the world. “Hope comes in many forms, and always through the outreach of our students,” says McGee.
Triple the Inspiration
McGee has a superpower—she’s a mom of triplets, all of whom are St. Edward students! Juniors Sean, Owen, and Christopher were still in grade school when she began envisioning a service program that would shape boys like her own to care deeply for others and for the world around them.
“My sons, as well as my daughter Adelaide [Saint Joseph Academy ’25], volunteered at church when they were younger,” McGee says. She and her husband, Frank McGee ’93, wanted them to understand what it means to care for others. “As our kids got older, we started looking for ways our family could serve beyond what was familiar. I tell my kids—and our students—that sometimes the best way to grow is to look up from your phone and notice who might need you.”
My son is involved with the Refugee Single Mothers Program at Mary’s House. Families from places like Guatemala, Sudan, and Nicaragua are beginning new lives here in Cleveland, and he spends time with kids while their moms take classes. He always comes home smiling. When he talks about the games they play and how much fun they have, I can tell it’s changed him. - Jackie Pieffer, mother of Frank '27
From Requirement to Relationship
McGee wanted to create a program that inspired—not required—students to serve. She set achievable goals: 10 hours for first- and second-year students, 14 for juniors, and 20 for seniors—so that every experience could be meaningful. “I don’t want to force service and leave a bad taste,” she says. The result? More than half of students now exceed their required hours, returning because they want to.
Service is woven through all four years, which isn’t always the case at high schools. Nor is having a dedicated, full-time staff member for service learning. Students receive an assignment grade in Theology for completing their hours. They document their work with photos and reflections. McGee reads every single one, using them to track impact and guide the program forward.
Faculty participation is key. “We want to send students out into the world with support and alleviate any anxiety they may feel as they begin their service journey,” McGee says. Teachers lead by example, accompanying students to sites and encouraging a brotherhood that extends beyond campus. “Older students invite younger ones to join them,” she adds. “They discover what being an Edsman in the community really means.”
Meeting People Where They Are
McGee makes it easy. She has a meticulous list of service opportunities, continually updated for students. Through her diligence, the school has a blend of meaningful on- and off-campus opportunities that allow students to serve while deepening their connection to the Holy Cross charisms and Corporal Works of Mercy.
For students like Julian Wolke ’26, that connection is clear. Through Labre Ministry, named for St. Benedict Joseph Labre, patron saint of the homeless, students venture into the city each Thursday night with trained faculty and staff, on a pre-determined route, visiting people where they live: under bridges, in alleys, and on street corners. They bring food, clothing, and conversation to those who are too often unseen.
“I’ve definitely grown more comfortable starting conversations,” Julian says. “I enjoy getting to know the people we visit. I think there’s a stigma—people sometimes treat others differently because they have less. But once we get to know each other, we find our similarities.”
Meeting people where they are, both literally and spiritually, is at the heart of the program. Students are learning not just to serve, but to belong alongside those they serve.
At first, I thought I was just helping other people, but I’ve realized how service changed the way I see the world. You start to understand that everyone has a story, and you want to listen. - Michael Marshall ’26
Service Takes Root
The results speak for themselves. In the 2024–25 school year alone, Edsmen logged 14,916 hours of meaningful service—an increase of more than 4,000 hours from two years prior.
McGee’s passion runs deep, and she’s constantly thinking about the future of the young men she mentors. “Service learning can help with résumés, scholarships, and college applications—but that’s not why we do it,” she says. “Edsmen are learning that service doesn’t have an end. People will always need compassion. It’s a lesson about humanity. We plant the seed, and our students are truly watering it.”
