Student Leadership Team
Chair: Elizabeth Hofer
4th Year
Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law
elh7re@virginia.edu
Fun fact: I love all things British television and film… from Alfred Hitchcock to Pride and Prejudice, Sherlock to Downton Abbey, Broadchurch to Poldark, I love it all!
Hello hello! My name is Elizabeth and I will be serving as your Chair for the 2017-18 school year! I have a deep love for philosophy, coffee, Frank Sinatra, apples with peanut butter, and my main John Paul the Great (seriously, these are the way to my heart). When I’m not studying, you can find me in a local coffee shop or exploring Virginia small towns. During my time at the University, I have been involved with Corks & Curls, Days on the Lawn, the Burke Society, the American Enterprise Institute Executive Council, and the Chapel Mass chorus. Ever since my second year, Catholic Hoos has been my home.
I am so excited to serve you in this position throughout the year and I cannot wait to see how the community can grow in its involvement and presence on grounds and in the city! This year brings a lot of new changes and the opportunity to be innovative in how we encounter and share the Catholic faith. The greatest gift I have been given was the chance to take my faith into my own hands and choose it for myself. It is my joy and honor to be able to offer that gift to others through Catholic Hoos. This ministry serves as a place where students can encounter Jesus Christ and the faith he has given us and as a place where students can be fortified and strengthened to share this good news with others!
Vice Chair: DJ Zorzi
4th Year
Majors: Foreign Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies
Email: drz3ac@virginia.edu
Fun Fact: As a military brat, I’ve moved eight times and attended ten schools before coming to UVA.
As someone who has moved around a lot, I enjoy making new friends, going new places, and learning new languages. In my free time, I like spending time with others (especially while eating good food), playing classical piano music, and watching Netflix.
I support our chair, Elizabeth Hofer, and the seven other chairs so that we can fulfill our roles in the service of the community. The vice chair also serves as a voice for the students of our ministry and works to unite it in faith, hope, and charity.
Communications: Anna Harter
4th Year
Majors: Foreign Affairs and Religious Studies
Email: aoh4dn@virginia.edu
Fun fact: My middle name is also a type of Irish potato.
Hi, I'm Anna and I'm a fourth year at UVA, studying Foreign Affairs and Religion. Besides serving on the leadership team, I am vice president of my sorority, Sigma Alpha Omega, have been involved in the Network of Enlightened Women, Days on the Lawn, Honor, ULink peer advising, and the Student Activities Center. My favorite saints are Maximilian Kolbe, JPII, and Louis de Montfort. If I'm not watching Friends or my own Snapchat story, I'm probably at some UVA sporting event. I also like taking photos, laughing at my own Instagram captions, and going to Costco.
The goal of the Communications Committee is to proclaim the love of God throughout Grounds, which we attempt to do through advertising, photography, and social media. I hope to create personal connections with the students in a way that gets them excited about their identity as a Catholic and their relationship with Jesus, so that we can all carry Christ to our fellow students on Grounds.
Retreats: Meghan Depue
3rd Year
Majors: Spanish and Elementary Education
Email: mmd3bs@virginia.edu
Fun fact: I can only back into parking spaces, not pull-in.
Hi! I'm Meghan, a third year at the University of Virginia studying Spanish and Elementary Education in Curry, with the hopes of one day teaching in a dual immersion elementary school. I love tutoring and teaching in all forms, including even substitute teaching in Charlottesville City. In my free time, I enjoy reading, singing, driving to Cookout/Starbucks (depending on the hour) and hanging out with friends at local restaurants or St. Thomas Aquinas.
The goal for all retreats is to provide an atmosphere in which people can get away from the busyness of everyday life and re-focus themselves on what matters most: their relationship with God. This year, I hope to make this possible through our yearly retreats as well as a few day retreats throughout the year. I am always open to ideas and suggestions, so feel free to contact me!
Faith Formation: Theresa Ryland
3rd Year
Major: Classics
ter2ef@virginia.edu
Fun fact: I am the middle child of nine children!
Greetings! My academic interests extend beyond my major (Classics) to philosophy, theology, history, politics and art. I am especially interested in the relationship between art, culture, and Catholicism. One may often find me discussing these topics with my good friends. I am an avid reader of literature, and I greatly enjoy reading and writing poetry. Some of my other interests include teaching children Latin, cooking, playing tennis, singing bluegrass music, and making great puns!
I am so excited to be serving the community as Faith Formation Chair this year. In this capacity, it is my mission to bring the beauty of the traditions of our faith into the daily worship and conversations of this community. Inspired by our patron saint, Doctor of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas, I hope to provide a formation in the rich intellectual tradition of Catholicism so as to deepen our fervor of faith. I also hope to engage students in the beautiful liturgical life of the church. I am certain that God will continue to bless our community with daily opportunities for intellectual and spiritual encounters with our Incarnate Lord.
Social: John Mullin
2nd Year
Major: Government with Minor in Religious Studies
jm9ap@virginia.edu
Fun Fact: I made a Snapchat geofilter for my hometown and it was accepted.
Hey everybody! I’m from the great Warrenton, VA, which is Nova’s forgotten relative and yet hidden gem. As of now I plan on majoring in some form of politics, but that’s all up in the air. When not cramming for a test the next day or writing that paper due tomorrow, I love cheering on the Hoos, playing Spikeball, and watching Downton Abbey and Friends. I can’t wait to spend this next year with you all as we grow closer to Christ as a community!
As Social Chair, I aim to organize and put-together events for the Catholic community here at UVA at which we grow closer to each other while creating opportunities for growth in our faith. Getting on Grounds for events will be a big priority this year as we reach out to everyone as our brothers and sisters in Christ. Social Committee has a pivotal role in the success of the social mission of Catholic Hoos. By putting forth ideas and helping to make them a reality, the Social Committee will do their part in making this year unforgettable. I look forward to working with you all and serving the Catholic community at UVA!
Outreach: Gabe Yohe
3rd Year
Majors: English and Film
gjy7kb@virginia.edu
Fun fact: I almost died of hypothermia…twice.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, an occasional slurpee, and chic flics when no one is looking. I also hold three degrees: one form elementary school (expert in tater tot storage), Middle-School (A BS in BS), and High-School (A Masters in the usage of the words “like” and “literally,” along with a minor in sport trash talk).
Here’s something I love: the particular non-pragmatic acts of charity, in specific, that of the most humble saints; acts which are seen as inefficacious from a mundane perspective. Saint Mother Teresa started out her ministry by tugging a wheelbarrow not much smaller than herself through the rotting streets of Calcutta. Just five feet tall, she found those dying, usually beyond medical help, and carried them home with her. She nurtured them, loved them, and grew to know them till they passed. Her intentions were humbler than conversion, most did not convert, and more grandiose than humanism, most passed away in her care. She had love unqualified: no ulterior motive but to be Christ to Christ.
Justice & Peace: Chrissy Tucker
3rd Year
Major: Nursing
Cdt8ey@virginia.edu
Fun fact: I cannot go a day without eating chocolate.
Hello all, I am Chrissy! I am this year’s Justice and Peace chair for Catholic Hoos! Nursing takes up a lot of my time, so when I am not studying, in clinical, or in the adoration chapel trying to negotiate my GPA (joking… kind of), I enjoy singing in the shower, running around grounds, drinking coffee, and spending time with friends!
My vision for Justice and Peace this year is to be truly present in the Charlottesville community and on grounds. I believe the best way to spread the love of Christ to our brothers and sisters in Christ is through service and quality time spent. Please reach out to me with any questions, ideas, or good knock-knock jokes!
Worship: Jack Himpler
3rd Year
Major: Accounting and Information Technology
Email: jjh4fs@virginia.edu
Fun fact: I have the same birthday as my brother but 4 years apart (I know pretty cool)
I am a rising third year, starting my education in the Comm school this fall. I have been heavily involved with Club dodgeball, Business Ethics Society, and the Latino Student Network the past two years, along with working at Memorial Gymnasium.
As worship chair, among other things, I hope to make daily Mass at the chapel an event that people focus their day around. There are a great number of students who attend daily Mass on a regular basis but my goal is to increase that amount even further. My long term goal is to see the chapel filled entirely at every Mass.
