Máiréad Moriarty ’09: Discovering Self Through Service
As busy as her days are as a cardiac telemetry ward nurse, Máiréad Moriarty ’09 squeezes in a few volunteer shifts each month at a transitional housing shelter in Hartford. It is a practice she cultivated during her student days at SJC, where, as a volunteer at several community organizations, she learned that the best care comes from recognizing the individual dignity of each patient.
Career Discovery
Máiréad’s
foray into nursing came after she completed a bachelor’s degree in History and
was looking for work. “I graduated with a degree from Fordham University but
had a hard time finding a job, so I became a Certified Nursing Assistant
(CNA),” she said. Máiréad
completed an internship at the Jerome Home in New Britain and was soon hired
full time. “That was a transformative experience for me. I loved working with
the elderly and saw it as more than just treating patients medically. It was
also about getting to know them, listening to their stories and life
experiences,” she said. “It changed who I was; it made me look at the world
differently.” From that experience, Máiréad
applied to Saint Joseph College. Credits from her previous degree transferred
but she needed to catch up on science courses.
From Community Service to Career
Inspired by her first volunteer shift, Máiréad sought more opportunities.
With the guidance of Sister Beth Fischer ’76, coordinator of community outreach
and partnership, Máiréad
participated in service at several sites while completing her studies. While
preparing for her nursing exams and looking for work, she maintained
twice-a-week volunteer shifts. In August, Máiréad
started her job at the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain.
Looking back, she credits the College’s Nursing program and its vast opportunities for service for helping her fulfill her vision. “The opportunities available at the College just made everything click for me and helped me see what I want to do with my life and how I can help others,” she said. She cites Sister Beth as being instrumental: “Sister Beth understands how to meet people where they are at without judging them. She teaches us that and she leads by example.”
In each day of her professional life, Máiréad employs what she’s learned: “I work to get to know my patients because whenever I hear their stories, I am touched by the humanness of it all.”
