Hello.
I'm Michelle Drennan with Divine Mercy University, and my role is alumni relations coordinator.
I had the joy today of being at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis and ran into one of our graduates, Rachel Haydel.
And she's going to, answer a few questions and give us an idea about her journey and her experience with Divine Mercy University.
Thank you so much, Rachel.
Absolutely.
I'm so happy to be here.
So first of all, I'd like to find out where are you working now, and what are you doing to manifest some change in the world with your your degree?
Yeah.
That's a great question.
So I am currently a campus minister at Christ the King Parish on LSU's campus.
So I'm part of a team of about I think we have six about six campus ministers and a bunch of missionaries from FOCUS.
And I mostly walk with women one on one, kind of like a mentorship role, teaching them how to pray.
I lead bible studies.
I I plan retreats and many evening events for the college students at LSU.
And it's very life giving.
It's really rewarding ministry.
I Yeah.
Have an amazing team, amazing leadership, and yeah.
So it's it's been really good.
It's been it's been blessed.
So do you have any future plans for other types of opportunities for your graduate?
Is that always in a period of flux?
Do you think you've got it really solid in what you're doing now?
I think it's pretty solid.
You know, I I would love to write.
I also do art.
I'm an artist.
And so there's some avenues of creativity that I'm hoping to tap into more in the future right now.
I I've been in this position for two years now, going on my third year.
So definitely learning and growing in my own gifts of speaking and leadership and that sort of thing.
So but I think, yeah, maybe more of those creative sides hoping to lean into more.
That's wonderful.
And and we do like to publish, in or actually putting a website together.
If you do write a book, we wanna put you on there.
Oh, great.
Yes.
Also forming a speakers bureau.
So that's another conversation I have to have.
Yeah.
We'll have to have that conversation for sure.
So tell me if you remember, what attracted you to Divine Mercy University, and how did you find us?
So I studied psychology at LSU, and I knew that I wanted to work with people to some capacity, but I didn't know quite what.
And so as I studied psychology, I was really into my faith that I was I was getting a psychology perspective from a secular university, which I was really grateful for, actually.
I think it gave me good perspective.
But once I got towards the end of my journey at LSU, I was craving a Catholic perspective of psychology, especially therapy.
And so as I looked at different schools, to me, DMU kinda stood out as the top school in my mind.
I've always been a nerd and loved school.
And so I knew that a master's wasn't quite gonna be enough for me in terms of the studies and just learning more knowledge and about the field and helping helping people.
So I just yeah.
I was drawn to Miami University.
I think I was in particular drawn to the integrated portion of the program.
So there are other Catholic schools that have psychology degrees.
But DMU, from what I researched whenever I was, you know, applying for graduate schools, has the most integrated in terms of studying also theology and philosophy.
And so I was really just drawn to that and wanted that formation.
And your journey is a little unusual.
You started in one program, finished that, went on to another one.
And, you know, I've always said that you wanna wake up every day and love what you do for a living, and I think that's very important.
And sometimes, in your search, in your journey, so you ended up completing what we call our MPSY, but it served you well.
It has.
Yeah.
So, yeah, I I entered in starting in the the PsyD program, the doctorate program on-site, and I really did enjoy it.
And I I had amazing cohort members and a great time at DMU with my professors.
And I I got my MSI, the master's in psychology, clinical psychology, had a third year of working on dissertation and that sort of thing.
And halfway through, I just felt it was honestly just a call, a tug from the Lord away from practicing therapy and completing the degree and to do ministry full time.
But I certainly use my degree Absolutely.
All the time at what I do.
I mean, some of the skills and, I mean, the human formation that I gained at Deimer University, I think one of the the main things I noticed is it formed me as a person, my time at DMU.
Just by diving into the therapy field, having that philosophy and psychology and theology background, I grew so much as a person.
And coming and and it was cool.
My my pastor at at Christ the King, where I work, he knew me as a student.
And then I left and went to grad school for a few years and then came back and worked for him.
And he even said he was like, wow.
Like, I can see how you've grown and matured as as a person.
And I told him, I was like, really, the program at Divine Mercy University makes a space for that.
And so I really am so grateful, and I feel like it's equipped me to do what I'm doing.
As as a campus minister, I have I have the advantage of being able to walk with students in a spiritual role, but also having that clinical ear to really know what I need to direct them to therapy or even just, you know, if there's ever situations I'm knee needing to assess risk, I I have that skill set to to be able to do that and then get them the help they need.
And so it really has given me a holistic perspective in being able to help students and help them grow in their faith.
Journey kind of helped you you know, I think it's important in life you find out, you know, what's not right for you and what you don't want to do and it gets you so much closer to what you do want to do.
Right.
You kind of are in that wonderful basket of opportunities.
So I'm just so happy that you're using your degree in the right one that you finished and went on with.
So what do you feel like?
Because you've been out there a while, especially with students.
What do you think as far as the education that you do have?
What type of bridges that can be built between, say, science and religion, health care, pastoral care?
What are you seeing as that conglomerate that works together that you were helped by the education that you got to kinda fill all those pieces together?
Yeah.
That's a great question.
You know, I do think there is more need for bridges between, especially, mental health care and faith backgrounds, religion, church organizations.
I am seeing that that bridge is being built, and I think a lot of it has to do with having more Catholic psychologists and therapists.
So the I have the unique opportunity or just privilege to have Catholic therapists come to our office once a week and see different students, in our office.
So one of them is doctor James Hernandez.
He is a DMU graduate and works in Southern Louisiana.
And so having him, we have another therapist named Stephanie, and a couple others who are in and out who have that Catholic perspective.
And so when there's big issues concerning mental health that comes up with students, we're able to tap them and consult and get their perspective and their advice, and it really is so helpful.
And so, yeah, I think that's that's been a real gift.
I just recently met doctor Hernandez because he was the outstanding graduate of the year at the last, opportunity for graduation.
See that.
Yes.
And I just enjoyed he and his wife so much, and I'm so glad that that collaboration is going on.
And we see that a lot with Divine Mercy University students as collaborations that occur.
They find out where they are in a specific regional area, and that's very exciting.
Yeah.
So I would say part of helping the bridge between these different, types of health care is is really just more formed individuals who are aware of both sides.
I think Finally.
Some of them are taking insurance.
Some of them aren't.
But, I mean, I think we're finally seeing a focus on mental health, and I I that's what I'm hearing from you that that's important.
It's definitely important.
Absolutely.
Questions that I should have asked you that I didn't or any other comments that I would have you share?
Not that I can think of.
I'm I'm grateful for my time at DMU and, yeah, just really grateful for my formation there.
And the Lord's been really providential to me, and and leading me and shepherding me away from DMU and into ministry.
And a lot of what I've learned and how I've grown at DMU serves me all the time.
So proud to have you as an alumni.
And I thank you so much for a gift of time today.
Thank you.
I appreciate it.