Michelle Siemietkowski

Director of Residential Ministry
Age: 43
Hometown: Cherry Hill, N.J.
Time at Georgetown: nearly 25 years

What drew you to your field?
My vocation to be a chaplain unfolded over time, and I think the first seed was planted while I was on an AGAPE retreat while here as an undergraduate student. Then I started working at Georgetown and going to school at night at Georgetown studying religious studies, and I realized how much I love theology and how much I love the really important questions we ask in this field, and I thought, “What do I want to do? Do I want to be a teacher?” When I imagined my work, all I saw was being in front of students, and working one-on-one with students, and just being with them. From there, I went on to get another degree in pastoral ministry, and eventually got a job. I think ultimately, I was always a very spiritual person, and always had a very personal relationship with God, and that formed my decision to become a chaplain.

What drew you to Georgetown in particular to work after your undergraduate years here?
What drew me originally to Georgetown was that my brother went here when the Hoyas won the Big East tournament and the NCAA tournament during the time of Patrick Ewing, so in the early 80s, so I was a Hoya fan since seventh grade. It was essentially a practical thing for me starting to work here. I didn’t know what I wanted to do after graduation, and a friend of mine had a position here and was leaving, and they asked me if I wanted to apply, and the rest is history.

How do you see your own religious beliefs interacting with your work in the campus ministry?
I think the most important part of my religious beliefs that informs my work is my personal relationship with God, particularly in the Christian tradition, because I’m Catholic. That’s by far the most important thing that informs what I do and how I do it. I don’t always do it perfectly, but my hope is that I cooperate with God in this work.

What does Georgetown offer that is unique in the way of residential ministry?
I have heard people say that it’s really the chaplains. What we do here at Georgetown is really a model for other universities, and I’m really proud of that. What’s unique about residential ministry is that we are truly in the halls, living among the students, and our goal is that we are there for everyone, no matter what faith tradition or no tradition. We offer consistent open houses, and we’re simply there for students. One of my mentors said, with regard to ministry, to be available, to be present, and to give what you have, and I think that we are available and present by living with the students. I think it’s critical that our chaplains are professionally trained, so they can be with our students dealing with some pretty serious stuff. We also connect with other resources on campus, and we all have the heart to do this work in places where life may be loud, or toilets may not work; you really have to love it. We don’t get paid, so it’s really the professionalism, the training, the commitment, the sense of vocation and being available and present for students that makes our program unique.

What impact do you see the residential ministry program having on students?
Every year, I send out a student survey to ask what students think, and thankfully the feedback I get is very positive. Some of the things students say are “My chaplain in residence is the one person I really feel that I can talk to about anything,” I’ve even had someone say “She’s the nicest person I know, and I’m an agnostic!” There’s the sense that the chaplains are really there for you, no judgment, no pretenses, and are really just there to love students as best we can.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your day-to-day?
We probably face the same problems that Georgetown students face, and that is time. I laughed and cried when I saw that video, “Sleep When You’re Dead.” It’s that culture and energy on campus that I feel goes against that which we are called to as human beings, to seek and take rest form time to time. I think that all of the faith traditions talk about Sabbath, and we don’t take Sabbath in our lives, we really don’t. That’s by far my biggest challenge.

Do you have an overarching goal for the residential ministry program going forward?
I do; ideally, I would love for all students to feel like they have someone to go to in their chaplains and Jesuits in residence. If a student doesn’t even want to talk, just wants to cry to someone, or share something that is really joyful, that they feel that they can go to the chaplain or Jesuit in residence. 

How do you see the residential ministry program as interacting with the academic side of religion taught at Georgetown?
We do have academics that are chaplains-in-residence. I think all of our Jesuits teach. There are definitely people on the team who are also academics, so I absolutely think that there is an intersection between residential ministry and academics. In our Catholic tradition, Pope John Paul II wrote an encyclical called “Fides et Ratio,” which is “Faith and Reason,” meaning we need both. God gave us both, and we use both to live our lives. There’s absolutely an intersection. If there were any room for growth, it would be to bring professors into the halls to talk about their own experiences of faith.

How do you think students could better utilize the resources offered by residential ministry? Do you think they should?
I always think they should, because I think all we want to do it help them, but we never force or impose; it’s always up to the students. What I do hear from students often is that, “I’d love to go to their open houses, but I don’t have the time.” That’s really the struggle. I mean, who wouldn’t want a brownie or a plate of fruit? The most important think for me is that students know we’re here, and we have two avenues: the resident minister and a chaplain on-call. I just want to make students aware that we’re there for them, and then it’s up to the students to come to us. I really want students to speak up as well; if you disagree with us, or are hurt, or would like to see a change of some sort, we want to hear about it. We hope to be one of the vehicles on campus to help students lead lives that are the fullest for them. In my language of God talk, that is to help them lead the life God would want for them.

Is there anything you’d like to add?
I’m just so glad you’re doing what you’re doing.

Interview by Alexander Brown