#becauseofCJ: Jay Bryant '12

Thank you to all who support the mission of Chaminade Julienne. Your gift not only supports current students today, but infuses a curiosity that allows us to continue to learn and serve for years to come.
Young alumni are sharing how they are succeeding after high school in our #becauseofCJ series. Through your gift to the CJ Annual Fund, you make this happen for all students. As Jay Bryant '12 shares how his experience as an Eagle helped guide him toward a career in public relations, please consider joining others today in supporting the mission of CJ — thank you!

"After graduating nearly a decade ago, one of the major takeaways from CJ’s mission that is embedded in me is to 'become a life-long learner.' I remind myself of this daily, almost as a motto, because being a life-long learner is a commitment and can be woven into each aspect of everyday life.

In pursuit of this commitment, I chose to attend Saint Louis University (SLU) in St. Louis, MO. It was a leap of faith to attend college in a city that I was unfamiliar with and a was a six hour drive from home, but I knew this would challenge me to seek new learning opportunities, pushing me outside of my comfort zone. Having been involved in student council at CJ, I became very active in student government at SLU. The leadership lessons I learned from my time at CJ, from meetings with administrators to planning events, served as a foundation to support me in my college student government endeavors. One leadership skill that I took with me was listening with compassion. During my time at CJ, I learned a lot about listening, not only from faculty and staff, but also the service experiences. Whether it was volunteering at a food bank or a nursing home, or even taking a summer service trip, hearing about others’ lived experiences contributed to being a life-long learner.

Fast forward to now, I’ve put these learnings into practice as a professional working in public relations. Every day, I’m reminded to take a 'two ears, one mouth' approach (as I call it) when developing communications strategies to best engage various stakeholders. No day is the same, which challenges me to stay curious and remain open to learning something new—all things that being an Eagle has taught me to do.

Thank you to all who support the mission of Chaminade Julienne. Your gift not only supports current students today, but infuses a curiosity that allows us to continue to learn and serve for years to come."
- Jay Bryant '12


--This story was published on March 29, 2021. 
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