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Alumni Spotlight — The Rev. Erica Long

May 31, 2019

I served with JSC in 2012-2013. During my time with JSC (JIP then!) I worked at the women’s halfway house at Freedom House Recovery Center. After my time with JSC, I pursued my dream to become a healthcare chaplain. I attended Harvard Divinity School and graduated with my master of divinity in 2016. During my time at Harvard, I returned to Chapel Hill to begin my clinical training at UNC Memorial Hospital in the company of my JSC family.

Today, I am a full-time chaplain at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston serving primarily in acute psychiatry and acute respiratory care. Last October, I was ordained as a Unitarian Universalist minister by Arlington Street Church with two of my roommates from JSC in attendance.

My time at JSC was incredibly healing and transformative. My relationships with my fellow Corps Members, program directors, mentor, and colleagues at Freedom House challenged me and deepened my faith and sense of self. I still consider my work in JSC as one of my proudest moments because it opened my heart and taught me to love myself and others with depth, vulnerability, and sincerity.

Alumni Reflections, Character, Co-Creation, Collaboration, Communion, Compassion, Homepage Featured, Service Corps Reflections

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About Aleta Payne

Aleta is the Executive Director of Johnson Service Corps. Before joining JSC, Aleta spent 16 years with the NC Council of Churches where she held a variety of roles, from newsletter editor to Deputy Executive Director. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in government and foreign affairs and spent much of her early career as a journalist.

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