I get comments on my name quite a lot. How do you pronounce it? Who are you named for? …Were your parents hippies? (jk)

Really, there's no special or romantic story to it. I grew up in a small rural town in central Illinois and our neighboring county was Schuyler County, named after Philip Schuyler, a Major General of the American Revolution. He also had a famous cousin, another "Schuyler"—Schuyler Colfax. He was Speaker of the House under Abraham Lincoln and eventually the 17th vice president of the United States.

All this, of course, on the offhand chance that you're bulking up on fun facts for your parish's next Trivia Night.

Called by Name

All kidding aside, I think the fact that each of us has a name is so important. Not just in terms of our physical world and this life that we live on earth, but also in the context of our faith. In Isaiah 43:1, the Lord says, "I have called you by name, you are mine." This is such a wonderful reminder that God knows us intimately—he cares for us endlessly, and individually.

God's individual caring and His will for my life are something that I'm focusing on more and more as I journey through my professional life. I see the twists and turns of my education and experience, my successes (and my failures), my talents and leadership opportunities all pointing in the direction of discipleship.

I hear His calm reassurance. He's been shedding light on my faith and nudging me toward discipleship throughout my entire life. I've just been too naive to see it. From my Protestant roots to a Catholic conversion fifteen years ago, He's known my name.

A New Beginning

And that brings me here—creating a professional website that resets my professional clock and begins a transition to a career with a Catholic company.

I share this website with you as a point of reference and hope you enjoy perusing my professional background. If the opportunity presents itself, I look forward to a time when we might work together.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us.