Jul 27, 2020
In the final episode of season
one, Maura Sweeney '07 speaks with Briana Crane '00 as the Novel
Coronavirus pandemic is taking hold in the United States. As a
member of the fundraising team at Feeding America, we discuss the
critical work of her organization to serve the country during this
crisis and how Holy Cross inspired her to pursue such life-changing
work.
Interview originally recorded on April 17, 2020.
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Transcript
Briana Crane:
I truly believe that we can end hunger in this country. And I think especially with the bright light that is shining on it right now, for very unfortunate reasons, there's a new awareness and people are able to see like, "Wait, this can happen to me, or it is happening to me." And this could be a time when we can say, "Look, let's use the next few years to figure out how to end this."
Maura Sweeney:
Welcome to Mission-Driven where we speak with alumni who are leveraging their Holy Cross education to make a meaningful difference in the world around them. I'm your host, Maura Sweeney from the class of 2007, director of Alumni Career Development at Holy Cross. I'm delighted to welcome you to today's show.
In the final episode of season one, I speak with Briana Crane from the class of 2000. We speak in April, 2020 as the Novel Coronavirus pandemic is taking hold in the United States. As a member of the fundraising team at Feeding America, we discuss the critical work of her organization to serve the country during this crisis. After growing up in Chicago, she came to Holy Cross to play softball and was a member of the team when they won the Patriot League Championship her sophomore year. She jokes that she has a habit of being in the right place at the right time.
With some helpful advice from a fellow Holy Cross grad, she applied her degree in English and education to build a successful career in nonprofit fundraising. Driven by a mission to end hunger, she credits Holy Cross for living its mission and inspiring her to pursue a career focused on serving the needs of others.
Maura Sweeney:
I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak with you today, Briana. Thank you so much for joining me.
Briana Crane:
Thank you for having me. I'm excited to do this. This is a new thing for me, so I'm thrilled.
Maura Sweeney:
Well, and I should say to everyone out there, it's new for me to be hosting this podcast from my home. So this is our special edition, work from home podcast episode.
Briana Crane:
Everything has to be adjusted these days.
Maura Sweeney:
Yes.
Briana Crane:
In some way.
Maura Sweeney:
Right. So we appreciate everyone's forgiveness if weird sounds come in or the audio quality isn't quite as perfect as we might like it to be. But Briana I know you're doing such incredibly important work with Feeding America and we've been talking about some of the really cool things that some of the positive things that have come out of this pandemic. Some exciting work with Disney and ABC and Elton John. Just to kick off, you're currently working as the Managing Director of Strategic Gifts at Feeding America. That must just be so critically important right now. Could you talk to me a little bit about the organization and the work that you do?
Briana Crane:
Sure. Well, Feeding America is the largest hunger relief organization in the United States. What it is comprised of is 200 food banks that serve every county and congressional district and parish in the United States. Those food banks serves 60,000 agencies, which are pantries and schools and community centers and places where food is actually handed out to people in need. Through that network, typically we serve 40 million people a year who are what we call food insecure. So they don't always know where their next meal is coming from. That includes 12 million children and 5 million seniors in this country rely on our services. And of course, this pandemic has disrupted a lot of things in society, but it's also increase the need by a lot, about 40%.
Maura Sweeney:
Wow.
Briana Crane:
So far, I know. I mean, in the last few weeks, 22 million people have filed for unemployment. So what we're seeing and I'm sure you've seen on the news are lines of cars at food distributions. And these are people who are going to the charitable food system for the first time in their lives. I've heard people saying they wait in this line for such a long time and they get to the front and people have said we're putting food directly in cars that have low and no contact distribution. But people will say, "Do I qualify for this? Does somebody else need it more than me?"
I know. I mean, we're hearing that a lot, people they still have this guilt of going to the charitable food system, but there's plenty of food for everybody in this country. But in addition to being the largest hunger relief organization, we've also been a food rescue organization. So we're the largest food rescue organization in the country. About 70 billion pounds of food is wasted every year, and that doesn't include plate waste or what we waste in our homes.
Maura Sweeney:
Right.
Briana Crane:
So we rescue billions of pounds of that to get it to people who need it. But as you know, the food supply chain has been very disrupted in the last several weeks.
Maura Sweeney:
Yes.
Briana Crane:
So retailers don't have as much to donate, especially shelf stable food. And so the food banks have had to resort to purchasing food or finding other creative ways of getting it or even competing on the open market to purchase the food. So our expenses have gone up tremendously. It's a tragedy when we see binds of 10,000 cars at a food bank the same day that we see in the news that farmers are having to plow under or dump some of their produce and dairy farmers are having to dump some of it. The challenge with that is there's this huge quantities of not stable, not shelf stable food that's available, but there's such large quantities, it's hard for our network to absorb that and have the refrigerated trucks and be able to break it down to small household sizes in a safe way.
I mean, all of it, but I mean, the good news is our network is so sophisticated and we've been around for 40 years and we really know how to be innovative and pivot through disaster. I mean, nothing like this, of course, but the government shut down last year and hurricanes and wildfires have helped us understand how to change our operations very quickly, which we're doing.
Maura Sweeney:
Yeah, yeah.
Briana Crane:
Yeah.
Maura Sweeney:
And you don't have a choice.
Briana Crane:
Right, right.
Maura Sweeney:
Right, right. But it's true. I mean, I know I've seen on the news all of the stories about how all of the food that would normally go to restaurants, or going to schools is a different type of ... It's packaged differently. It's set up differently. It's a different quantity than what goes into grocery stores, and like you said, all of these challenges in the supply chain that it's not as easy as you would hope to just divert from one place to another. There are different systems, there are different processes that need to ...
Briana Crane:
Right. With all of the restaurants closing and most people cooking at home, you're exactly right. That's 50% of the agricultural market is food that's close to perishing, because that's when it's going to go to the restaurant. So it is hard for us to rescue and hard for us to break down, but we are doing it. We're finding lots of ways. The food industry, government agencies, local state governments are really stepping in to help us find solutions.
Maura Sweeney:
That's fantastic. I do want to make sure we get to some of those success stories and some of those bright spots.
Briana Crane:
Sure.
Maura Sweeney:
Well, I also want to learn about you and about your background. These episodes are about you and about our alumni. So backing up a little bit, I'd love to know where you grew up and what your childhood was like.
Briana Crane:
Okay. Well, I grew up in Libertyville, Illinois, which is a suburb about 30 miles North of Chicago. I'm the youngest of four children. My sisters are 15 and 13 years older than me. So I kind of had three mothers in the house, which is awesome. My brother is two years older than me. All of them still live around Chicago. And my parents, they're all in the suburbs. I live in the city. I had a wonderful upbringing and being aware of helping others and being kind to others was something that's always been very instilled in me and the importance of family and community. I was very fortunate. I had a lot of advantages in growing up and I've always been very aware of that.
Maura Sweeney:
I can kind of get a sense that that inspired you to pursue the kind of work that you do. So how did Holy Cross get on your radar and what made you choose to come East and to become a Crusader?
Briana Crane:
Right. Again, I was very lucky. I, of course, knew about Holy Cross and my parents knew Holy Cross very well. I didn't have any relatives that had attended the school, but I played softball. I was looking for an opportunity to play softball in college, and I sent through a program at the time. I sent a tape out to about 300 and some schools all over the country to try and get interest. One of the handful of schools that called was Holy Cross. I remember coming back from the movies and having this voicemail message from the softball coach at the time, his name was Fran Dyson. I was so excited that they wanted me to come visit the campus over Labor Day weekend, and I did, and it was pouring rain when I ...
Maura Sweeney:
I swear Worcester has wonderful days and yet so many times the rain and the snow really interrupt that.
Briana Crane:
I know, I know, but poor Coach Dyson was standing out in the rain and we had gotten lost. Of course, my mom and I had never been to Massachusetts before, and navigating how to get there, especially at the time without our cell phones and everything else that we have. So poor Coach Dyson had been standing out in the rain for over an hour waiting for me and he was such a sweet man. I know.
But then the next day the rain had stopped, the campus fully bloomed for me. And it's the most gorgeous place you can attend school at, in my opinion. I had such a wonderful time spending the weekend there and just fell in love with it. It was the only option for me. Of course, I had backups, but my expectations were high that I really wanted to go to Holy Cross. And I'm really glad I did.
Maura Sweeney:
That's wonderful. Well, I'm glad that you did get one nice day because I am. I'm impressed by the people who see Worcester in the snow, see it in the rain and trust us and choose to come to campus anyway.
Briana Crane:
The campus does know how to show off when it wants to.
Maura Sweeney:
It's true. It's true. I know. I always feel for the students because the campus is at its most beautiful in the summer and no one is there, except for the staff and visitors, but we fully enjoy it. But I know students always leave right as the peak is beginning.
Briana Crane:
Right. Yes.
Maura Sweeney:
Well, and so I know in addition to softball that you were an English major and you also completed the teacher education program.
Briana Crane:
I did.
Maura Sweeney:
And so many people, including myself, tend to have a circuitous route through their career. So I'd love to know a little bit about your decision to pursue English and teaching, and then how it shifted a little bit to what you're doing today.
Briana Crane:
Sure. I went through the program at Holy Cross and did my student teaching at Burncoat High School, which was a wonderful experience. One that I really enjoyed, and I'm very passionate about literature and sharing knowledge with others and really enjoyed teaching. But it was very hard after I graduated to find a position as an English teacher. I was certified in Massachusetts and Illinois. I was kind of looking in both places and I was working at Barnes & Noble, natural choice for an English major because I could spend hours in that store to this day, trying to kind of figure out what I wanted to do and should I go into a master's program that will give me an extra advantage?
I did move back to Chicago after about a year being in Boston, after graduation because of 9/11. I wanted to be closer to my family, as a lot of people did after that terrible tragedy. When I moved back to Chicago, a fellow alum from Holy Cross who had lived in my dorm freshman year, called me and said, "Hey, I'm working for this consulting firm that works with nonprofits. And it's something that you would really love doing. And they hire from Holy Cross all the time." They recruit at Holy Cross. And it's a great training ground to get into this industry of fundraising and development. And it's something that it's becoming more part of mainstream professional development and now schools have tracks for development.
But at the time I had no idea that it existed, but I did interview with CCS and started working for them. My first client was the Catholic church in Illinois on a campaign and then worked with every size and sector of nonprofit over the course of the next 13 years and really enjoyed the relationships that I developed there, the knowledge I was able to gain there and seeing different aspects of how the development departments work.
I always knew about Feeding America and the food banks had been our clients as well. I admired how smart everybody there was, and I admired their mission. I thought hunger, that's such a solvable issue. Everyone in this country should have access to food. So when they started developing a major gifts program, one of my colleagues went from being a consultant to being in charge of that program and working with them full time. And he came to me because I was doing some recruitment and my life has been a series of being in the right place at the right time, I think. But he came to me and he said, "You're recruiting people and I'm looking to build my team. Do you know anybody that would be interested?" I just raised my hand.
Maura Sweeney:
That's kind of recruitment.
Briana Crane:
And he said, "Really? When do you want to start?" And so that was seven years ago and it's been just a dream job for me. And even during this horrible crisis, I feel very lucky waking up each day. And not only knowing that I still have a job, but knowing that my job is making a difference for people in some way.
Maura Sweeney:
Right. Right. I know. Because I think, especially in times of tragedy, it's when people are called to give and to help. And I think one of the most challenging things is when you feel like you can't help or you don't know how, and I just think I can imagine it must feel so incredibly rewarding to know that you really are making a difference. And like you said, over 40 million lives, that's huge.
Briana Crane:
Right. Yes. I mean, I think the real heroes right now are the people who are at the pantries and distribution centers and who are handing the food out to people and the volunteers and the national guard in a lot of states has stepped in to help where we don't have volunteers. I think those are the people that are really incredible right now. They're putting their health at risk.
Maura Sweeney:
Right. Right. Yeah. Thank goodness for these success stories and for these kind of beacons of hope. Because I think looking at our health care workers and looking at volunteers like this, our frontline, all these people who are stepping up, it really does make you feel good about people and feel good about our community.
Briana Crane:
Yeah. I do feel like for the most part, everyone wants to show each other kindness, especially now. And it's really coming out of how can we help each other. It's been an incredible outpouring of support, not just for Feeding America, but for every nonprofit that's involved right now. And even in small ways, what people are doing for each other to help out is really heartening to see.
Maura Sweeney:
Yes. Yes. Well, as you've transitioned to fundraising, do you feel like you've found your calling? It sounds like it's true.
Briana Crane:
I do. Yes. I love what I'm doing. I've never wanted to leave Feeding America, but I've had just through different connections, some opportunities come up where it was a mission that I believed in, but not quite as strongly as Feeding America or a position that maybe wasn't as direct front line fundraising. What I really like about fundraising is I get to work with philanthropists all over the country, very generous people, no matter what level of giving they're at.
I get to help them feel more engaged with the causes that they're supporting and get them more directly connected and working with these wonderful people has been such an incredible experience and learning from them and understanding where they're coming from and their points of view. People give to hunger for many different reasons, and they give from both sides of the aisle and it's a nonpartisan issue.
Maura Sweeney:
Right. Right.
Briana Crane:
Yeah.
Maura Sweeney:
Well, and given the nature of this podcast being Mission-Driven, is there a particular mission that drives your work and that keeps you motivated to do this important work every day?
Briana Crane:
Yes. I mean, I truly believe that we can end hunger in this country. And I think especially with the bright light that is shining on it right now, for very unfortunate reasons, there's a new awareness and people are able to see like, "Wait, this can happen to me, or it is happening to me." And this could be a time when we can say, "Look, let's use the next few years to figure out how to end this." I think that motivates me and thinking there can be a future where everyone has access to food and how much stronger would our health care system be? How much stronger would our education system be and our workforce, if everyone had nutritious food?
Maura Sweeney:
Right. Right. Well, and how does the Holy Cross mission kind of weave into that and influence your passion for this work and the way that you live your life?
Briana Crane:
Yeah. Well, I mean, from the moment I stepped on campus, I was always impressed with the men and women for others and how much that was a huge part of the community there. I did take part in the student athletes speakers bureau, and working with the community as an athlete and mentoring young kids in Worcester. I think I mentioned to you last time we talked, it was my senior year when we had a major tragedy in Worcester that really brought the community together, was a warehouse fire, and 10 firemen lost their lives in that fire.
The whole community came out in support of their family and their children. And first responders came from all over the world to attend their services because it was at the time of the worst first responder tragedy in the country. Holy Cross opened its doors to these first responders and they slept in the Hart Center. We really showed support and caring. I mean, we were literally a campus on a hill, overlooking a city that in many cases has poverty and problems. And to see that the campus community really cares about the city and the people in it always impressed me.
And after that fire I saw the Red Cross. I saw the Salvation Army. I saw all of these nonprofits that were coming together to support the community, including Holy Cross. And I thought this is something that will always be important to me is being a part of solutions in my community. I joined the Red Cross not long after that and I've been a volunteer with them for about 20 years.
Maura Sweeney:
Oh, wow.
Briana Crane:
Yeah.
Maura Sweeney:
Wow. I think it's wonderful to hear that story and to be reminded of that today. Because I know I read something just in the past week that Holy Cross is opening up Lehy and offering that as a place for first responders in the Worcester area who aren't comfortable going home.
Briana Crane:
Oh, that's great.
Maura Sweeney:
Yeah.
Briana Crane:
That's great to hear.
Maura Sweeney:
Yes. Yeah. So it's nice to kind of be reminded of just how strong and how present that same mission is at the college and really them living that mission and the impact of it passing along to you to continue to live that mission and move it forward is really wonderful.
Briana Crane:
Yeah.
Maura Sweeney:
Well, and I know at the beginning we talked about the work that you're doing at Feeding America, and I'd love to know a little bit about we were talking about some of the fun things that are happening. Some of the people who are coming out of the woodwork to really enhance your work, to get the word out there about the great work that you're doing. I'd love to hear some of the success stories that you've seen. Because I think a lot of people need hope right now.
Briana Crane:
Yes. It's been so inspiring to see the people who are calling us every day and asking how they can help and/or activating on their own or through their channels, through social media, donating everything that they're doing to drive awareness. One of the things that was very special to me was I got to work with the team at the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and Cal Ripken is a hero of mine. Somebody who played softball my whole life and fellow baseball. And the foundation has always been very active in communities all over the country, working with boys and girls clubs and building fields. They decided very early on in this pandemic, they reached out to us and said, "Look, we're going switch. Our foundation is going to switch all its funding to Feeding America during this crisis."
Maura Sweeney:
Wow.
Briana Crane:
So we're going to discontinue what we're doing for now and Cal Ripken Jr. himself joined social media for the first time in his life to help promote it.
Maura Sweeney:
I feel like that's a win.
Briana Crane:
Yeah. And he posted videos and he's a very articulate, genuine, wonderful human being. He has a wonderful team and they've been just very helpful and a joy to work with. And they've raised a lot of money and awareness for Feeding America. So that was a dream of mine to work with one of my heroes.
Maura Sweeney:
Yes.
Briana Crane:
And Jeremy Lin, who's a former NBA player and he posted a very powerful story on his Facebook page because he's somebody who lives between China and the United States. And he's seen some of the negative effects of the pandemic and he's really worked to address some himself, it very much paints him as somebody who has residents in both places, especially. And he's been very thoughtful in how he's engaged with us and very generous.
And not just the celebrities and the athletes who of course have wonderful platforms and we're so thankful they're using them in a positive way right now, especially while they're at home. But people who are just going online and giving $5 or posting something on their Facebook page or bringing food to their neighbors or offering to pick up food for their neighbors, all of those small acts of kindness, and they're not small to the person receiving them, are making a huge difference too.
Maura Sweeney:
Yeah. I mean, I must say ever since we started talking about this podcast, there's a ... My town is a small town in Metro West of Boston and we have our own food bank, I thought, "Oh, I need to make more of an effort with them," because I think like you said, starting in your own community helps you to see the impact of the work that you're having and really can help. I think those small acts do make such a huge difference.
Briana Crane:
Yes, absolutely. Yeah.
Maura Sweeney:
Yeah.
Briana Crane:
Some of our partners are doing really creative things and fun things to not just drive support and awareness, but also raise people's spirits. There's a clothing line in LA, Fred Segal. I did an Instagram live with them last week and because they're a higher end clothing line, they're having all their followers do a clubbing night in where they get dressed up at night, most of them and put on makeup and the whole nine yards.
Maura Sweeney:
That's amazing.
Briana Crane:
And then they post it on their social media. It's kind of cool. Yeah.
Maura Sweeney:
I feel like I could say my two young daughters and I could have ... We have a clubbing night in at least once a day. It's a little lower class I would say, but we certainly could.
Briana Crane:
That's so fun. I'm glad you're doing that. They're going to remember that for the rest of their lives.
Maura Sweeney:
Yes. Yeah. Well, and so I'd love to wrap up with some speed round questions.
Briana Crane:
Okay.
Maura Sweeney:
If you're ready for those.
Briana Crane:
Sure.
Maura Sweeney:
Just some quick questions for quick answers. No need to think too much about it in advance.
Briana Crane:
Okay.
Maura Sweeney:
So since you live in Chicago, what's the best place to visit as a tourist?
Briana Crane:
Oh, there are so many. The architectural boat tour.
Maura Sweeney:
I've actually been on that one and it was fantastic.
Briana Crane:
I've been on it several times and I never get tired. I think it's the number one thing. And to see the skyline and be on the river, it's the number one thing to do in Chicago?
Maura Sweeney:
Yes. Yes. I agree with that completely. This might be controversial. Best restaurant.
Briana Crane:
Oh gosh. There are so many in Chicago. That's a tough one. I'll have to say Girl and the Goat.
Maura Sweeney:
Great, great. And what kind of food is that?
Briana Crane:
It's American food, but she was on Top Chef, the chef.
Maura Sweeney:
Oh nice. Nice.
Briana Crane:
Yeah. So it's one of the ... It can be hard to get into, but it's also achievable.
Maura Sweeney:
Oh good, good. Of your four years on campus, which was your favorite year?
Briana Crane:
I enjoyed every year, but I guess my favorite year would be my sophomore year. My softball team, we're still very close to this day. We had a Zoom get together a few weeks ago. And my sophomore year was the year we won the Patriot League Championship for the first and only time in Holy Cross history for the women's softball team.
Maura Sweeney:
Wow.
Briana Crane:
Yeah.
Maura Sweeney:
Oh my gosh.
Briana Crane:
Yeah. So that was really exciting and fun, and one of the best memories of my life with that team.
Maura Sweeney:
Yeah. That's wonderful. It's so fabulous to know you're still in touch.
Briana Crane:
Yeah. I've been to most of their weddings. We got together last year. It was the 20th anniversary of winning the Patriot League Championship. So we all got together in Connecticut and had a wonderful time.
Maura Sweeney:
Oh, that's awesome.
Briana Crane:
So those are friendships that will always last.
Maura Sweeney:
Yeah. Yeah. What was your favorite dorm?
Briana Crane:
Mulledy.
Maura Sweeney:
Freshman year dorms. You can't beat them.
Briana Crane:
Yeah, I was there two years and I just loved Mulledy. It was the farthest possible from everything.
Maura Sweeney:
Yes.
Briana Crane:
But I love it. What dorm were you in?
Maura Sweeney:
I was in Hanselman.
Briana Crane:
Okay.
Maura Sweeney:
Yep. Yeah. I was in the first year program, so we were ...
Briana Crane:
Oh right, yeah.
Maura Sweeney:
Yes, so we were all in Hanselman, but I know from everyone I've talked to, it seems like wherever you lived freshman year, it just sticks with you.
Briana Crane:
It does. Yes.
Maura Sweeney:
Yeah. What was your favorite Holy Cross tradition when you were a student?
Briana Crane:
Oh my gosh. My favorite tradition, I think I'll have to say Cape Week was my favorite tradition. It was such a fun release after finals to go down there. I was with girlfriends and we weren't in like the fun, it was called a Thunderbird, like really the motel or something that was on the Cape. We stayed in like kind of nice houses, nicer houses that were like not close to all the craziness. So we had really nice fun time. I remember when my senior year of Cape Week was the last episode of Beverly Hills 90210.
Maura Sweeney:
Oh, wow.
Briana Crane:
So like 50 girls gathered in a room together to watch the last episode of Beverly Hills 90210.
Maura Sweeney:
That is another strong memory, I'm sure.
Briana Crane:
Yeah, it is.
Maura Sweeney:
Well, and what I loved about Cape Week too, is that everyone else thinks you're crazy because it's like 50 degrees on the Cape, but it's not a time to be going to the beach or to be vacationing, and yet all of Holy Cross kind of descends. Which makes it wonderful, because then it feels like aside from the people who live there year round who I think tolerate us for a few days.
Briana Crane:
Right. Those poor people.
Maura Sweeney:
But at least they bring business, so that's something.
Briana Crane:
Right. Exactly.
Maura Sweeney:
Who was your favorite professor?
Briana Crane:
Professor Wong, and she was in the English department and I'm not sure she's still there. I don't think she is, but she taught 18th century lit and she would often buy lunch for the whole class because our class time was right around lunchtime. I remember when I got Wong, that's what people called her. They'd say, "Oh, you got Wong. You're in trouble. She's really hard." I didn't find her that hard. I mean, she was challenging, but 18th century lit is challenging, but she was such a wonderful person and made coming to class fun and interesting. I think she was my favorite.
Maura Sweeney:
Well, and it's often those professors that people say watch out for them, they're so hard. Those are the people you learn from the most.
Briana Crane:
Right. Exactly. Yeah.
Maura Sweeney:
Yes. Yeah. What was your favorite class?
Briana Crane:
Kennedy to Watergate was my favorite class. It was a history class and I spent ... It was really interesting, of course, time period in United States history. But I spent hours in the Holy Cross archives because I was not just ... One of my term papers was about Holy Cross during that time period and what the campus went through, and so much happened at Holy Cross during that time. We talked about the hepatitis outbreak with the football team that happened around that period, and going through the newspaper articles and even the campus, Clarence Thomas was the editor of the paper and lived in the basement of one of the dorms. It was just so interesting everything that happened on campus during that time. So that was my favorite class and really resonated with me, always stayed with me.
Maura Sweeney:
That is cool. I mean, it's true. I mean, Holy Cross is a long history, but it's kind of wild to look back, not that far ago and to see the kind of impact and kind of connections that there are. So I have one last question for you.
Briana Crane:
Okay.
Maura Sweeney:
What's the best thing about being a Holy Cross alumna?
Briana Crane:
The best thing is the sense of community that you keep for the rest of your life. I think anytime you run into another Holy Cross alum, whether you knew them or not, or whatever class they're from, there's a sense of community and connection to them. And it's been very impactful for me throughout my career. It's been every job I've had or career choice I've made have been through connections from Holy Cross. And that's something that's very important to me to pass on.
I just got an email this morning about the virtual shadowing program and who I'm getting paired up with, and I've been able to do that for several years and I really enjoy it and encouraging young kids the way I was encouraged by older alumni, I think that's a big thing. There's a robust alumni group here in Chicago.
Maura Sweeney:
Well, and it's one of the wonderful things too, is that no matter where you go in the world, somehow Holy Cross people tend to come out of the woodwork in a really wonderful way.
Briana Crane:
They do. Absolutely.
Maura Sweeney:
Yes. Well, this has been a real pleasure, Briana. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me about your history, your background and just the incredible work that you're doing right now.
Briana Crane:
Thank you. Thank you for doing this and doing this different format with me. I really appreciate it.
Maura Sweeney:
Oh my pleasure. And to all of you out there, thanks for putting up with any background noise that we might have. I’ve got a barking dog upstairs who's dying for something. Thank you very much. Take care, Briana.
Briana Crane:
All right. You too. Take care, everybody.
Maura Sweeney:
That's our show. I hope you enjoyed hearing about just one of the many ways that Holy Cross alumni have been inspired by the mission to be men and women for and with others. A special thanks to today's guest, and everyone at Holy Cross who has contributed to making this podcast a reality.
If you or someone you know would like to be featured on this podcast, please send us an email at alumnicareers@holycross.edu. If you like what you hear, then please leave us a review.
This podcast is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations at the College of the Holy Cross. You can subscribe for future episodes wherever you find your podcasts. I'm your host, Maura Sweeney, and this is Mission-Driven. In the words of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, "Now, go forth and set the world on fire."
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Theme music composed by Scott Holmes, courtesy of freemusicarchive.org.