Peggy Hauser lives in Elm Grove and has been serving as an Ignatian Volunteer Corps member at St. Catherine’s School in Milwaukee since 2021. Upon retirement in May 2021 as a managing director for PwC and a consulting actuary, Peggy Hauser looked for a way to give back to her community in Milwaukee. She stumbled on an advertisement for a tutoring program in her church bulletin and decided that working with young children to help with their education was a perfect idea. She now volunteers at St. Catherine’s, a Seton Catholic school that focuses on providing children with an excellent, well-rounded education. In addition, Peggy volunteers with the Next Door Foundation Books for Kids program, distributing donated books to Seton students to keep,
encouraging reading at home. Every week on Thursday afternoons, Peggy goes in to meet with a variety of students to help with their reading skills. Despite having doubts because of the age range between her and the children, Peggy connects with the students and makes them feel comfortable enough to express themselves. “You form a relationship with the children, and they are genuinely just as excited to see me as I am to see them.
You hear their stories, hear about their families, and see what they like.” There is no barrier to forming close relationships, and Peggy experienced this firsthand with the students. With every passing week, Peggy learned more about her students and admired the progress she was seeing. As her involvement continued to grow, she took it upon herself to begin coordinating the tutoring program, ensuring that each session ran smoothly. Peggy now manages a group of tutor volunteers who all work with students at St. Catherine’s, and she keeps in contact with the school principal and staff. “It is so different from work, but it has been a blessing to be exposed to an area of Milwaukee that I wouldn’t go to. I appreciate that it’s a group of people I wouldn’t rub shoulders with without this opportunity.” Reflecting on her experiences, Peggy realizes the impact that St. Catherine’s tutoring program had not only on the children but on herself as well. “I feel like I get more enjoyment out of it than I am probably providing and helping kids learn, and every Thursday when I go, I have a smile on my face. It’s very rewarding, and I’ll keep doing it.”. While Peggy has enjoyed helping the children learn with each session, she has
also enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the other volunteers of St. Catherine’s and the Ignatian Volunteer Corps. She has enjoyed exploring and learning about different backgrounds, gaining a deeper connection to the
diversity within Milwaukee. “After my work life is finished, I enjoy sharing my faith with more adults who are in the same position as I am, and I have opportunities for growing my faith.” After three years of being a volunteer at St.Catherine’s, Peggy couldn’t be happier. She is grateful for this opportunity and knows that she has found her
calling as a member of the St. Catherine’s tutor group and IVC Milwaukee.