RSVP HERE for one of our open houses on Sunday, September 20th or Wednesday, September 23rd. Can't make it? We'll follow-up with you!
Vision: A summer that could change your life
For close to 25 years, Vision conferences have been helping high school students better understand their gifts and how to live them out in service to the world. Throughout that time, Vision has been hiring and forming a community of 50-60 student “Mentors-in-Faith” from Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s & Holy Cross College to act as the primary leaders of these conferences. Vision mentors can be freshmen through graduating seniors and represent a multitude of academic disciplines, interests and activities. Over the course of a summer, mentors will lead small groups, facilitate dynamic music for the program, act as dorm counselors, and accompany the high school students as they share their stories.
Application Timeline:
- Sunday, September 20th, 2026: Application Opens & Open House #1
7:00-8:00 p.m. Geddes Hall Basement - Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026: Open House #2 & Application OPENS
7:00-8:00 p.m. Geddes Hall Basement - Monday, October 26th, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.: Applications Close
- Wednesday, October 28th- Friday, November 6th, 2026: Mentor-in-Faith Interviews
Mentor Role Important/Required Dates
- December 7th, 2026
- June 1-5, 2027: Band of Saint Cecilia Bootcamp and Rehearsals
- June 7-11, 2027: Retreat Week
- June 14-18, 2027: Orientation Week
- June 21-25, 2027: Vision Week 1
- June 25-27, 2027: Vision 25 Year Reunion
- June 28-29, 2027: Formational Interlude
- July 5-9, 2027: Vision Week 2
- July 10, 2027: Closing Retreat for Mentors
Vision Mentor-in-Faith Financial Package
Recommend a current ND, SMC, HCC student who'd make a great Mentor-in-Faith!
Want to learn more about our Mentor roles?
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Mentor Position One-on-Ones
- If you’d like to speak more in depth with a former mentor about the small group or music mentor role, you can use this Google Form and one of our mentors will follow-up with you!!
- If you’d like to speak more in depth with a former mentor about the small group or music mentor role, you can use this Google Form and one of our mentors will follow-up with you!!
Vision Media
The Mentor Role
Undergraduates at Notre Dame, Saint Mary's, and Holy Cross College can apply to serve in the following roles: Click here to learn more.
| Small Group Mentor | Music Mentor | Master Mentor |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
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| Facilitate small group discussions and serve as dorm counselors | Lead music for the program and work in small groups | Return for a second summer and help lead new mentors |
Other testimonials:
Tirza, (2013 Vision Mentor) wife, mother of 2 children 2-and-under, and a school-based speech-language-pathologist
My summer as a Vision Mentor helped shape the rest of my Notre Dame experience and continues to inform all areas of my life. What I learned both through the class and my time as a mentor changed how I approach liturgy, and how I support and dialogue around liturgical experiences for my family. Going through the process of accompanying both teens and other mentors in simultaneous yet differing roles became something that impacted me later on as a resident assistant, as a graduate clinician, as a practicing SLP (speech-language pathologist), and as a wife & mother.
Colleen, (2017 Vision Music Mentor) high school theology teacher in Omaha, Nebraska.
My experience with Notre Dame Vision led me directly to my current career, but more importantly, it reshaped the way I understand God and the way He works in my life. During the Vision class, I was asked to craft a "story of grace," which prompted reflection on the ways in which God's grace had been operating in my life up to that point. That reflection has continued to shape the way I see God leading me in my daily life, and it has helped me develop a greater trust in God's consistent care for me through all the phases of my life. Please consider serving through Notre Dame Vision - it will change you in ways you would never anticipate!
FAQs
- There is no one singular profile of a Vision mentor and they do NOT need to be a theology major. Candidates come from all sorts of backgrounds! Seventeen members of our team each year commit to music ministry, so any musicians are desirable candidates. Successful candidates have a good sense of their own story and the opportunities/challenges that have been present along the way on their journey of faith. We look for students who can be a witness to their story for others and be a generous collaborator and teammate.
- No, they do not. Each year, we admit non-Catholic mentors to serve as a part of our community. While the conference and formation are animated by a Catholic imagination, we emphasize the baptismal vocation and call of the Christian, recognizing that we are all created to live in relationship with God by using our gifts for the benefit of our neighbor and the glory of God.
- Each Mentor will complete a 3.0 credit theology course (Vocation and the Catholic Imagination) designed specifically for Notre Dame Vision, as well as a series of pastoral skills workshops prior to serving in our summer conferences (for a total of 5.0 credits). The workshops will attend to the themes of communication, small group facilitation, faith sharing, holistic hospitality, and sharing stories of faith.
- For 2025-26, the Vocation and the Catholic Imagination course will be offered in the spring semester. Since the theological course taken in preparation for being a Vision mentor is an essential piece of formation, it is expected that mentors will take this course in preparation for their service. Any exceptions to this expectation are limited and will be considered on an individual basis. If you have any questions or wish to inquire about this option, please reach out to Program Director, Craig Gould.
- For their work, each mentor will receive a stipend, free room and board during the summer of service as well as extensive training and formation throughout the spring and summer of 2025. Small Group Mentors receive a $2500 stipend, Music Mentors will receive $2800 and Master Mentors will receive $2900. Click here to learn more about the total compensation and costs for serving as a Mentor-in-Faith.
Sign up for updates on the application process for the Fall of 2026.
Fear comes from thinking you’re alone. Notre Dame Vision confronted me with real community and told me not to be afraid.
Serving as a Notre Dame Vision Mentor-in-Faith gave me a glimpse of how God would reveal Jesus to me: through listening to and walking with young people.
