Some people come to an ICJS Fellowship seeking to change the way they work. For a few, the experience changed where they work.
Five of ICJS’ 17 staff members—nearly a third of the organization—first came as Fellows, looking for personal or professional growth, not a new job. But somewhere along the way, their engagement with religious difference became more than a fellowship experience. It became a vocation.
Three of those Fellows-turned-staff members started working at ICJS within the past year: Jason Creeger, program director for teachers and schools); Marisa Shultz, operations and events associate; and Melissa Gerr, marketing manager. The other two are Laura Urban, director of development, and Christine Gallagher, head of program and program director for teachers and schools.
Gerr was a part of the most recent (2025–2026) Fellowship for Nonprofit and Civic Professionals cohort. Although she had the option to step away from the fellowship after she was hired, she chose to continue.
“Each person was bringing so much to the conversation—their background from a religious or non-religious standpoint, plus their professional background. The conversations were so rich and layered,” Gerr said. “They brought up things that I did not think about. I really didn’t want to give that up.”
In her work now as marketing manager, she tells stories that celebrate interreligious learning.
“Learning about different religions is a window into a lot of different worlds, and that really intrigues and excites me,” Gerr said. “What I’ve learned about other religions has really deepened the way I feel about the religion I was raised in.”
Shultz, who participated in the unique, mostly virtual COVID-era Fellowship for Teachers cohort (2020–2021) “connected so deeply with ICJS staff. Hearing their experiences, I saw my experiences both reflected in the stories that they were telling and also refracted and challenged by the stories that they were telling. It was so profound and such an eye-opening growth opportunity for me.”
Coming back to ICJS as a staff member five years later “really was just like a fish taking back to water,” Shultz said. “Everything just kind of picked up where it left off, and those relationships have only gotten deeper, because now we work together on a different level. We exchange ideas on a different level.”
Creeger was in the most recent (2025–2026) Fellowship for Teachers cohort. Because he was a religious studies teacher, bringing religion into the classroom was part of his day-to-day life. But hearing how challenging it was for other teachers showed him what pain points his future fellows might have in discussing religion in the classroom.
“I hope that the incoming cohort of Fellows gain more confidence talking about religion and engaging with religious dialogue,” he said. “I hope that they gain colleagues and friends that they can bounce ideas back and forth with. I hope that they walk away from the fellowship with different new ideas about how talking about religion in the classroom can intersect with student identity.”
Shultz also has high hopes for the incoming Fellows of all fellowships.
“Whether you are a teacher or a nonprofit leader or a member of a congregation, engaging with us in fellowship will give you the chance to deeply cultivate relationships,” they said. “And it is such an incubator for really powerful and meaningful ideas that are going to impact how you do your work.”
September 2026
Learn more about the ICJS Fellowship for Teachers, Fellowship for Nonprofit and Civic Professionals, and Fellowship for Congregations.