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Humanitarian Service Award Winner

The Humanitarian Service Award is presented for exceptional service to humanity through civic, faith-based or educational endeavors.

Jane Schissel ’83 – Humanitarian Service Award 

Since graduating from Clarke in 1983, Jane Schissel has dedicated her life to serving others through education, advocacy, faith, and community outreach. From classrooms and libraries in Colorado to housing and feeding individuals experiencing homelessness today, her work has consistently centered on dignity, compassion, and opportunity for all people.

After graduating from Clarke, Jane began a lifelong career in education that shaped the lives of countless students across Colorado and Illinois. She taught social studies at St. Scholastica, served as principal at two schools, taught at Carmel High School in Mundelein, Illinois, and later became part of the founding team that launched the Girls Division at Regis Jesuit High School in Denver, helping create expanded educational opportunities for young women in Catholic education. Her administrative experience would later prove invaluable in her leadership roles beyond the classroom.

Throughout her career, Jane focused on creating opportunities for students to learn, grow, and engage with the world around them. At Broomfield High School in the Boulder Valley School District, she led a complete renovation of the school library through $850,000 in bond funding, developed innovative library programs, and created a welcoming space that supported student learning and connection. She also became known for her commitment to Holocaust awareness education and was recognized with an Impact on Education Award from Boulder Valley School District, along with recognition from the State of Colorado for her contributions to education. In one initiative, she invited students to pay library fines with canned food donations for local food pantries, resulting in more than 800 pounds of food collected for families in need. The program was so successful that the school eventually eliminated library fines altogether.

Her work in education earned statewide recognition. Jane received the Highly Effective Schools Through Libraries designation from the Colorado Department of Education and Colorado State Library, and in 2021 was recognized with a letter of merit from Congressman Joe Neguse for her leadership and dedication to students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even beyond the classroom, Jane continued building opportunities for young people to engage with service and social justice. Through her involvement with PeaceJam, she mentored students as they studied the lives and work of Nobel Peace Prize laureates and participated in service projects inspired by their examples. Nelson Mandela served as a primary source of inspiration for many of these efforts. Alongside her students, Jane also had opportunities to meet numerous Nobel Peace Prize recipients, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Oscar Arias, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Jody Williams, Betty Williams, Máiread Corrigan Maguire, José Ramos-Horta, and Shirin Ebadi.

Jane loved her work with the Boulder Valley School District and chose to retire early only after Sr. Karen Bland, OSB, persistently encouraged her to consider a new chapter of service in Grand Junction, Colorado. In 2024, she joined Catholic Outreach as assistant executive director and became executive director in 2025. Jane credits Sr. Karen’s encouragement and belief in her abilities as the catalyst for this transition and remains grateful for the opportunity to work alongside her in service to those experiencing homelessness and those at risk of losing stable housing.

Today, Jane oversees a large community effort dedicated to serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness and poverty. Alongside a staff of 16 and more than 500 volunteers, Catholic Outreach provides meals, food pantry services, clothing assistance, laundry facilities, eviction prevention programs, and transitional housing support. Jane also helps lead housing initiatives such as Mother Teresa Place, which opened in 2025.

“This is not a position I sought,” Jane shares. “It was an invitation to serve.”

Her work continues to reflect the BVM Core Values of education, charity, freedom, and justice that first took root during her time at Clarke. She has remained connected to the university through annual giving, estate support, and efforts to help future education students pursuing teaching licenses.

“The values cultivated at Clarke became an integral part of who I am,” she says. “They provided a strong foundation for both my personal and professional life.”

Whether supporting students, preserving community history, mentoring young leaders, or helping individuals move from homelessness into stable housing, Jane’s work has consistently focused on restoring dignity, building belonging, and creating hope for others. She describes her work with Catholic Outreach as both challenging and rewarding, and remains deeply committed to serving those in need throughout the Grand Junction community.