Meet Edith Avila Olea

Edith Avila Olea was born in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico but grew up in Newnan, GA. Her family moved to the United States when she was just a baby. She considers herself a person of two worlds as is thankful to be bilingual and bicultural. She's been graced with the understanding that she is neither from here nor from there; "I am here, but made for heaven. I find great rest in that thought." She recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication with a concentration in leadership and organization and a minor in management from Shorter University, a small private Christian school. During the summer of 2013, she served the Diocese of Joliet as the Catholic Campaign for Human Development Intern. It is thanks to that internship that she is here today.

Currently, she serves as the Parish Outreach and Board of Young Professionals Coordinator for Catholic Charities, for the Diocese of Joliet. She builds and mends relationships between agencies and Catholic parishes. She collaborates with pastors, St. Vincent de Paul chapters and lay leaders to find ways to serve together as one Church. She also works with a growing board of 60 young adults members. Their mission is to serve their community, build young leaders and impact lives. The group follows Jesus’ model of servant leadership. In the summer of 2015, she received the Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award given to a young adult dedicated to social justice. She says,

"I still learning to accept the responsibility that comes from laying your life down for Jesus. I firmly believe that justice is perfected by love. I also believe that every person has a story of love written every single day. This is why I get excited when I think about communication including the new media. It is truly a privilege to be able to be a part of the story-telling component of this V Encuentro movement."

Edith Avila Olea currently serves as New Media Encuentro Representative for Region 7. 2016 © Edith Avila Olea. All Rights reserved. Photos by Edith Avila ©.