Amy Moncher is the associate director of scholarships in the Office of Financial Aid. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
How many people at DePaul can say their father and both of their grandfathers were members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul? Amy Moncher, the associate director of scholarships in the Office of Financial Aid, is one of them.
Raised in a family with six children, Moncher can remember her father going out every Tuesday night to do his work with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Milwaukee. It was something so ingrained in her life she never really thought anything of it; all her life she has known the Society of St Vincent de Paul.
“The overarching idea of understanding the privileges you have and using them to benefit others is something that my parents instilled in me from a young age,” she says.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded by Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, a then-college student looking for a way to put his faith into action. He wanted to create a group of like-minded individuals rooted in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul and follow in the footsteps of Blessed Sr. Rosalie Rendu, D.C.
Moncher recalls her father and one of his friends dedicated a generous amount of time to the society throughout her childhood. She also recently learned both her maternal and paternal grandfathers were members of the society. Moncher is no stranger to the university that shares the society’s namesake, either. Not only did she grow up in a Vincentian Catholic household, but also she holds three degrees from DePaul University.
It is evident Moncher was surrounded by the Vincentian charism and continues to live out the legacy in her day-to-day work. Serving as the associate director of scholarships for the past seven years, Moncher has helped countless students make DePaul a reality.
“I often lean into my Vincentian upbringing when helping guide students through fiscal hardships and tough conversations,” she says. “St. Vincent had a way of getting creative with the resources available in order to uphold the dignity of all people. I always try to keep that in mind and view things through the lens of our mission.”
Moncher has numerous examples of using creativity to help students attend DePaul - from teaming with colleagues to working to re-enroll students who left previously because of financial struggles. While Moncher knows she is not able to help everyone, she has had an impact on hundreds of students. Her work, like so many other offices and people at DePaul who work with students in need, carries forward the spirit and mission of Frédéric Ozanam and St. Vincent de Paul, as well as her family’s legacy.