In his current role as Cook County Sheriff, Tom Dart, a 1980 graduate of Mount Carmel, can’t always make his kids’ soccer games or chess matches.  Even when he does, as soon as they’re completed he usually must head back to his home office for another two or three hours of work.

Dart attributes at least part of that selfless commitment to the work ethic he developed at MC.  Like so may others, he still remembers the motto that hung on the wall of the Student Center, and now also is displayed in the new Commons:  “If you care to struggle and work hard, you will leave a (better) man.”

Dart recently was honored with the 2015 Catholic Lawyer of the Year award, which he called “a great honor,” as well as “a reminder that I am still a lawyer.” The award is given annually to a Chicago lawyer “who has brought Christ to the world through the practice of law.”

For Dart, his entire life, including his experiences growing up in a Catholic household, going to a Catholic high school and Catholic colleges, has led to this award. “It’s a cumulative effect, always having a Catholic presence in my life.”

There’s no question that Dart’s job as Cook County Sheriff is a very demanding one, one which easily could challenge one’s faith in humanity.   For that reason, Dart tries to keep his faith in mind, and his priorities in order.

With over 7,000 employees and almost 12,000 inmates under his jurisdiction, and responsibility for law enforcement in the second largest county in all of the United States, “One of the hardest things to do . . . is staying focused on the bigger picture.” For Dart, that “bigger picture” involves his commitment to social justice.

For example, he is committed to helping the lowest income areas in the county to become better, safer areas to live in. One example is his attention to the suburb of Robbins, Illinois.  Dart became aware that the high crime, low income area had over 250 untested rape kits and other major problems in the police department. In response, over the last two years he assigned sheriff deputies to take over policing for that community, and now is confident that Robbins is “slowly starting to bounce back.”

While tackling challenges such as that may seem daunting, Dart is encouraged by those days when he can see some progress on his social justice agenda.  For example, he points to programs he has established that seek to help inmates in Cook County correctional facilities become better people. “It’s rewarding to see the work that I have done affecting people in a good way.”

Some who are concerned about the relationship between church and state might question a public figure such as Dart who is unapologetic about the role his faith plays in fulfilling his responsibilities as an elected official.

However, the truth is that the term “separation of Church and State” is not found anywhere in the Constitution.  In fact, the First Amendment guarantees three rights : 1) that “citizens are free to embrace or reject a faith; 2) that any support for religion – financial or physical – must be voluntary; and 3) that all religions are equal in the eyes of the law with no special preference or favoritism.”

Dart recognizes the separation (of Church and State) that concerns many.  But he also believes that “it’s not a bad thing” to be able to draw strength and direction from his faith.

Thirty-six years ago, a group of young men accepted their diplomas and set out to make their mark on the world.  Like so many others, Tom Dart continues to “struggle and work” at making that world a better place for others.