Tell us a little about yourself… Where you’re from, what year are you, what’s your major, what do you do in your free time?
Well…I like to do a lot of exciting things. I’ve traveled all over the world, I did service work in Ghana, Africa for 20 days. I like to sky dive and plan on getting certified. I play sports, I’ve played soccer my whole life but I don’t play here. I am from Scranton, PA and I’m a sophomore business administration major. In my free time I like to be outdoors and with my friends and family…
What are some of the extracurricular activities you are involved with on campus?
Some of my extracurricular activities include, Apex. I went to Kingstown Virginia last year and I am doing it again this year. I also play on an intramural volleyball team at school. I work for the TRO (telephonic research operator) on campus. I’m signed up for weekly service too, but scheduling conflicts don’t let me attend as much as I would like to.
How did you get involved in service work originally?
My parents have always emphasized service so I’ve been brought up with that influence. I was a team leader at my grade school, which is like the president, the school was divided into two teams (blue and white) and I was the president of the blue team. We had a competition to see who could get more points by doing community service, so that’s when I really got involved in service… it started out as a competition but when I went to high school I started to value and really appreciate doing service.
What are some ways kids should get involved with service on campus or in general?
I think good way for people to get involved is by going to the service fairs on campus and in Campion and seeing the options they have and the different types of service works they can do. There is a ton of different ways service can be done. I think service has a stigma of being boring but it can be really fun and you meet a lot of great people. People should get involved any way they can. They can volunteer at events for charity, work with different organizations like habitat for humanity or meals on wheels or any other local organization. Service can be done anywhere.
Why did you choose to do Apex and did you like it?
I choose to do apex because I think service work is very important to have in life. I believe that you learn lessons in doing work for others that you can’t learn anywhere else in life. I think it helps you grow and mature. You get the chance to see things from someone else’s point of view and you realize how fortunate and unfortunate some people really are. It makes you appreciate what you have and not to take things for granted. I absolutely loved apex. I was able to meet so many great people from Saint Joe’s that I probably wouldn’t have met if I didn’t sign up. I also got to help people less fortunate than me and learned so many things from them. The trip brought me closer to myself and to people I never thought I would meet.