School: Santa Fe College
Year: Sophomore
House: Hartman-Kiwanis
Coming into college, I had no idea what to expect. I heard horror stories about professors, awful roommates, and gross food. Saying that I was nervous when I came up for my interview was an understatement. I knew that this was make or break. The only way that I would be able to attend college away from home and pursue my dreams, was to live at Southern Scholarship Foundation.
A little while later, I received the wonderful news that I had been accepted and placed in the Hartman-Kiwanis Scholarship House. I was nervous about the new environment at first, but as I met the men of the house and grew closer to each of them, my outlook changed. Two seniors, Joel Brown and Chase Chambers, immediately took me under their wings. These two young men had no reason to drag a young and constantly questioning freshman around with them everywhere they went, but they did.
These two are the type of guys that have literally given the jackets off of their backs, for those in need, and never expect anything in return. I remember one time, after just a few weeks of knowing each other, Joel took care of me during an unbearable migraine, coupled with muscle cramps, and vomiting. He cut up fruit, made a gallon of Gatorade, and held me up when my legs would no longer support my own body. He didn’t leave my side. This kind of friendship is rare. Through Joel and Chase’s servant leadership, I learned more about life and people than any class in college could ever teach me. They would continuously inspire me and encourage me in all that I did. Joel and Chase were the older brothers that I never had. Everything they did, was to make me better. Although they have both moved on to grad school in different locations, I believe that their legacy lives out through me.
I cannot express enough how much the people I have met in this organization have positively impacted and changed my life. My goal is to be to others, what Joel and Chase were to me. They have inspired me to be a leader and make a difference. I now serve as an ambassador for SSF, as well as, Santa Fe College and get the opportunity to pour my life into others every single day. I’ll never be able to truly express or truly thank these amazing guys for the impact that they have made on my life. Similarly, I will never be able to express my sincere gratitude towards Southern Scholarship Foundation for the opportunities which have blessed my life. This is truly an Education for Life.
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