Building Lives Through Service

10/12/2015 1:45 PM

By Rachael Kosinski ‘18

Actuarial science major Alex DiVerde ’16 used his summer to serve others in the Philippines.

The Batavia, Illinois native learned valuable life lessons during the two-week trip organized by Bradley’s Fellowship of Catholic University Students chapter.

“There is so much physical poverty around the world that each of us can make a difference and change, and I wanted an opportunity to minister to the poor through this trip,” DiVerde said.

He was inspired to serve people internationally by his experiences in the Foster College of Business.

“The College has a great focus on the importance of international experiences and a global perspective,” DiVerde said. “So many of my professors spoke highly of their experiences around the world, and that sparked my desire to serve overseas.”

Time among some of the world’s poorest people forced him to reevaluate his life.

It also produced unexpected growth opportunities.

“The challenging part was letting the poor serve us,” DiVerde said. “We came ready to work and do everything we could to help the Filipino people, but all they wanted to do was feed us, make us comfortable and share life with us.”

Despite the unexpected, DiVerde believes that this experience impacted him as well as those he was serving.

“As important as it was for us to help build homes for the poor, that impact pales in comparison to the service we did by sharing life with the Filipino people,” he said. “It was a very humbling and life changing experience, and I am so grateful for every second of it.”