Who Really Are The Alumni Service Corps?

Alumni+Service+Corps+members+-+Mr.+Freebery+10%2C+Mr.+Stepek+12%2C+Mr.+Faulkner+11%2C+and+Mr.+Smith+11

Alumni Service Corps members – Mr. Freebery ’10, Mr. Stepek ’12, Mr. Faulkner ’11, and Mr. Smith ’11

College graduates are often faced with a fork in the road following their graduation.  Some may have trouble deciding upon a career they wish to pursue, some might consider acquiring a post-graduate degree, and some may have no idea what they want to do next.  Mr. Stepek, Mr. Freebery, Mr. Faulkner, and Mr. Smith, the four alumni chosen for the first ever “Alumni Service Corps” opportunity offered at Salesianum, all experienced first-hand this fork in the road following their college exit.

Mr. Stepek ‘12 explained that, “Shortly after graduating, President Kennealey sent out a letter explaining that Salesianum was looking for four strong candidates to take on the roles of what was to become the Alumni Service Corps, a group dedicated to assisting the needs of students, faculty, and the Salesianum community.  I knew my vocation in life was to serve and help as many people as possible, so when the ASC was formed, I thought it was a perfect way to give back to the school that gave me so much and at the same time, figure out the next step in my life.”

Like Mr. Stepek, the other three alumni also jumped at the chance to pursue the new program.  When Mr. Freebery ‘11 was contemplating applying to the brand new job opportunity, he said, “Service work has always been a large part of my life, so a program that allowed me to gain experience in my field and serve the broader community was the perfect fit for my first year out of college.”

The goal of the Alumni Service Corps, or “ASC,” is to offer a distinguished group of Salesian gentlemen the chance to live in community at Salesianum serving the school (and its students) in a variety of ways.  The ASC is not only a chance for alumni to give back to their alma mater and community, but an opportunity for valuable work experience and spiritual growth.  Salesianum provides members of the ASC with housing, medical benefits and a monthly stipend.  The members of the ASC work with the current faculty, staff and students in continuing the mission of the school to educate young men in the example of the gentleman saint, Francis de Sales.

Each of the four ASC members have an area of the school where they devote most of their time to.  Mr. Stepek works in the activities office assisting Mr. Jackman with Student Council affairs, SALSTHON planning, and other exciting things that make up the school year.  Mr. Freebery and Mr. Faulkner work in the Center For Faith & Justice assisting Fr. Zumbrum and Mr. Ryan with organizing service retreats, dealing with student’s service hour forms, and other service needs.  Finally, Mr. Smith works in the alumni office assisting Mr. Maiorano with communicating with former Salesianum grads, organizing reunions, and other alumni affairs.

When asked whether he thought that fresh college graduates should apply for the program, Mr. Stepek said, “For anyone that is not positive with what they want to do right out of college, I highly recommend applying to join the Alumni Service Corps.”