LAURA JANE KENNY | staff writer
photo | TIM KAPADIA
Lauren Metsig, Bethany Ulrich, Phillip Brazell and Rhoman Geyenechea were recognized at the Servant Leadership Award ceremony on Oct. 9.


Students were recognized as leaders within the APU community for their lifestyles of servanthood.

“Rhoman Goyenechea, Bethany Ulrich, Lauren Metsig and Philip Brazell were recognized at a luncheon on Oct. 9 for showing outstanding servant leadership in and outside of APU.

The Servant Leadership Award is a scholarship designed to recognize students who have gone beyond what is expected in service. The award has four categories; service internationally, service through an academic course, service in the community and service within APU. Students are nominated by staff and facility.

The award is funded by the SAJE foundation and the Berdena Ruth Foundation, for a total of $5000. The students are given $1000 each, $500 in scholarship and $500 to give to a non-profit organization of their choice.

“Universities in general often honor those who are academically superior, or athletically superior,” the Special Projects coordinator for the academic service-learning and research center Josh Urie said. “But service in its nature is often not viewed as highly.”

Urie designed the luncheon and the program for the award this year.

“The recipients are not just serving but they are being leaders by example and in word,” Urie said.

Rhoman Goyenechea, a senior applied health major, was recognized for service internationally.

Goyenechea traveled to India three times in his college career for mission work. He was on a team in 2004, and later co-led a Focus International team. They worked with Mother Teresa’s ‘Mission as a Charity,’ ministering to street kids and women. He returned once more to lead a group to India and Nepal with friend, Kolt Callaway.

Goyenechea, born in India, was adopted at the age of two and has grown up in Washington. During his return to India, he has had the opportunity to visit the Ashraya Children’s home, the orphanage in Bangalore, where he spent the first two years of his life.

“It changed my life, my views, my goals, being in a place where I could have been, seeing the things that my life could have been like and reflecting on how the Lord has put me in a place I’m thankful for,” Goyenechea said.

Even though Goyenechea recognizes his fortunes for living in America, he wants to be among the people in India. He is planning to visit again in December with his parents and sister who have also never been there.

Goyenechea donated his $500 to Cry of the Spirit: Kingdom Kids Princess Home, an organization that works with Nepali kids to help shelter them, meeting physical and spiritual needs.

“I was drawn to Ranjit’s ministry. They way he goes about it, the power of God that lives inside of him and how he displays it,” Goyenchea said.

Senior sociology major, Bethany Ulrich received recognition for service through an academic course. Ulrich was enrolled in a grant writing class and paired with St. Stephen Pre-School Academy to help them achieve financial aid. Her grant to the James Stamps Foundation was selected to be funded. The academy will receive $22,000.

“Their representative came to speak. He was a really good speaker, passionate about what they did,” Ulrich said.

St. Stephen Pre-School Academy wanted to start an after school program for higher-level students. The school needed the grant to buy a bus to to transport students from other schools. The academy has purchased a van with the money Ulrich helped raise. Ulrich gave her $500 to the academy as well.

Lauren Metsig received recognition for service in the community. Metsig, who was nominated by Professor Strother, competed in a half Iron man triathlon in the LA region to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She raised $3,500 for the society.

“Last year I was praying for God to put something on my heart out of APU, in the community to devote myself to. God put it on my heart,” Mestig said.

Metsig joined a team of older local citizens to help raise money. She was excited to have the opportunity to share with the rest of the team where her inspiration came from.

“Not only did I get to serve others who suffer through leukemia lymphoma but serve my team mates,” Mestig said.

Senior business administration major, Philip Brazell, received the award for Service within APU. This year’s student body president was commended for his extreme involvement inside of the APU community.

Stacie Champine, the Associate Director of Student Success, nominated Brazell. Brazell was an RA for 2 years, first in the Shire Mods and then in Engstrom. He was a part of Team Guatemala for World Missions and Team Barnabas for the Mexico outreach team for the last two years. He has also lead a D-group, been a Peach Factory Volunteer, and worked as an Undergraduate Assistant Visitation Coordinator.

“Our school calls us to be different than the world. If they are going to be holding people to an expectation, it is cool to be honoring people who are living it out,” Brazell said.

In addition to the scholarship the students recieved, a statue of Jesus washing the disciple’s feet. The statue was a representation of the recipient’s stewardship and given to them to further encourage them.

“I’m not one to be pumped about awards. They are cool, they are great, but they come and go,” Goyenechea said. “But being at that event, the luncheon on Tuesday…its so cool to see how many people are so supportive and take this sort of thing, this ministry, this service so seriously.”