Gustavus prides itself on its sense of community. With over 100 student organizations on campus, there is no lack of opportunity for involvement, engagement, friendship, and leadership.
A community service organization to watch for is Students Today Leaders Forever (STLF). Not even four years old, STLF is a newer recognized student organization.
STLF is a nationwide nonprofit that seeks to empower students to lead, serve, and change. There are over 35 STLF college chapters as well as many high school and middle school programs. With a mission to reveal leadership through service relationships, and action, STLF engages college, high school, and middle school students.
STLF was founded in 2003 by four college freshmen at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities who shared a passion for leadership and making a difference through helping others. Their idea was growth through student initiative. Through student volunteer leadership opportunities and experiences, STLF now serves thousands of college, high school, and middle school students.
“It was amazing to see everyone’s happy faces at the end of the day.” – Maisy Schendel
In 2013, several first-year students worked together to implement a Gustavus chapter of STLF. Since then, STLF has been recognized as an active service organization on campus.
STLF’s primary event of the year is the Pay It Forward Tour (PIF). This event takes place over spring break and is a multi-city road trip that engages students in volunteer work, tourism, and diversity initiatives.
Each day, students spend time working on different volunteer projects in different cities.
“This idea of paying it forward in a lot of communities is a way to expose students to different service. We aren’t doing just one thing. Students get the chance to gain many different impactful experiences,” Junior Grace Holbrook said.
The first PIF Tour was a cross country trip to Washington D.C. in 2015 which included service projects, leadership initiatives and tourism. This year’s destination was New Orleans, Louisiana. Along the way, students stopped in Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi.
“It really is a life changing trip that you won’t fully understand until you experience it.” – Veronica Vasina
Each morning on the trip, participants would pay it forward and volunteer in different cities with different service projects. These projects ranged from packing food, landscaping, and fundraising.
“It really didn’t matter what we were doing, everyone was so grateful,” First-year Katie Iverson said. “We left a mark on the neighborhood and that feels really good. We weren’t helping because we were obligated, but motivated.”
No matter the service work, participants always left feeling humbled and happy.
“It was amazing to see everyone’s happy faces at the end of the day. Everyone on the trip had great experiences and was always laughing and cheerful. Everyone always wanted to do more,” Junior Maisy Schendel said.
In addition to the service work, the trip also encourages teamwork, diversity and relationships. Many nights included team building activities and late night conversations that strengthened the bond between participants.
“9 days seems like nothing but it has all the impact in the world.” – Grace Holbrook
“Everyone felt safe with each other. Walls were broken down and that’s what really made the trip worth it,” First-year Caitlin Juvland said.
32 Gustavus students left for New Orleans and came back changed, connected and cultured.
“It really is a life changing trip that you won’t fully understand until you experience. I was absolutely blown away,” First-Year Veronica Vasina said.
Combining the best parts of servant leadership and relationship building, the Pay It Forward trip aims to change the lives of its participants in as little as 216 hours. “9 days seems like nothing but it has all the impact in the world,” Holbrook said.