Success Stories - Marcus Schlegel

Love, Community, and Service. To get it as simple as possible, that is what I hope that my life is (and will be) about. Through all the places and experiences of life, these three ideas seem to remain with me, ideas that were instilled in me through my "Hesston Experience."
   The love I experienced at Hesston College was not just from a community of students, but from a whole community. Love was shown to me through time—sitting in the Dean's office to talk about life and relationships, having lunch with the president for no particular reason, playing intramurals with faculty, and guidance from professors.
   At Hesston, there was a great optimism for serving the church—professors who loved the church despite its flaws, professors who instilled in us that we needed to be connected to a body of believers. These things have kept me connected to Christ and the church no matter where I have been, or what doubts have lingered in my mind. They have also led me to my current position in rural West Virginia as a leader in the Service Adventure program, a voluntary service program through Mennonite Mission Network.
   As I continue to do service in West Virginia, and as I go from this place, I know that the ideals of Love, Community, and Service will stay with me, the ideals of two years I will always cherish. Thank you, Hesston College.

Marcus Schlegel, Class of 2000, is Service Adventure leader in Philippi, W.Va.