Oct 27, 2025
Our Staff Members Share Their Educational Role Models
Keerthiga’s Yoga Client
“She was a doctor and a district health officer. [She taught me that] we have to be responsible for our happiness... we should prioritize ourselves. She created self-love in me, because before... I felt some complex in myself that may have been because of my skin tone, or that may have been because my language, or something else. After I came to see her, I knew my value."
-Keerthiga M., Sponsor Relations Coordinator (SRC) at Melpattambakkam Boarding Home
Bethany’s English Professor
“Over the last weekend, I was at my alma mater, Luther College, and I bumped into my college English professor and advisor. She said to me, ‘I still remember your senior final paper.’ I couldn't believe she remembered me. I think just the fact that she saw something in me was so uplifting and so encouraging [meant so much to me]."
-Bethany Krepela, Development Director
Elangovan’s Father
“My father was always working for the society. While he had a salary-based job, he mostly worked for the marginalized and the need. Whatever [was needed] for the marginalized or needy, he would find some right solution and meet some right person to sort out the issues easily. He insisted never to stray from the principle: ‘Serve honesty, live a simple life.’“
-Elangovan Mu See, India Program Manager
Victor’s Father
“My role model is obviously my father, because he is also a teacher. Apart from my father, Reverend Father Xavier was inspiring to me. He was the principal of my school up to 12th grade, and he was also the rector of my hostel. He told us, ‘We eat for the hunger, not for the taste.’ That is my very basic life motto."
-Victor Prince, Sponsor Relations Coordinator (SRC) at ALC Boarding Homes in the Kalrayan Hills
Aswini’s Mother
“My role model is my mother, because a mother is the very important person to everyone... I [have always] shared my problems [with her] - whatever I faced in my school days, college days, and working days. She's uneducated, but she gives the correct solution for the problem.”
-Aswini Subramani, Sponsor Relations Coordinator (SRC) at Siloam Boarding Home
Laura’s Fourth Grade Teacher
“He was very passionate and really wanted us to kind of think outside of what we normally did in our day-to-day school activities. He sat us all down once and did a video recording. He asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up, and it just felt really impactful that he took the time to record everyone's aspirations.”
-Laura Feile, International Program Manager
Dan’s Seminary Professors
“Both of them were really inspiring to me in the fact that they were more concerned about the truth of what they were reading than adhering to traditional [interpretations]. And both [professors] just had this deep compassion and love and were willing to sometimes be on the outskirts of what was considered right.“
-The Rev. Dan Ruth, Executive Director
Praveen’s Mother
“She always says one line, ‘If something goes wrong, you can correct it. Whatever happens, you have to make it correct.’ When I completed my undergraduate degree, I got a job immediately in a corporate financial company, but I was not satisfied. My mother said, ‘Okay, don't worry. You can leave the job if you wish, but earn another degree.’’
-Praveen Kumar, Sponsor Relations Coordinator (SRC) at Saron Boarding Home
Shannon’s Mother
“She fostered a love of learning in me and my sister from a really young age. We would go to the library and we would pick out like hundreds of books and just read them... One was called ‘Extraordinary Girls,’ and it was all about girls around the world who were making a difference in their communities.”
-Shannon Mahedy, Communications Coordinator
John’s High School Agriculture Teacher
"As I was preparing to enter high school, the school's agriculture teacher made a personal visit to our farm and encouraged me to enroll in his agricultural classes. Throughout my high school career, he always was there to encourage and push me to excel in my classes and projects. He truly cared about us as students but even more as people."
