USM Celebrates the 2004 Service Angels of the Year!
There are many reasons why USM’s President, Dr. Ron Hulnick, likes to refer to USM as “School the way you always wished it would be!” One that stands out to every student who participates in USM’s Programs is the supportive and nurturing educational environment within which the classes take place.
At the heart of this experience are the hundreds of USM graduates who return every month to serve as Volunteers in support of the classes. This graduate community of volunteers certainly provides valuable logistical, administrative, and academic support that makes Soul-Centered education possible.
Even more, though, than this very practical support, it is the power of their unconditionally loving and consistent Presence that is a cornerstone of the sacred and Spirit-centered educational setting that makes USM unique. Often, there is even a waiting list to join these volunteer teams!
In preparation for the upcoming academic year of 2004-05, hundreds of USM graduates are answering the call to give generously of their time in heartfelt service. This year more than 400 people will return to the university to volunteer in support of USM’s classes, workshops, seminars, and special events!
There are two primary opportunities for Grads who volunteer: to serve either as Readers or Classroom Assistants. Volunteers consistently speak of experiencing their time in service as a monthly “home-coming,” a time to return to connect more clearly inside of them Selves with the place that not only knows but actually experiences the spiritual message, “I am a divine being having a human experience.”
Each year at Graduation, USM acknowledges two volunteers who have consistently given of themselves in service over a number of years. Each year, too, our Angels of the Year are often surprised to be acknowledged for doing something that has become so central to their way of life. This year was no exception!
Lynn Farwell
USM Service Angel of the Year Lynn Farwell ('00).
For Lynn Farwell, service has become a family activity. Her husband Michael has served with her as a classroom Assistant, and this year, daughter Melissa joined her too. Looking out at the sea of loving faces of the graduating classes, as well as many graduates in the auditorium from previous years that Lynn has supported along their USM journey, Lynn shared enthusiastically about the joy of serving at USM. “To receive any award for being able to be of service to this University and to all of the students goes beyond words. The true blessing is to be able to be here and to do the work that we all do. I am very grateful for this acknowledgment and quite surprised! It is from the depth of my heart that I say thank you; and any of you who are graduating, please come and do this, too. You have no idea what it means to be of service until you have experienced it at USM. It is simply awesome!”
Cindy Heistand
USM Service Angel of the Year Cindy Heistand ('98).
Cindy has been developing a powerful and meaningful relationship with the graduating Spiritual Psychology class. She read for them in their First Year, and then followed them into the Second Year continuing her loving support for the entire two years. Recently, she stepped forward to support the Second Year students in their final class, a week-long retreat in Palm Springs. And now she had come to acknowledge them at Graduation—and found herself being acknowledged as well!
As with many of those who serve at USM, Cindy shared how much value she has received during her time in service: “I am filled with gratitude to receive recognition for doing something that I love to do, and from which I receive enormous blessings. I want to tell you, the class of 2004, that every time you healed, I healed. Every time you celebrated, I celebrated. And every time you went to deeper and deeper levels of unconditional loving, I went there too. And that’s what service at USM is all about. It’s about being of service to each other, no matter what position we are in, and I am deeply grateful for that experience. Thank you!”
Thank you Cindy and Lynn for returning to USM again and again, to share in the learning, in the loving, and in the sharing! We give our heartfelt thanks for the Angels that you are, and for all that you do.
And a big “Thank you!” to all our volunteers who came forward during this past year in support of Soul-Centered education—you are the difference that makes the difference! We will be honored to have you join us again this year.
And for those who now have the opportunity to serve at USM for the first time, we invite you to experience the next level of loving, learning, and growing. You can find out more about USM’s graduate education program, Service: A Path with Heart, by sending an e-mail to volunteer@universityofsantamonica.edu.
