Christopher Lempa C’18, Marketing and Spanish
“As a person who has always felt a calling to service, I was inspired by the Bible’s teachings that we must be good stewards of the earth. This led me to become co-president of the Green Team club at North Park and lead an initiative to have the cafeteria compost foods.
“Co-President Renee Baker, former President Garrett Warren, and other club members were collaborators. Our biggest challenge was developing the necessary diverse coalition to support the cause. We had to recruit and mobilize a team of students that had never met before and build relationships with multiple University associates and administrators to help guide our efforts and endorse the proposal. These relationships and the teamwork of our student organizers allowed us to create a successful proposal, which the University approved one year after we formed the idea.
“This experience showed me the power of working collaboratively with others toward a common goal. The lessons I learned as a Green Team leader led me to work on several more community-oriented campaigns and develop my own mission-driven career. Since graduating, I’ve been blessed to work for several civic engagement organizations such as the Sierra Club, Peace Corps, Gun Violence Prevention Illinois, and now as a program coordinator for Friends of the Parks.”
We’re celebrating 130 years of North Park community. You’re invited to share your own story at www.northpark.edu/share130