Lives of Character & Service

K. Kendall Stevens

Commisioned as a Salvation Army officer in 1991, he has served as a corps officer (pastor) in the inner citry of Detroit at the Pontiac Corps of North Oakland County. Together with his wife, Katrina, also a captain in the army, the Mathews minister to the holistic needs of people from poverty stricken backgrounds.

A native Detroiter, Mathews has spent his life dedicated to the city he knows and loves so well. Mathews is the Salvation Army's divisional secretary for the eastern Michigan divisional headquarters as well as the Detroit city commander, the first person ever named so for the city. In this latter role, he is responsible for five corps community centers that seek to provide for the needs of the inner-city.

Mathews' role connects him directly to the people through public relations endeavors, and he is able to bring attention to the Army 's mission from building relationships with the media, and members of the local government.

Mathew 's caring attitude isn't solely limited to his day job. He established the Booth Academy, a character building and life skills program for high school students. Working with a charter high school in Detroit, Mathews wrote and helped the school implement the curriculum. Over 50 children received invaluable tools for success both in and outside the classroom.

Mathews also spent three years connecting with at risk high school students while as a mentor in the Pontiac public school system. It might have been easier for the African-American, to assist students like himself, but Mathews preferred a global approach, assisting those of every culture and background.

“They needed to see success,” said Matthews. “Their lives had been based on failures and they needed to see success.” He took them on field trips, spent quality time with them, and counseled them. Mathews also worked with their parents to ensure even greater success.

In addition, Mathews combined professional experience with community service as a supervisor for Oakland ( Mich. )University 's counseling department. He gave students the opportunity to get practical experience with the disenfranchised through practica and internships.

Like many Greenville College students, Mathews played sports at GC, including cross country/track and basketball, but these played a minor role in comparison to the activities he performed in service of others on campus.The Academic Enrichment staff chose Mathews to assist struggling students as a peer tutor. Because of Mathews ' love of the college, the Admissions staff selected him to aid their recruiting efforts as an admissions associate. Mathews also participated in the Social Work and Human Services clubs and was a member of the Student Association 's Social Life committee.

Former Michigan Governor John Engler twice honored Mathews for his outstanding contributions to the community, as a finalist for the George Romney lifetime achievement award and in a special citation.

David Thompson

My personal mission is investing in leadership,” said alum David Thompson, an English major who graduated in 1998. As a student at Greenville he participated in a summer literature program at Oxford as well as a semester abroad in the Middle East with the CCCU. His interest in cross-cultural issues eventually led him to the University of Chicago where he earned his master 's degree in International Relations, with a focus on the Middle East.

“I projected the need to think of life in the greatest frame of reference possible,” said Michael Peterson,former Religion and Philosophy Professor, one of Thompson's mentors. “David takes the idea of service very seriously."

As Director of International Fellows for the Mickey Leland International Hunger Center, a part of the Congressional Hunger Center (CHC), Thompson hires and sends Americans all over the world to different hunger organizations where they work as supporting staff members.

“The most rewarding is wondering and hoping that I might get the same opportunity my professors had with me. There are 15 fellows that are part of this program. I'm investing my life in those persons who will contribute back."

A two-year initiative, the Fellowship begins with a one-year field placement. The second year fellows assist with policy formation in the headquarters of the organizations they served during their field placements.

CHC was “built on the principle that you educate leadership to advocate for those who can't advocate for themselves. I help to create partnerships that would accept our fellows as employees for a year,” said Thompson, describing the program.

Thompson 's passion for leadership combines with his passion to solve hunger fights hunger through developing leaders world-wide. “I feel the United States is at a critical time,” said Thompson. “The world is in desperate need of spiritual healing. We need to ask leaders and citizens,how are you guiding the nation at such a time as this?”