Service Council

These students are responsible for training current program directors in leadership skills and program administration. Council members train program directors, plan events, conduct regular stewardships, and plan and attend several student-leader retreats during the year. Click on their names to learn more about their experiences and philosophy of service!

Chris is excited to be the new Director of the Center for Service and Learning at Brigham Young University. He is originally from Lake Elsinore, CA and has lived in Elk Ridge, UT since 2005. He and his wife Sherelda have six sons and 2 daughters (in that order). Chris has spent the first half of his career as a public school teacher/administrator in both California and Utah, most recently working at American Preparatory Academy-Liberty Campus in Salem, UT. He studied Elementary Education at both Brigham Young University-Hawaii and Brigham Young University, graduating with a B.S. in Elementary Education in 1999. He continued his studies, earning a M.A. in Education: Curriculum and Instruction from Azusa Pacific University (2001) and received his Educational Administration licensure from Southern Utah University (2013). Chris is very musically talented and enjoys playing the piano, trumpet, and the drums. He also loves sports, the outdoors and serving others. Regarding his philosophy of service, Chris says, “I feel that the purest form of service, when done out of Christ-like charity for others, is the most effective antidote for selfishness, depression, stress or any other negative state of being.  Service take us out of ourselves and focuses our energies on the well-being of others.  It should become something we do naturally rather than methodically.  Service is not a project, but a way of life.” 

Jake is a senior majoring in Exercise Science and minoring in Spanish in hopes of going to medical school next year. Service is one of Jake’s top priorities as he acts as Y-Serve President this year. He enjoys playing volleyball, eating food, and jammin’ on the uke. To Jake, “Service takes on a greater meaning when it becomes less of something that we have to do, but something that we enjoy and want to do.” Jake serves because he has felt the joy that comes from reaching out to bless others.

Ellie prefers to have her schedule full. She is majoring in Dietetics and minoring in Family Life while serving as Vice President for Y-Serve this year. When she is not studying food, she enjoys making it for other people. She is most happy when she makes memories with family and friends. The greatest lesson Ellie has learned about service is to “never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved” – President Monson. Meaningful service is about forgetting yourself and focusing on another individual.

Will is studying neuroscience and is serving as our Vice President this year. He enjoys rock climbing, ultimate frisbee, and exploring. Will believes, “There’s nothing quite like making a difference – whether that means helping one person or putting something together that will affect many. There are a lot of ways that college students can spend their time but for me, the very best is when I know my work has made things better for someone else.”

Andrew is studying Exercise Science with a minor in Business. Andrew enjoys playing the guitar, spending time with friends and family, and Netflix. Andrew says he serves “because I love to serve other people. I developed a love for service when I was 14 and started shoveling the driveway of the widows across the street and it blossomed from there. I love how service helps us foster meaningful relationships with those around us and our Savior.”

Kenzie is studying Nursing in hopes of squeezing in a  Non-Profit Organization minor before she graduates. She enjoys running, going on vacations, and serving! Kenzie loves to serve because “when I do, I feel closer to my Savior. And that is the whole point of this life…to become more like the Savior, to draw closer to Him, to develop our relationship with Him, and eventually, return to Him.”

Cody does it all. Majoring in Molecular Biology, he has learned to master the ability of balancing life through service. He enjoys playing tennis, being with friends, and volunteering for his program, Horses for Healing. Cody serves “because it makes me happy. You can have everything else in life, but if you don’t serve you won’t have anything.”

Rebecca is a sophomore studying Human Development. She enjoys playing with friends, eating candy, and going on adventures! Service is meaningful to her because “it allows us to become like Christ. As we serve, we forget ourselves and are allowed to see God’s children through His eyes!” Rebecca wants to be a trusted instrument in God’s hands and fill her life with purpose through serving.

Lee is studying Spanish Translation with a minor in Business Management. He enjoys running, hiking, cooking, and speaking Spanish. Lee knows “our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ live to bless and serve us. Giving service is rarely convenient and nearly always requires sacrifice, but when I do it, it brings me joy and makes me feel closer to my Father in Heaven and Savior.”

Jena brings sunshine into any room she walks in to. She is majoring in English and is seeking a Non-Profit minor. The things most important to her are the Gospel, learning, people, and singing. Jena serves for Jesus Christ. She believes “that service is the essence of discipleship. I have felt the joy of our Savior through serving others and providing others a gateway to serve.”

Matthew is a senior studying Economics and Business. He enjoys playing croquet on Sunday afternoons, reading books with his wife, and being in the mountains. Matt serves because “that is what the Savior taught us to do. Selfishly, I gain tremendous fulfillment from spending my time and effort to help others. More significantly, I love to be able to see lives improved because of the efforts that are put into them. Nobody can go through life without relying on other people, so I want to be someone that others can rely on.”

Ashleigh is studying Exercise and Wellness and minoring in Piano Performance. She enjoys playing the piano, volleyball, and dancing. Service became meaningful to her when “I realized that serving is exactly what Christ would do if he were here on earth today. I feel happier and grow closer to the Savior when I focus on the needs of those around me. It has been in the act of loosing myself in service, that I have been able to find myself and become the person I want to be.”

Patrick, a senior studying biochemistry, began serving with Y-Serve through TOPS. He enjoys running, the guitar, and being outdoors. Throughout his experience at BYU, he has found that in an environment in which it is easy to mistake activity with achievement, sincere service brings balance and meaning to his life.

Anne is studying Family History and Genealogy. She enjoys baking, reading, and being outside. Anne serves because “It gives meaning to my life and helps me develop friendships. Through service, I’ve learned that we aren’t on earth to suffer and wander alone, but rather we’re here to encourage, help, and lift each other up.”

Adam is a Utah native studying Finance. He enjoys golf, basketball, and hanging out with friends. Adam serves because “that is what the Savior did. He is an example to all and I feel the need to follow His example in all that I do.”

Sean excels at all things entrepreneurial! Co-founder of a company, he enjoys marketing, graphic design, and app development. He is a senior majoring in advertising, but when he’s not working, he enjoys fishing, playing the guitar, and singing. He believes that “if we are to give of ourselves, we must first learn to release ourselves from the indulgent clutches of ourselves. Less me, and more you. Less I, and more he, more she. Less us and more them. Remove your “I” and you will see with clarity how to give of yourself. By seeking the happiness of others, we find our own.”