"Ever since I attended the Leadership Summit hosted by Willow Creek Church this past August, I have had this nagging thought at the back of my mind - how can we make companies see the people of developing nations as potential markets and encourage them to expand to those countries? This whole idea came about because of one of the speakers at this summit named Andrew Rugasira. Rugasira's presentation was on AID vs. Trade in African countries. His main point was that no country has ever developed through donations and handouts, and that the world needs to start looking at the people in Africa as consumers, producers, and entrepreneurs rather than poor, impoverished people. Being so busy with all my classes (the majority of which consist of group projects outside of class) and extra-curricular activities, I hadn't had much time to really sit down and flesh it all out. It wasn't until one of our class sessions for our Independent Study in Leadership that something all of a sudden clicked in my head and the next thing I knew, I was jotting down all these ideas covering multiple pages. I had no idea where all the notes and pictures I was writing down were coming from, but I knew that as I was writing this burning passion was growing inside of me. In a nutshell, the idea is to create a business that establishes connections in African countries to help entrepreneurs there start up their own companies. This business would provide mentors to the entrepreneurs to help them flesh out their ideas, gain capital, and eventually start their business." -- Patrick McElgunn
"This class forces you to make that decision: Am I a leader, or am I just a follower? I loved it when I realized at some point last year that this “stuff” is for me. I love talking about it, and I’ve really enjoyed all that has come with this class. I think this year’s group is really starting to grasp that, and understand what benefits leadership and thinking with a servant leadership mindset can bring to one’s life." -- Reed Swift
"Reading about people who went out on their own to solve a problem and found great internal motivation is nice. However, being there with the person and seeing how much they love what they do and hearing first hand the struggles and triumphs that they go through on a daily basis is an experience you can't get anywhere else." -- Bryan Kinsey
"Through the Mentoring program at Hope College, I am learning to be a leader. My mentor, Paul Jones, and I met several times throughout the year to share stories and discuss possible career paths, struggles in my life, and world events. His insights have often inspired me to tackle new challenges or see an issue from another perspective. As I reflect on the past year, I realize he has been laying the ground work for me to become a leader, and that I need to be patient and humble." -- Josh Jelenek
“While I had not specifically considered this experience an extension of my ministry, I am now convinced that this program models Titus 2; where older men and women are charged with teaching those who are younger how to engage their gifts as the ‘wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of glory of our great God and Savior' (Titus 2:3b, 7b, 13). Thank you for this opportunity; it was a blessing to me." -- Rosanne Barton-DeVries
"I’ve found the CFL mentoring program to be a very rewarding experience and a way to help students get another view of the work environment. In fact, I’ve mentored a new student each semester, while maintaining a connection with many of my past students as well. I encourage my students to seek out and build a network of diverse mentors and to become mentors themselves. Mentoring is not a one-way street. In fact, with each student, I’ve expanded my understanding and appreciation for the complex lives of college students. College students are our future. I feel honored to be a part of that future." -- Paul Jones
"My first thought about CFL was that I could help Hope students and watch them grow. And this is true. But I am also finding that my personal gain is a deepening and widening experience. With the CFL meetings I a learning more about mentoring. I then can be a better mentor for my student at that time, and then can build on that experience for the next student. CFL nourishes the mentor's passion for his student." -- Dr. David DeVisser
