In a little over a year, Jackson Ford has created a new meaning of service for DePaul Prep: community. Starting after Thanksgiving 2023, Ford became the Campus Minister and Experiential Service Coordinator.
Ford first learned of DePaul Prep through theology teacher Riley Steffey Wright, but his journey with theology began growing up in a family involved in Church ministry. As he aged, Ford found that religion and service complemented his curiosity. “I just started pursuing questions I had about the Bible and God on my own,” Ford said, concluding that as a curious person religion became a community and chance to explore new topics.
As Campus Minister and Experiential Service Coordinator, Ford is in charge of helping students find service opportunities, and utilizing Mobile Serve, the service hour input app, but also building an interconnected community through service. Ford aspires for his impact to be “a space here in school where the mission and ministry office get to be something that is different from the classroom, that people are welcome to come in and be a part of.”
Ford believes building a student community is a pillar of service he wants to facilitate at DePaul Prep. For example, he worked with the football team at Misericordia’s Family Fest. The football team helped run the Festival, doing everything from handing out water to running games.
Another successful project was the Rincon gift drive. Students were assigned a child, and tasked to find a gift. Ford found this drive especially impactful because it was interactive and “it requires a level of thoughtfulness.” Furthermore, service “brings concreteness to some of the issues that feel abstract” Ford said.
In his experience, working alongside others has built new connections. “I always feel like I never leave a service opportunity knowing somebody less than I did before.”
Expanding on this idea of community, Ford has created VIES, or Vincentian identity and Experiential Services. Meeting before school on Wednesdays, VIES is a service club run by students, or as Ford calls them “service all stars.” This is “where students come together and try to brainstorm and coordinate opportunities of service,” Ford said.
In French, VIES means “lives”, which encompasses the goal of creating connections through service. VIES students have coordinated Vincent Fest, and made breakfasts for the unhoused. Ford believes that working with students has made his job “so much more meaningful, seeing you guys grow as people, and see the potential that you have.”
Additionally, Ford sees the FRESH core values as a positive focus for service. As what Ford calls “accessible values,” Faith, Respect, Excellence, Service, and Health are concepts a majority of people can relate to. To Ford, this intersection of values and service is important because students are able to understand “how doing service and being in a co-curricular activity or sport and being an excellent student are all woven together.”
On his own side, Ford likes to contribute not only through service but by being a support system inside and outside of the classroom, whether it’s through DePaul Prep sports or extracurriculars.
Through service and teamwork, Ford has helped build a community at DePaul Prep, and he has enjoyed working alongside students. “I get to spend time and watching you grow and watching you succeed it’s a blast,” said Ford.
