For Krista Glassman, serving the needs of others has been a
defining factor in her life from her first days on campus. Coming
from a small town in southern New Jersey, she decided to attend St.
John’s because it was “…a big school in a big city, and when I came
for a visit I saw right away that even though it was such a big
place it really felt like home.”
As a freshman she quickly became involved in the many activities
of Campus Ministry, serving as a Student Assistant and Sacristan at
St. Thomas More Church. She served daily and weekend Mass and was
an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, commitments that helped
her to become even more comfortable with taking advantage of the
many service opportunities available to students.
“From the moment I went to my first Mass on campus, I felt
really close to the community at St. Thomas More Church,” she
recalled. “The more I got involved in doing service, Campus
Ministry really became my second family.”
Eager to reach out to others at one of Christianity’s most
sacred shrines, Krista traveled to Lourdes during the summers
following her sophomore and junior years with other Campus Ministry
students and staff. She described the experience as “…incredible
and absolutely life-changing. When I look back on my experiences at
Lourdes I realize that when I was there it taught me how to treat
all people with dignity and respect as human beings. I hope to go
back and serve the people there as many times as I can.”
She has carried the profound experience of Lourdes into her
current professional activities as a Case Manager for Senior
Services at Catholic Charities in southwest Queens. Working with
the homebound elderly, she assesses their needs and makes
recommendations for support services, ranging from the assignment
of a home housekeeping aide to ensuring that they receive proper
nutrition through Meals on Wheels. And, as always, she is there for
them on a personal as well as professional level.
“I want to sit and get to know the individuals I visit, not just
as clients but as people,” she said. “I want to listen to their
stories and treat them with the special respect that they deserve.
That’s one of the most important ways that I can carry my
experiences at Lourdes into my daily life.”
Krista is among the hundreds of graduating seniors from the
Class of 2010 who have signed the Vincentian Torch of Service, a
pledge to continue living their Vincentian values by performing
service on a regular basis for the rest of their lives. “Service
has been such a strong part of my life and my experiences at St.
John’s that giving to others has really become a part of who I am,”
she said. “Being in a Vincentian community where reaching out to
others is built into everything that you do, I felt like signing
the [Vincentian Torch of Service] pledge wasn’t just something that
I wanted to do, it was something that I had to do.”
This personable and dedicated alumna is fulfilling her pledge by
working with Insight Dance, a dance company that combines service
activities with a commitment to the art of dance. The organization
believes in partnering an appreciation for dance with a willingness
to perform service, not only in the local Queens community but
nationally and globally as well. “I’ve been a dancer my entire
life, and so for me working with Insight Dance combines two of the
things that mean the most to me,” she said. “I’ve helped them with
their show during this past summer and I’m now getting involved
with helping them take advantage of additional service
opportunities. That’s a nice way for me to share my Vincentian
values with others.”
As a St. John’s student, Krista became singularly impressed with
the story of St. Vincent de Paul, and continues to seek ways to
live her life as a modern day Vincent. “Because we did so much
service at St. John’s, we learned the story of St. Vincent and it
became part of our lives. We learned the story, we lived it and
after awhile we became it ourselves. I’m so glad that I signed the
Vincentian Torch of Service, because now that I’m committed to
doing service forever, I’m definitely going to do it.”
For information about the Vincentian Torch of Service please
call Victoria R. Migliore ’98C, ’01GEd, Campus Director, University
Ministry at (718) 990-1363 or e-mail migliorv@stjohns.edu