My Story/college

My Story - Eric Larsen

Eric Larsen - STLF Alum
University of Minnesota

It’s funny how small, seemingly trivial decisions in life can sometimes change the entire course of one’s future.  We all can probably pinpoint times in our life when a little break has made a big difference in either a positive or negative manner.  For me, one of these breaks came during my Fall semester as a freshman at the University of Minnesota as I simply chose my seat in Timothy Shields accounting class.  Little did I know it at the time, my selected spot happened to be directly behind two idealistic sophomores coming off the huge emotional high of founding, planning, and executing the first-ever Pay It Forward Tour that past spring.  Well, that idealism rubbed off enough to entice me into attending an STLF meeting… 5 years, 7 tours, and hundreds of friendships later the rest is history.

As I am writing this today, it has been nearly a year and a half since I have been actively involved in STLF, yet every one of those days I have drawn upon my experiences with STLF to carry me through a nomadic, service-orientated lifestyle.  Most recently, I am coming off a 10-month assignment with AmeriCorps NCCC, a team-based, national service program where I worked on diverse projects in 5 different states.  Not only did STLF instill in me the passion to dedicate a year of my life to service, it showed me the importance of cultivating healthy relationships and the skills to do so- something that came in mighty handy working, living, andotherwise spending every waking hour with the same 9 people on my AmeriCorps team. 

However, the skills I have gained through my STLF involvement aren’t even the most valuable aspect I’ve derived from those 4 years of college.  Instead, I have learned more than anything to appreciate the joy and excitement that a diverse group of friends can provide, and to never take for granted having a loving, supportive group of people always by your side.  My friends through STLF have taken me so many places- whether it was to Singapore for a 5 week stay with a fellow PIF Tour participant, across the country on crazy, far-fetched road trips with friends from the U of M chapter, or to Uganda with more bus buddies from St. Thomas.  More significant than these physical journeys, though, has been my journey of life perspective- I have seen a dramatic transformation spiritually and conceptually from where I was pre-STLF to where I am today.  This change can be solely attributed to the people STLF has surrounded me with.

And while there’s no telling where life will physically take me over the next months and years, I’m confident that I will be able to handle any challenge the world puts my way.  Still, as I go through a big decision making process as to what the next major step of my life will be, I am constantly reminded that it is the little things- the sometimes unnoticed acts of kindness, the extra effort to do things right, the compassion and love that pull somebody through a tough time- that, more than anything, determine our path through life.  For me, I need not look farther than that fateful day in accounting when two young men took the extra effort to strike up a friendly conversation with the naïve and wide-eyed freshman sitting next to them. 

View and Read More Recent Story Posts!