Since its founding, the School of Health Professions has been committed to service, rooted in the verse, 1 Peter 4:10. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.”
Earlier this year, the school took this commitment a step further by establishing the 1 Peter 4:10 Service Grant, which intends to create and sustain meaningful service opportunities for its faculty and students.
"Our school needed a way to support our faculty and students that reflects our commitment to the call to use our gifts to serve others," said Alan Jung, dean of the School of Health Professions. “The goal is to train students' heads for knowledge, hands for professional skills and hearts for empathy and compassion.”
The grant was made possible by a generous donation from Mary "Beth" Stukes, longtime supporter and a member of Samford's Board of Trustees, and it will enable faculty to provide training, mentorship and experiences that embody the call to serve others and deliver God's grace.
For Jung, Stukes is a valued partner in living out the mission of the school. "Beth is enthusiastic about supporting students as they learn and serve," he said. "Together, we want to honor the shared values of family, community, relationships, faith and service that inspire both her gift and our school."
In addition to creating new opportunities to address local and global needs, the grant’s funding will support multiple ongoing initiatives, including enhancements to the physical therapy clinic at Cahaba Medical Care and the school’s interprofessional medical mission trip to Ecuador.
It will also boost on-campus service-learning activities like Bright Ideas Camps for traumatic brain injuries and Baby Lab for early movement and speech development. The grant aims to provide direct care in underserved areas, support students from these regions and facilitate engagement with vulnerable populations.
“This initiative will help maintain a Gospel-centered approach to service by focusing on tangible ways to support individuals and communities. I am confident that as we commit this donation and our work to the Lord, He will faithfully establish His plans through us," Jung said.
This story was first published in the fall 2024 issue of Seasons magazine.