Brescia University students Schyler Pentecost and Chase Carrico were awarded the University’s 2013 Spirit of Angela Award on Jan. 29, given each year to a female and male student who exemplifies the attributes of the founder of the Ursuline Sisters, Saint Angela Merici.
Members of the Brescia family were asked to select students who are people of integrity, deep listeners, gentle friends and creative leaders, said Ursuline Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan, coordinator of Mission Effectiveness for the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph. She presented the awards along with Daniel Kuntz, assistant professor of theology at Brescia. The awards were given during the Winter Convocation on Founder’s Day, which is also Ursuline Appreciation Day, recognizing when the Ursuline Sisters began Brescia in 1950.
This is what Sister Rose Marita said about Pentecost, the daughter of David and Lisa Pentecost of Greenville, Ky.:
“Schyler demonstrates integrity in her approach to others, often sacrificing her own comfort so that a sense of harmony prevails. Like Saint Angela, she is a strong woman living her life out of Gospel values. Schyler is intelligent and is dedicated to encouraging others to believe in themselves and to use their gifts toward making a difference in our 21st century world.
“Schyler understands the concepts of servant leadership and models them naturally through the way she lives her life. In her many student leadership roles on campus, Schyler has demonstrated a sincere ethic of service. Her approach to life is inspiring and her sense of joy is contagious. She almost always has a wonderful smile on her face and is always ready with a kind and encouraging word for others. Persons cannot help but be warmed by the authenticity of her sweetness. Her ability to think of others before self and her seemingly endless optimism make Schyler an obvious choice for this year’s Spirit of Angela Award.”
This is what Kuntz said about Carrico, the son of Kevin and Deborah Carrico of Owensboro. “Chase has a no-nonsense kindliness and integrity about him that draws people to him. Almost immediately, one feels the unselfish character of this man who yet inspires confidence in his leadership. Chase is a humble, reflective young man who models for us the kind of energetic servant-leadership that as a people we desperately need to see. We are fortunate and feel confident that young men who are devoted to learning and taking on the moral life like Chase will carry us well and safely into our future.
“In our conversation with him, Chase left us with no question but that substantial intellectual curiosities have often grabbed him no less than his own spiritual quest has quietly challenged him to give as much as he has received. If you see a wheel chair-bound person making his way from one place to another, it is likely Chase who you will see helping him to make it just that bit easier. Finally, as much as he is a leader, he is a listener, who recognizes the gift to himself in the listening, and the gift to those who need to speak their minds with complete and reverent confidence.”
