John Dellipriscoli

Service Site: The San Miguel School of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK

College: Manhattan College

What do you do?
I am the Athletic Director, 7th and 8th Grade Physical Education teacher, Lunch Program Coordinator, as well as a coach and support staff in the Business and Development office.

What have you discovered about poverty from your work?
If anything, my work and interactions have taught me that poverty goes much deeper than simple financial challenges.  While money management, education, and immigration status play significant roles in the “cycle of poverty”, the genuine belief and self-worth of the individual has the greatest impact. In many situations, there is a common acceptance that an individual or family will never progress out of their poverty, and their efforts are limited by their own expectations.  At San Miguel, like all schools, we educate our students in the basics:  language arts, math, social studies and science.  More importantly though, and what makes San Miguel so special, is that we teach our students that they do not have to be limited by their current economic situations.  The opportunities to succeed are endless if they believe they are, and we try to instill that self-confidence and belief in our students so that they become equipped to push themselves out of that “cycle of poverty”.

Which of the core values (Faith, Service and Community) are most important to you and why?
The most important core value for me is service, because I believe it encompasses every aspect of being Lasallian.  In my life, faith and community have always come easy.  I was fortunate enough to have parents that raised me to appreciate my personal faith and my family, and friends that stuck with me no matter what the circumstances.  Service, however, was something that was never very present in my life.  That is precisely why it is so important to me now.  I have always been driven to achieve a goal, whether that was in the classroom or on the court or field.  In those instances, I was motivated by a very definitive end result that could essentially be measured by some term of success.  My service experience at San Miguel is more difficult.  There are no clear signs of success, but there are constant reminders of failure.  The challenges seem to never end, and the victories seem to be few and far between.  Yet that is what makes the core value of “Service” so special.  It requires the individual to give up so much of himself/herself without realizing measurable personal success.  That is a challenge I never had until San Miguel, and it is something that I feel has made me a better person and a better employee.

If you could project ahead a few years and look back to now, how do you think your experiences with those you serve and with the Brothers will have changed you?
Already, being in the second year of my Lasallian Volunteer service, I have come to terms with the reality that my life will be dramatically altered in the future.  First, serving at San Miguel and being able to interact with the students who attend our school has made me a very lucky man.  The experience has turned me into a much more versatile person, having to deal with temperamental middle school students but also having to deal with the challenges of filling many different roles for the school.  My work causes continual transition throughout a day, and because I interact with students, it forces me to keep a calm head no matter what the situation.  Consequently, I have been able to effectively structure a balance between business demands and educational demands, and in the future I feel that will help me in any endeavor that I take on.

With regards to my experiences with the Brothers, I believe I will always have a model of excellence to follow.  While I may never be involved with education again in my career, the Brothers level of faith and professionalism is transcendent.  I have been fortunate enough to live with two exceptional Brothers that balance the core values of the Lasallian Institute with ease, and I have only benefited from living in community with them.

What would you say to one of your students/mothers/clients/guests who came to you discouraged about a particularly troubling problem?
I would be as honest as I could be with them.  I want to help everyone who comes to me with a question, but I also have to be as pragmatic as possible.  That means knowing my own limitations, and knowing who can help with the problem if I can’t. I think that is part of being a good leader/role model, recognizing how and where the best solution will come from.  I can always give my own personal advice on how to handle a situation, but unless it is in my realm of control, I will always seek to find the person who can resolve the problem for them.

What would you say to a friend from home who questioned why you chose to live with the Brothers?
I chose to live with the Brothers because I knew what I would get from them:  a solid community life with a certain faith structure that could only stabilize my life.  Going to a Lasallian college, I was familiar with the Brothers and how they lived, so it was something I was comfortable with.

Why would you recommend the LV program to a college senior considering volunteering?
It is an excellent opportunity to get real work experience while also helping people that are in need. One can also gain life skills that are not necessarily focused around money and possessions, something that is not often encouraged in today’s culture.  Also, if someone is unsure about what they want to do for their career, I think this is an excellent opportunity to explore a new place (both geographically and spiritually), while also gaining some perspective on their options in the future.

Why would you recommend a contribution to the LV Program from a prospective donor?
There are two parts to why I think a contribution to the LV program is beneficial.  First, I think it is a solid message to send to young people that they can really thrive in a volunteer situation after they graduate from college.  There is such pressure to obtain a well-paying job right after graduation that often service jobs are overlooked.  If you donate to the LV program, you are sending the message that you believe that the advancement of our country is not just in massaging the tired means of perceived “success”.  You are embracing the people and ideas that are trying to minister to the long-forgotten impoverished class, to tap the population that has been dismissed because of their economic status alone.

The second reason I would recommend a contribution to the LV program is because you are indirectly donating to all of the ministries where the LVs serve.  Many of these schools/agencies cannot run without us, and they often depend on us to provide a multitude of talents and services.  If you believe in any ministry where an LV has ever served, then a contribution to the LV program itself should only be natural.