By: Luke Hardy
SEATTLE - Being a school chaplain is unlike any other role at O'Dea, because you are the face of the Ministry side of the school. Being a chaplain requires you to be a leader, a man of God, and someone who always gives their time to help others.
Alex Duong, Irish graduate of 2020, is a wonderful example of how to be a true leader and a man of God.
He joined the Ministry as a House Chaplain during his junior year and Duong loved every second of it. His favorite part was being able to work alongside all his closest friends especially at retreats, mass, service opportunities, and so much more.
“My favorite part of Campus Ministry was being a Chaplain and working with a lot of my close friends.” Duong states.
Duong was able to participate in many service opportunities that had helped him grow spiritually. He led the freshman, sophomore, and even the encounter retreats which all helped him really become a huge part of O’Dea’s campus ministry.
After his junior year, Duong ran for the role of School Chaplain, which he received. He was honored and now had a greater responsibility than what he ever had at O’Dea. He was now the face of the O’Dea Campus Ministry team.
Being the school chaplain, his senior year allowed Duong to participate in much more, help other students, and grow closer to God. It helped prepare him for what was to come after graduation.
Duong is now a senior at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, in hopes that he can soon be a teacher. He has volunteered at O’Dea to be a substitute teacher for the senior theology teacher that he once had, Mr. Schutte, over this past year.
While he enjoys teaching, he is still unsure where his studies will take him.
“It's still a little bit early… but I have definitely considered the possibility of looking at a PHD, I definitely want to go into teaching,” Duong says.
Duong wants to become a teacher and help spread his knowledge to his future students. With his experience of being a subsistence teacher for O’Dea, and attending Franciscan University, he has lots of experience to join the workforce as a teacher and help the next generation of students.
Being a part of O’Dea’s campus ministry helped Duong become more generous, spiritual, and ready for the challenges of life following high school and college. O’Dea campus ministry has helped him become a great example of how to lead others in the Catholic Church and how to be a better person.
With his countless hours of serving other, the Church, and so much more, Alex Duong’s time at O’Dea has helped him become a true follower of Christ.