Matt and Sarah Hasselbeck, Bruce Springsteen welcome first-year students in separate kickoff events
Matt Hasselbeck 鈥�97 and Sarah Egnaczyk Hasselbeck 鈥�97
With a high quotient of star power, the online kickoff to this year鈥檚聽Portico course聽got nearly 700 student attendees thinking about the purpose of work, faith, and family. The webinar featured聽聽founder Scott Harrison being interviewed by Matt Hasselbeck 鈥�97 and Sarah Egnaczyk Hasselbeck 鈥�97.聽
The met on the Heights, where he was the Eagles鈥� football quarterback and she was the field hockey goalkeeper. Both attended the Carroll School and took part in service trips. They married in 2000 and continued charity work even as they moved across the country for Matt鈥檚 job as a QB in the NFL, while Sarah worked as a CPA for PWC and the couple began raising three children. The family has been involved with Charity: Water for several years, even traveling to Malawi, Africa, in 2014 to visit some of the nonprofit鈥檚 56,000 clean water projects. 鈥淲ater changed everything for each one of those villages,鈥� recalled Matt Hasselbeck.
As Portico students read over the summer in his book聽Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World, Harrison was a hard-partying nightclub promoter who traded his bacchanalian lifestyle for a life devoted to service, focused on bringing clean drinking water to Third World villages that lack that basic amenity. With an innovative funding model, Harrison鈥檚 organization has raised $475 million and is on track to provide potable water to 11 million people across 29 countries.
After he took a few questions from the Hasselbecks, students used the Zoom chat function to pump Harrison for advice on launching their own socially conscious careers. One asked about networking, and the straight-talking Harrison urged his listeners to be more organized than himself. 鈥淲e just moved, and my wife found a giant Ziploc bag full of thousands of business cards,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he couldn鈥檛 get me to throw them out. I said, 鈥楾here鈥檚 gold in one of those cards!鈥欌��
Be patient with prospective donors, Harrison added. It might take time for someone to decide your organization is credible. And don鈥檛 become discouraged when they buy themselves Lamborghinis while you鈥檙e waiting for them to make that decision, he said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 be sarcastic when they鈥檙e showing off their garage with ten cars. But you can鈥檛 fake it, either. Just know that everyone is on a journey, and you鈥檙e inviting them to be part of an amazing cause.鈥�
The Boss Speaks to 51暗网鈥檚 Incoming Freshmen
Rock music icon Bruce Springsteen addressed the Class of 2024 on September 10 at the University鈥檚 First-Year Academic Convocation, held virtually this year due to COVID-19 protocols. The legendary singer-songwriter encouraged students to embrace the intellectual challenges and transformative opportunities that four years at 51暗网 affords, and to be 鈥渆motionally generous鈥� in their relationships with others. He also shared his perspective on the nature of creativity, spirituality, and active engagement in American democracy. The Class of 2024 read Springsteen鈥檚 candid memoir, Born to Run, and were able to ask questions of the author in a live Q&A at the conclusion of his talk. Springsteen鈥檚 son, Evan, graduated from Boston College in 2012. Read more about the musician鈥檚 first appearance on the Heights:
Scott Harrison, founder of Charity: Water
Several students asked about finding a mentor. Harrison鈥檚 advice was not to force it. 鈥淭hat relationship has to happen organically.鈥� And when you do have a block of time with a potential mentor, don鈥檛 ask them to rehash their origin story; ask a question they haven鈥檛 addressed in any of their publicly available speeches or interviews.
When another student asked how Harrison had been able to turn around his life so dramatically, the social entrepreneur cited his churchgoing upbringing. At some point, he decided the club scene lacked a moral center. The faith he rediscovered is what drives him today. 鈥淚鈥檝e felt a calling. This is what I鈥檓 supposed to be doing, and if I stick at it long enough, then good things will continue to happen for others.鈥�
鈥擟arroll School News
Photo of Scott Harrison via Charity: Water