Stetson University dares its students to push beyond their comfort zones, to go far beyond success, and to be significant. During their four years at Stetson, Kristyn Behrends and Esther Saintil accomplished all three.

Both studied in the College of Arts & Sciences – Behrends with a major in psychology and minor in Spanish, and Saintil with a major in international studies and a minor in philosophy. Both overcame hardships in pursuit of their dreams, and both have been accepted to join the Peace Corps after graduation.

Behrends, from Glendale Heights, Ill., will be heading to Sierra Leone in West Africa on June 5. There she will teach English for 27 months, and also hopes to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and the environment and start a Spanish club for the children in her school.

Saintil, from West Palm Beach, Fla., is awaiting her exact assignment with the Peace Corps, but she knows it will be in Sub-Saharan Africa beginning in September. She will be doing community development work.

At Stetson, both students have exemplified the university’s commitment to service. They were very involved in campus and community activities. Through difficult times, both students found a way to keep their heads up and use their hardships as inspiration and guidance for others.

The daughter of alcoholic parents, including her father who died when she was 10, Behrends faced adult-sized responsibility at a young age and moved out on her own at age 17. In addition to receiving grants and scholarships, she has worked her way through Stetson, missing out on some of the extracurricular activities many students enjoy. But her determination to earn a solid education has allowed her to experience opportunities she never thought she have.

She has been on the Dean’s List each year and was recently invited to join Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society for undergraduates.

“Stetson has been an excellent experience for me,” Behrends said. “I feel very grateful for all of the opportunities I have had, and I doubt any other college would have provided me with such opportunities. My professors have been fantastic – truly brilliant and caring people.”

Among those many opportunities are traveling to Brazil with Political Science Professor Dr. William Nylen through the Hollis Mentored Field Experience, interning with Modern Languages and Literature Professor Dr. Robert Sitler to teach English to adult Spanish speakers, and being selected to present her senior research, “The Effects of Linguistic Differences on the Perception of a Criminal Offender,” at the Southeastern Psychological Association’s Annual Research Conference inNew Orleans, La.

“The Peace Corps has been my dream for many years, and I think Stetson has done an excellent job of preparing me for the challenges that lie ahead.”

Saintil has wanted to serve in the Peace Corps since she was a freshman, when fellow Hatter Sarah Edwards was graduating and joining the Peace Corps. Established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the federal Peace Corps’ mission is to promote world peace and friendship by providing trained men and women volunteers live and work in interested countries around the world.

In her four years at Stetson, Saintil has developed her own servant’s heart and passion for social justice – as a participant of the Bonner Scholar’s program, where she developed her passion for service, as well as Student Government Association and Stetson’s Multicultural Student Council. She was the issue-based site leader for youth empowerment in the Bonner Program and chaired the Multicultural Student Council. She also coordinated Stetson’s Volunteer Income Tax Association site through which students prepare tax returns for low-income area residents, free of charge. Last summer, Saintil was a summer AmeriCorps Vista, working at the Boys & Girls Club.

Her favorite academic experiences include Religious Studies Associate Professor Dr. Greg Sapp’s first-year seminar (“it transformed not only my understanding of the world, but of myself”); Intro to Logic with Philosophy Professor Dr. Ronald Hall (which helped her decide to minor in philosophy); studying under Philosophy Professor Dr. Susan Peppers-Bates (“an extraordinary woman who is wicked sharp”); Political Science Professors Dr. William Nylen and Dr. David Hill (“who were patient with me in Politics of Developing World and senior research”).

Those experiences combined have led her to the goal of becoming a human rights lawyer.

“I am glad I went beyond my political science major and went for international studies because I was able to concentrate onHaiti, my heritage,” Saintil said. “Hopefully, one day I can apply all the skills that I have learned here toward helping Haiti reach stability and peace.

“I am glad to have had this learning privilege that many of my family members have never had the opportunity to experience. I can say with full confidence that every experience I have gained here has made me into the person that I am proud to be,” she said.

Sadly, even as the semester ends and the future looks so bright ahead, Saintil is facing a difficult time in her life – as her mother nears the end of life with terminal cancer.

“I have had many hardships growing up in a single-parent home, but thankfully I was surrounded by the love and support of my family, who raised me to reach my potential. Because of them, I am here today,” she said. “It has been really hard to work under the pain of knowing that my mother may not be able to make it to my graduation. But in remembering all of the sacrifice and love for me that she gave, I have found strength to carry on. Not just for myself, but for her, as well.”

By Nina Laureano ’12, Stetson University Marketing student employee