By J.P. Iaropoli, Class of 2025
It is hard to put into words how special the Charlotte Fellows program is in under 450 words, but here’s my best attempt:
Already in just six short weeks, it seems I have learned more about myself and what it means to be a man of God than I did in four years of college. It’s not that college was a waste of time, it’s just that the unique blend of community, discipleship, service, and time for personal reflection provided through the Fellows has been the ultimate answered prayer for me.
Tangibly, the most impactful part of the program thus far has been my internship at Hillandale Advisors. For context, Hillandale Advisors is a private equity investment firm; the team is lean and mean, composed solely of founder Matt Hultquist and myself. Here I have been afforded not only a special combination of the above mentioned discipleship, service, and reflection time, but also invaluable professional experience, as Matt has invested a great deal of time in developing me personally. I am also exceedingly grateful for the community present in 429 East Blvd – the building in which we work. Here there are two other companies – My Next Season and Eagle Realty – each consisting of spirit-filled Christians who I have been fortunate enough to grow in personal relationships with. Here I have seen each person embody Christlikeness by serving others in the office before him/herself.
There are further elements of the program that have captured my heart, but for the sake of space, the one I feel called to mention here are the bi-weekly visits we make to non-profits around Charlotte. These visits have exposed me to areas, people, and ways of life that I, despite close physical proximity, would almost certainly have never experienced if I just lived in Charlotte as a regular working citizen. Seeing the frank divide in the standard of living between refugee communities, inner city communities, and my community now in Cotswold (a neighborhood in south Charlotte), has increased my desire for justice and the coming of God’s kingdom. I know that no one solution or system of man will bring complete justice and equity, but I am also learning that God desires me to love mercy, act justly, and walk humbly, which entails doing what I can to serve the image bearers who have not been afforded the earthly blessings that I have. After all, that’s what God did for me; he gave generously of himself on the cross when I had nothing to give.
Ultimately, in just six short weeks I have seen my attitude toward service, community, and justice change drastically for the better because of the Charlotte Fellows program. I am grateful!