Brendan Kleiboer

Age:  22

Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI

School: University of Michigan

Major/Minor: English/Pre-Med Studies

Site served: Oak Cliff UMC

 

Why did you want to serve full-time as a PT intern?

 

I wanted to take a year off from school before going to medical school and get my hands dirty in the real world. I wanted to take this time to enrich the lives of underserved children and break out of the safe bubble I grew up in.

 

What is the most important lesson you have learned from working with underserved youth?

 

I have learned to appreciate the difficulties that students have in transitioning from Spanish to English both  at home and at school, and I have developed new ways of approaching educational strategies with these children.

 

How has PT affected your faith journey?

 

PT has exposed me to various incarnations of Christianity and has helped me realize this: However doctrines differ between sects of Christianity, we all have in common that we are putting our faith into action through our work with PT.

 

How has your experience with PT helped you to better understand your gifts and your calling?

 

Before graduating from the University of Michigan, I knew I was specially suited to working with children. My work with PT has confirmed that the real reason that I want to attend medical school and become a pediatrician is that I care deeply about childhood development.

 

What is your favorite part of the Project Transformation experience?

 

My favorite part of the PT experience is seeing the kids change - behaviorally and academically - before my eyes. Making real connections with these kids is exactly why I joined PT.

 

What are your vocational plans and how has PT helped to shape or clarify those plans?

 

I plan to attend medical school and eventually become a pediatrician. I have known for some time that I am well-suited to work with children, but PT has helped me realize that I care just as much about the spiritual and emotional health of children as I do about their physical health.

 

What have you learned from living with other young adults in such a diverse Christian community?

 

I have learned that there is no wrong way to pray and more importantly that there is no wrong way to put faith into action as long as one's heart is in the right place.

 

What is the most important thing you will take away from serving through Project Transformation?

 

The most important thing I will take away from PT will be everything the kids teach me - about how children learn, about patience, and about understanding.

 

What advice would you give to a young adult who is interested in serving as a PT intern?

 

Be flexible. Know Murphy's Law - that everything that can go wrong will go wrong, and be prepared to handle it all with a smile. And be prepared to change for the better.