Will Cuddy ’10, Chris Jenkins ’00 and Joey Jenkins ’02, brothers and best friends, are living their own dreams and sharing in their dream of helping to make a difference through Ncompass.
Alumni Profile: The Power of Brothers BY KATHY BAARTS, ALUMNI DIRECTOR
What do you get when you put three brothers together in a room to talk about their journey? If it is Chris Jenkins ‘00, Joey Jenkins ‘02 and Will Cuddy ‘10, you get a room filled with inspiration, dream potential bursting at the seams, and a love between brothers that both lifts up and challenges them to grow.
great work ethic, great heart and was committed to being here. He was engaged and wanted to figure out his place at Jesuit.” Chris became fast friends with his teammates in both football and baseball. However, when his best friend transferred from Jesuit at the end of his sophomore year, Chris had doubts about staying. Coach Ken Potter was a driving force in convincing him to remain at Jesuit. Another coach, Craig Webster, was also a great role model for him. During Chris’ senior year, he got into a car accident when he was going to OSU for a college visit. The first person to get to the hospital was Craig. Joey couldn’t believe that Craig was able to get there before the family. Craig’s dedication and care for his students spoke volumes in his being there for Chris. Joey always followed in Chris’ footsteps. Even though Chris wasn’t sure that he was going to stay at Jesuit, Joey decided to attend the school and he found a home right away. His core group of friends—Bryce Yonker, Pat DeKlotz, Mark Bisaccio, Zan Uffelman, and Alex Dehaan—bonded at Jesuit and remain close today. Every Friday and Saturday night was spent playing Risk or Texas Hold Em, amidst the
Chris ‘00 and Joey ‘02 Chris and Joey were born in Ohio and moved to Beaverton when they were five and three. Both were very athletic and especially enjoyed playing football and baseball. Joey described the relationship of all three brothers as very close. They are best friends and their lives are filled with healthy brotherly competition. Chris transferred to Jesuit in his sophomore year. He was reluctant, but his parents really wanted him to attend. He began Jesuit and was thrown into daily doubles for football. It was hard to transition from Aloha High School and leave his friends behind, but Chris endured. Athletics helped and according to Coach Ken Potter, “Chris had a •
38
•
deep conversations about life. Joey’s high school experience was a transformation in his Christian faith, in large part due to Fr. Oliver, S,J. Joey’s faith became his own as he strengthened his relationship with God. Fr. Ganz, S.J. and Fr. Connell, S.J. were big pillars in Joey’s life as he learned about depth of character and respect for our human life. Chris went on to OSU with a few of his Jesuit friends, Josh Johnson, Nick Swihart, and Andy Kaempf. When Joey joined Chris at OSU two years later, they lived across the street from each other. It was like a “commune” with 13 friends in two houses. Both brothers participated in intramural sports and Joey worked at the J. Dixon Recreation Center. Chris received his degree in Liberal Studies/Writing and Communication. He is currently studying for his Masters in Business Administration at Willamette University. Although he worked at the writing center in Corvallis, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do after graduating. He thought about law school but ended up in Portland as a technical writer. For the last six years, he has been working at Inside Track as a life coach for college students and is currently managing a coaching team. The team he works with coaches college students across the country to find success in college and their careers. “I believe in education as a foundation for a better society,” says Chris. “I love working with people. It’s satisfying to help them become the people they want to be.” Joey earned his bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science and a Masters in Business Administration. Joey worked at 24 Hour Fitness as a Fitness Manager merging his love for fitness and business and he now has a full-time life coaching business for 15-25 year olds at Jenkins Coaching LLC. Joey loves finding people for jobs to further themselves and others. He loves to see the potential in people and help them work to achieve it. Even though there is a little bit of an age difference, the brothers have always been there for each other. Both Chris and Joey have guided their younger brother, Will ’10, and have always loved and supported him, providing his foundation for motivation and confidence.
Will spending quality time with Reese Witherspoon, lead actress, on the set of Wild. Will calls his experience playing a role in the film “unbelievable.”
knowing the school through his brothers well before his own Jesuit experience. Academics came pretty easily for Will, allowing him to do a number of co-curricular activities. At fifteen and while a sophomore at Jesuit, Will was chosen to be on Endurance, a a teenage reality show similar to Survivor. Will was a finalist on the show. “Competing on a reality television show was my first taste of being in front of the camera,” says Will. “I don’t know if I would have pursued screen acting if it were not for that experience.” During his junior year, Will discovered that he wanted to try working behind the camera as a director. “As a director, you have a hand in everything,” said Will. “Filming is my passion. Through filming, I am able to tell the stories that are important.” His two independent films, “Family Dinner” and “Kill For Her,” received awards at Cinema Pacific’s Adrenaline Film Project in 2013 and 2014. Will earned his undergraduate degree at University of Oregon in advertising with a minor in business. In college, Will was part of the a cappella group “On the Rocks.” They were the #1 a cappella group in the nation and went on tour in Chicago, LA, and Vegas. A high point came when they performed the opening to the Boyz to Men concert at The House of Blues in Chicago. In 2013, Will auditioned for the movie Wild and received a callback. He got the role and began filming Halloween weekend at Mt. Hood. December 3, 2014 was the opening of the film. “The ‘Wild’ experience made it clear to me this is the industry I need to be in,” says Will. “It was unbelievable.” After filming Wild, Will saw the TED talk that Amy Cuddy presented about body language and “Power Posing,” a technique that he used to ground himself before his audition for Wild. Amy, a Harvard Business Professor, heard Will’s story and included his experience in her upcoming book, “Presence: Bringing your Boldest Self to your Biggest Challenges.” They have formed a friendship since then and she even attended opening night with Will in Boston. Although Will loves acting, he has realized his passion is in directing. He hopes to further pursue this dream in the future.
Will ‘10
Will laughed as he described the multitude of sports that he attempted, from karate to gymnastics. He realized at a young age that he was destined for the stage instead of the field. Will got his first acting experience through Jesuit’s summer drama camp, Young People’s Theatre Project. Will, at nine years old, starred in Peace Child. Watching Will perform his first solo on stage, Chis and Joey quickly realized that Will was in his element. “I was nervous for Will,” said Chris. “But he was great on stage! I was able to lose my own nervousness and enjoy the performance.” Unlike his brothers who went to a public grade school, Will attended Valley Catholic School (K-8). He knew a handful of people coming to Jesuit and was comfortable, •
39
•
small village of Titanyen, about 45 minutes outside Port-auPrince, Haiti. In 2011, Ncompass took over as sole supporter for the Maranatha House Orphanage (translated to “Our Lord is Coming”). The Orphanage was established by Jackson Ismorin, a Haitian teacher, after a hurricane in 2004. In 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake destroyed the orphanage. Thanks to the Amber Outreach Project, the orphanage has been rebuilt and now houses 40 orphans. Ncompass provides support via sponsorship of the orphan children, clothing, vitamins, food, sports equipment, and books, and currently pays for all 40 children to attend the best school in the area. Ncompass also funded the out-building used as a cafeteria and continues to send volunteers on short mission trips to serve practically—working on projects and assessing the needs of Maranatha House. Ncompass has become a family affair. Joey’s leadership as the Executive Director has taken his non-profit to an international level in their support of the Maranatha House Orphanage. Chris has been launching the Kid Starter Program, a program that helps kids to change the world via a service platform. Kids work with a project champion, gaining confidence in raising money, taking an idea and running with it, while learning the importance of giving back. Will is the Marketing Director, branding in a strategic way to advance the non-profit’s mission and telling the story of Ncompass and their efforts through media and print. It is a natural fit for these three brothers to work together to help make the world a better, more faith-filled place. Leading by example, Chris, Joey, and Will continue to provide light and hope to all those they touch.
Chris and his little buddy, Jerry Cherry, in Haiti.
Ncompass: A Family Affair
In 2004, Joey was in Palm Springs on vacation with his good friend Andy Vu. As they realized the many blessings in their lives, they also acknowledged the suffering in the world. Born out of their conversation on what they could do to bring about change, Ncompass was formed two years later. With Joey leading the charge, the mission of Ncompass is to serve, empower, and develop the world’s youth to become the generation that God created them to be through education and humanitarian efforts. Ncompass began in Portland as a homeless ministry in downtown, supporting people with food and clothing. As the local non-profit grew, partnerships with Mobile Ministries and Operation Christmas Child enhanced efforts to reach and aid the homeless population. A year after it was formed, Ncompass decided to focus its outreach 3,245 miles away in Haiti, the most impoverished country in the western hemisphere. Partnering with the Amber Outreach Project, a nonprofit organization based in Newberg, Oregon, they supported an orphanage in the
Joey Jenkins and Lamar Hurd (with his program, “The Other Side of Basketball”) bring a group of students to help the little ones living at the Maranatha House Orphanage in Haiti - August 2013.
•
40
•