Selfless Service

By Brantley Watson & Braden Delannoy ‘13

One of the most selfless acts that an individual can perform is to join the military.

Members of our armed forces sacrifice their lives, time with their families and loved ones, and much more to serve and protect our country. And many of those who have made these sacrifices are members of the Lancer family, two of which are Jordan Pavlisin ‘07 and Hilary Thomas ‘08.

Captain Hilary Thomas ran cross country, and was involved with Missions and choir during her time at OLu. She has been active duty for the last four years as an engineer in the Army. Second Lieutenant Jordan Pavlisin played football, baseball and ran track in his four years at OLu, and has served in the Marines for over a year.

Both Thomas and Pavlisin shared what motivated them to join the military, how their faith plays a role in their service, and how OLu prepared them to join the ranks of our armed forces.

What was your motivation to join the military? What went behind the decision? When did you decide it was the right path for you?

Thomas: My senior year at Orange Lutheran, I was preparing to pursue a degree that would enable me to continue missions/ not-for-profit construction work. One day, God turned my heart and mind and told me to join the military. I researched my options and God aligned the right people to reveal the path laid out before me, which was to attend college and complete Army ROTC. From the moment I joined ROTC, I felt excited and challenged and knew that this was the place God meant for me to be. I had ZERO idea what I was getting myself into, but I never looked back. It was so apparent to me that God had been molding and preparing me for the opportunities I would have and will continue to have in the military.

Pavlisin: I always wanted to join the military and was planning on doing it after graduating college, but then I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play a year of professional football overseas and a few seasons of professional arena football here in the States. After finishing up my football career, I started working as an account manager for a steel company in Westminster and was living down by the beach, but still felt a calling to serve my country, especially after the Paris attacks and my grandfather passing towards the end of 2015. My grandfather served in the Army, and I had spoken with him about joining the military. He was very supportive and would often talk about how serving in the military was such a great experience for him and how he learned so much while he was in the Army. I looked around for jobs in the military that I thought would be a good fit for me and where I could best be of service. I spoke to all of the branches, did a lot of research and even more praying before I came to the realization that the officer program for the Marine Corps was where I felt called to. After training with them a few times, I realized they really support one another like brothers, and treat each other like family, very similar to what I felt with my teammates during my playing days.

How did your time at OLu prepare you for your journey into the military? Was there something specific you learned at OLu that has helped you during your service?

Thomas: I found myself and my faith through the Missions Program. It was on these mission trips that I saw, felt and experienced God in a way that confirmed my faith and belief in a very real God. For the first time in my life, I experienced God in a way that made me believe because I knew deep in my heart He was the real truth, and not just blind faith based on what I was raised on. The Missions Program taught me that God’s purpose for me was to be a servant, and that I would be best serving Him through physical labors. I learned this early in high school, building homes in Mexico, and it has transitioned to many occasions in my military career.

Pavlisin: OLu helped shape me into the man of faith that I am today. Coach Jim Kunau would always stress making us into ‘Champions for Life,’ and taught us so many valuable lessons in regards to what is really important in life. He helped develop us not only into a great football team, but also a great bunch of young Christian men who put God first before anything else, and made sure that our values followed suit. The time I spent at OLu helped me develop my leadership style and has really helped me during my service as far as it pertains to setting the example for others and doing what is right, even when it may not be the easiest choice but the right choice. I’m in no way saying I always make the right choice, as we are all sinners, but I am continually striving to make that effort.

In your eyes, how does serving in the military connect you with God? I think most people might look at the military from afar and initially think of violence. But obviously, it’s much more than that. So how does your faith play into your service?

Thomas: I believe that God uses people to fight evil and free the oppressed. On my current deployment, we are working to free Iraq (currently: Mosul) of ISIS, a supreme evil. ISIS has no limit to the violence it will commit and inspire. Additionally, the values that my faith teaches me - honesty, loving and respecting others, not condemning people - play into the type of leader I strive to be.

Pavlisin: In my eyes, serving in the military connects me with God by giving me the opportunity to positively affect other people’s lives with the decisions I make and the example I set by living my life in accordance with my faith. I would coach during the offseasons when I played football and I realized the impact you can have on someone’s life if you lead them effectively. I realized I could use those same tools I was taught in my playing days from my coaches at OLu and apply them to helping lead young men in the military. If I can help save one soldier’s life by leading them effectively and equipping them with not only the skills they need to survive on the battlefield, but also in the real world as well, then I believe my faith plays a critical role to my service and doing my job effectively. There is a quote from the writer Edmund Burke that stuck with me throughout the years and really put things into perspective for me, it goes: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” When I hear this, I can’t help but to think about Jesus, His teachings, and everything He stood for when He walked this earth. I felt called to serve my country and stand up against the evil out there in the world because I owe it to my family, my country, and those unable to take a stand against the evil out there in today’s world. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve and defend this great country that I am fortunate enough to call home.