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– by Michael Ferraresi
On the 25-year-old’s right forearm, a blindfolded Lady Justice clutches a
sword in one hand, her truth-telling scales in the other. A world map on
the underside of his arm includes the phrase “Pray for the Nations” in
Spanish, Swahili, Arabic and Portuguese. It’s a constant reminder to ignore
boundaries and borders in the name of God.
Earlier this year, the Grand Canyon University social-psychology senior felt
called to a leap of faith in the spirit of serving the nations. Villegas turned
down a $10,000 scholarship this year in GCU’s prestigious Servant Scholars
program. Rather than using guaranteed money to live among friends in the
comfy confines of GCU’s residence halls, he leased a ground-level studio
apartment at the nearby Serrano Village Apartments.
The low-income complex, just a few blocks east of the University on
Camelback Road, is home to refugee families from 23 countries. Most
residents are so new to the United States that they speak little to no English
and need help navigating daily life in America.
Villegas, a first-generation Guatemalan-American, wanted to live among
the Iraqis, Burmese, Nepalis and other immigrants he felt called to
serve. Now dozens of GCU students assist him with weekly tutoring and
mentorship of Serrano youths through after-school programs.
TOP LEFT:
Jesse Villegas faces a busy Camelback Road from the Serrano Village
Apartments, the refugee housing complex where he elected to live during his
senior year at GCU.
ABOVE:
Villegas organized after-school programs at Serrano Village to help
refugee children from countries such as Myanmar and Bhutan assimilate
to life in America.
BOTTOM LEFT:
Unrelated to his ministry work, Villegas won the “Mr. GCU” all-male pageant
in the spring of his junior year.
Photos by Darryl Webb