Michael Minetti, Assistant Director for Students and Young Alumni, is the newest addition to the Arcadia University community. The Conshohocken, Pa., native arrived in early July with immutable energy, a passion for service and a wealth of creative ideas to share.

Prior to taking the position, Minetti served as Community Service Associate at LaSalle University. As a staff adviser, he assisted students in the development and execution of community-service initiatives such as volunteering at soup kitchens, visiting local PAL centers, and managing neighborhood tutoring programs.

“It was really rewarding working with students that want to make a difference in the lives of others,” he says. “Much of what I did at LaSalle was program development. That will be a key part to my role here as well. My goal is to share ideas with young alumni, organize events and activities that interest them, and use our shared identity as Arcadia Alumni to reconnect, network, and have fun together as we remember the ways Arcadia impacted our lives as students and continues to impact us as alumni.”

Community service plays a big role in Minetti’s life and has significantly impacted his worldview. He has traveled extensively, taking part in community service initiatives in Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as well as dozens of locations in the continental U.S. and Hawaii. Before these experiences, Minetti says he associated wealth with financial security. But that all changed.

“On service trips, I got to know individuals that have almost no financial resources, have [few possessions] and live in small, two-room houses with 10 other people, but they are some of the happiest and most generous people I have ever met. Their wealth isn’t tied to money, it is tied to relationships… love, kindness, and compassion. I try to remember that there are a lot of ways to be generous, and that there are a lot of ways to show your loved ones that you care for them.”

Minetti’s affinity for service projects began at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he earned a B.A. in Media Studies in 2007. As an active member of campus life, he engaged in community service through their Campus Ministry Office and played linebacker on the football team. In addition, he tutored in a local public school and led Habitat for Humanity Service Trips.

In his spare time Minetti enjoys playing golf, watching Phillies games, taking naps and going to one of his favorite places in the world, Ocean City, N.J.

“My new role at Arcadia offers a lot of room for creativity both on my end and for the students and young alumni,” he says. “There are a lot of ways that we can start to connect alumni back to the University. I have my own ideas that I have started to initiate, but I really want hear from the young alumni about what they are interested in.”

Those with programming ideas should contact Minetti at minettim@arcadia.edu, 215-572-2094 or stop by his office in Blankley Hall.