Appreciate
Coleen Chan ’17
that kind of growth again in my life,” said Simmons.
The family ended up moving into a small apartment in East
New York. When they moved into their new apartment,
they were in shock. After a year, everything felt different.
They didn’t have to worry about a 10:00 pm curfew, they
didn’t have to worry about guards. They didn’t have to get
their bags checked when they walked into their house.
Today, Kevin is living in a dorm at Brown. He’s concentrating
in Neuroscience and is actively involved in the Branch, a
Christian fellowship on campus. He leads a Bible study
every week, and on some Saturdays, he volunteers
in downtown Providence with The Elisha Project.
“We prepare bagged lunches: meatball subs, chips, and
a drink. We hand out lunches at a different shelter each
week in Providence,” said Simmons. “Being a Christian,
you believe in a God that loves you and wants you to take
that love and share it with other people, whether that is
caring for the poor, caring for the fatherless, or caring for
those who are less fortunate. Serving these people knowing
what I have now at Brown, it just causes me to be thankful,
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CORNERSTONE Magazine
because everything I have is a blessing from God.”
Living in the shelter for a year gave Kevin a passion
for giving back and serving others. It was a test of
faith that ultimately led to total trust in God.
I feel like I have even more than
the people who are rich because I
have happiness in Jesus Christ.
“I’ve always been taught that wealth and any material
possessions, you know, you won’t take them with you
when you die. It doesn’t matter how rich you are, it
doesn’t matter how good looking you are, at the end of
the day all that matters is what you put your wealth and
your value in,” said Simmons. “I don’t put mine in my
possessions, in my looks, in my intelligence; I put it in
my faith. I feel like I have even more than the people who
are rich because I have happiness in Jesus Christ.”
Kevin Simmons is a junior concentrating in neuroscience.
Elizabeth Jean-Marie is a senior concentrating in immunobiology.