Mission & Identity
Man for Others - Deric Zaphire ‘ 99
In 1974 Fr . Pedro Arrupe , former Superior General of the Society of Jesus , in his now famous Men for Others speech , offered the following vision for Jesuit education :
Today our prime educational objective must be to form men-and-women-for-others ; men and women who will live not for themselves but for God and his Christ - for the God-man who lived and died for all the world ; men and women who cannot even conceive of love of God which does not include love for the least of their neighbors ; men and women completely convinced that love of God which does not issue in justice for others is a farce .
This vision has shaped Jesuit education for the past five decades . Generations of Prep alumni bear witness to these ideals each day in the ways they serve their churches and communities . In this new Ramview feature we will share with you the stories of Prep alumni continuing to live out Fr . Arrupe ’ s call to be Men for Others .
Deric Zaphire ’ 99 began volunteering at the Mid-Hudson Valley Camp in Esopus , New York the summer beforehis junior year at the Prep . The camp , run solely by volunteers , serves the needs of children and adults with developmental , mental and physical disabilities , deaf children , children living with cancer , andinner-city students . Today , almost twenty years later , Deric serves as the director for one of the week-long camps for children with developmental and mental disabilities .
When I was invited to volunteer at camp near the end of my sophomore year , I do not think I really understood what it was I signed up for . It was not until years later that I realized how this invitation altered the course of my life in so many positive ways . When I left camp that first summer , I came home exhausted but also felt so happy about my week doing service . The culture , people and service gave me such a positive outlook . As a high school student , doing service was not at the top of my list , but not only was I able to spend my week on beautiful grounds with so many new friends , but I found the work so rewarding . When the next year service application came along , I signed up again for camp , and after graduating from Fordham Prep , I found that my summer was not complete without attending camp . This service became a part of who I am as a person . When
applying for internships or trying out for sports teams , everyone knew up front that I was unavailable during the week of camp . If I was not able to take time off for my service , then this internship was not what I was looking for . Camp had become part of me
When I was invited to volunteer at camp near the end of my sophomore year , I do not think I really understood what it was I signed up for . It was not until years later that I realized how this invitation altered the course of my life in so many positive ways . When I left camp that first summer , I came home exhausted but also felt so happy about my week doing service . The culture , people and service gave me such a positive outlook . I found the work so rewarding that I signed up again . After graduating from the Prep , my summer was not complete without attending camp . When applying for internships or trying out for sports teams , I was unavailable during the week of camp .
I first met my wife Julia at camp in 1997 . We reconnected in 2007 at a gathering of mutual camp friends . We are now married 5 years and have two beautiful children ( Christian and Aurora ). We are both directors of camps : I run Special Kids 1 Camp for special needs children ages 3-15 , while Julia runs Young Adult Camp for special needs adults .
My parents taught me the importance of being a person who serves those in need . Fordham Prep reinforced this with the Christian Service Program . At first , I was not 100 % onboard with the requirement of service . It was the experience of putting my time , effort and care into helping someone that opened my mind to new insights and feelings which I don ’ t think I could have experienced any other way . Men for Others was just a tag line for me when I entered the Prep . I knew what it meant in theory , but had no idea what it meant in practice . My experience with camp is just one of the many stories of Prep students who have learned the true meaning of Men for Others . I look at classmates and see that they are doing their part in one way or another . Whether they coach a sport , fly overseas to use their particular skills in serving those less fortunate or creat fundraising groups for those charities near and dear to their hearts , we are all men for others . Although I cannot speak for everyone , I like to think that doing service while at the Prep surely had an influence on us . It certainly has on my life .
If you wish to recommend a fellow alumnus who is serving his church or community in some significant way for this Ramview feature , please contact Brian Carney , Vice President for Mission & Identity . ( carneyb @ fordhamprep . org )
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