Kyle Thomas Glasser

St. Marguerite Catholic Church has yet another member of which to be proud.   Kyle Thomas Glasser, 21, can now add mission trips to a list of many community service activities.  Kyle Thomas Glasser made the trip of a lifetime in May of 2010 when he packed up, said goodbye to his parents, and left his comfortable suburban Georgia home for Central America.

With the dream of someday becoming a doctor, Kyle Thomas Glasser saw first-hand what a huge impact basic medical care can have on the far reaches of Costa Rica’s poorest areas.  His trip to San Jose with the International Service Learning Program brought Kyle Thomas Glasser face to face with poverty beyond anything found in the US.

While in Central America, Kyle Thomas Glasser was able to offer help to men, women and children who, without the kindness of student volunteers like himself, might never receive proper care.  Simple things that Americans take for granted, like the comfort of a simple bandage, is out of reach for these people without groups like the International Service Learning Program and volunteers like Kyle Thomas Glasser.

Kyle Thomas Glasser and a dozen other students gave their time last May to make an impact. And did they ever! On the trip, the group visited an out of the way orphanage in Nicaragua where they rallied attention for a medical clinic that Kyle Thomas Glasser helped to host at the orphanage.  Aside from just medical attention, Kyle Thomas Glasser helped boost the morale of the children by hosting fiesta where the kids were able to forget their troubles and just be kids, even if for only a day.

Another highlight of the trip, recalled Kyle Thomas Glasser, was a visit to Project Abraham. This church driven community reminded him of his congregation at home and helped him stay focused on the task at hand. Kyle Thomas Glasser helped to perform well-child visits, hoping to keep children healthy. Kyle Thomas Glasser also took the time to proactively bring people to the clinic – the area has no Internet so word of mouth was the best way for Kyle Thomas Glasser and the other volunteers to get the people there.

Kyle Thomas Glasser first heard of the International Service Learning Project as a teenager. While most young boys his age were busy fighting acne, Kyle Thomas Glasser was working with this organization to help make the world a community of friends, instead of strangers.  According to Kyle Thomas Glasser, the ISLP was founded on the belief that people should lend a hand up instead of poke fun at the way others must live. Kyle Thomas Glasser has now had the chance to learn by doing, and to see that a kind word and a gentle hand really does make a difference.

Back at home in Georgia, Kyle Thomas Glasser continues to serve by tutoring math to aid struggling students.  Kyle Thomas Glasser is a member of many service-driven organizations, such as the National Spanish Honor Society and Beta Club, the Sigma Alpha Lambda National Leadership group and is also a member in good standing of the American Medical Student Association.

Kyle Thomas Glasser is the classic picture of what it means to work towards a dream.  In his short life, Kyle Thomas Glasser has demonstrated what it means to remain persistent, hope filled and to never stop reaching. Glasser’s future plans center around the goal of becoming a medical doctor. He dreams of this for one reason – to serve.