City College of New York

Living Without Regret: How One Alumnus is Fighting Injustice

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 13:59:08 +0000

Kathryn Brill

Living Without Regret: How One Alumnus is Fighting Injustice

“Even before I started following Jesus, I always had a heart to serve others,” said Azikiwe Calhoun. But during his years at City College of New York, Azikiwe found a deeper relationship with the God who came to serve—as well as new dreams for what his own service could look like.

By connecting with Christian nonprofits and service organizations in his community, Azikiwe was able to invest more fully in those around him while being mentored by other leaders. He also discovered that he could partner with others in service to accomplish much more than they could do individually. “If it wasn’t for ��ñ��, I wouldn’t know that so many people were with me on these issues,” Azikiwe said.

Christ at the Center

As a high school student, Azikiwe went to church with his family, but “it was just something you did.” After he moved to New York City, though, God was on his mind. Azikiwe felt that God was calling him to get serious about faith and renew his relationship with God. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to give his whole life to God, but he had been running into “brick walls” in his quest to arrange his life the way he wanted. “Whatever the Lord has for me, it has to be better than what I’m doing,” he remembers thinking. And indeed, God transformed his life in ways he wasn’t expecting.

One of those ways was through the ��ñ�� chapter at City College. Azikiwe got involved in the chapter during his senior year, after he lost a job that had been taking up most of his free time outside of school. Azikiwe saw this loss as an opportunity to concentrate more on his studies—and to finally join a community of believers on campus. “I started attending a small group and it took off from there,” he said.

Azikiwe attended the Big Event, the New York/New Jersey region’s fall student conference. He participated in Feed 500, a ministry of the New York City Urban Project, where students make and distribute lunches for the homeless while learning how to better respond to the people they see every day on the street. He volunteered at relief efforts after Hurricane Sandy hit Manhattan.

All these activities fueled Azikiwe’s desire to fight injustice for the sake of God’s kingdom. “Before all this, I didn’t know there were nonprofits with Christian foundations,” he said. But after meeting so many Christian nonprofits, Azikiwe began to dream about one day working for an organization with Christ at the center.

Stepping Out for Justice

That dream was closer than Azikiwe thought. In October 2012, he attended a citywide prayer and worship gathering called One Cry. Various social justice organizations from around New York City were displaying information—including Price of Life, a student-led campaign to fight human trafficking in New York City and share how God cares about injustice. Azikiwe gravitated to the Price of Life booth at One Cry, where he was inspired to sign up to volunteer. “I knew human trafficking existed, but I didn’t know it was right here—I always thought it was over there,” he explained. He was immediately passionate about doing something to help.

In the spring semester, Azikiwe had an opportunity to intern with Price of Life, working with Jeannie Rose Field, Price of Life’s assistant coordinator. He helped out at various events such as Proxe Stations, interactive art displays where information about trafficking is presented alongside the gospel. He also worked to promote Price of Life on social media.

Through his work with Proxe Stations, Azikiwe developed the ability to talk about the gospel in many different situations. Because of their eye-catching displays, Proxe Stations attract a wide audience, and he had to be prepared to answer a variety of questions about Jesus and human trafficking. “The initial nervousness was most difficult,” he recalled. “I asked myself, ‘How will I approach people?’” As Azikiwe helped with more Proxe Stations, though, he grew more comfortable with sharing the Gospel in unusual ways. “��ñ�� challenged me to step out in faith,” Azikiwe said. “God pushes you to step out.”

His whole internship experience was one of “growing and stretching,” as he put it. Many leaders in Price of Life, especially Jeannie Rose, mentored him and other recent graduates in the field of social justice work. And he grew and developed as a leader, gaining confidence in his skills along with more leadership responsibilities.

Moving Forward

Because of his internship experiences, Azikiwe knows that God’s heart for injustice captivates people, and so he’s confident that Price of Life can transform New York City. “It’s going to be big,” he said. “Price of Life is not an organization that’s just talk. It’s actually engaged with people.” Azikiwe also knows the ways that God has transformed his own life through this work. First, he’s gained a new understanding of God’s character: “God is a God of justice, but he’s also a God of mercy at the same time. And he’s at work through everyday things.” He’s also learned to avoid burnout and persevere in his work by “seeing the end in the beginning,” as he put it. And he’s grown to rely on God’s strength, not his own, for the energy to work for justice.

Azikiwe is also making plans to pursue a justice-oriented career. This fall, he started a 15-month program in international development at Eastern University, a Christian school in Pennsylvania. “They teach you the spiritual as well as the practical aspects,” he explained. After completing his degree, Azikiwe hopes to work with an organization that combines sustainable practices, poverty alleviation, and community development—“and if I could share the gospel at the same time,” he added, “that would be awesome.”

Wherever he ends up working, Azikiwe is encouraged by the number of Christian justice organizations that he’s seen during his time with Price of Life. “People of all backgrounds and all professions are serving God in these organizations. There’s no limit!” he said.

Azikiwe advises everyone to get involved in fighting injustice: “If you do nothing, you’ll regret it. I’m happy I’ve done something.” His passion and enthusiasm indicate that he’s more than happy—he’s experienced the joy that comes from using his talents to honor God and bring his justice to earth.

News Keywords

Price of Life

City College of New York

��ñ�� alumni

Andy Mineo: Minister & Rapper

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:36:48 +0000

Alumni Profile

News

Amy Hauptman

Andy Mineo: Minister & Rapper

Recently graduated from the City College of New York (CCNY), Andy Mineo lives in a house with five other guys with the intention of helping plant a church, reaching out to the Caribbean immigrant community around them, and opening their house for weekly small group fellowships.

He also intends to become more deeply involved in the music industry. If you’re a fan of Lecrae’s “Background,” then you’ve already heard his vocals. Formally known as C-lite, Andy is a rapper with a growing fan base. Andy self-describes his occupation as: minister, rapper, and producer.

Update: In January 2014, Andy released a new album, Never Land, which quickly rose to #2 on the Billboard rap albums chart and #13 overall. We had the chance to sit down and talk with Andy about his love of God, church, hip hop, and ��ñ��. Watch the exclusive interview with Andy below.

��ñ��’s Transformational Focus

Andy’s ministry and music are all connected through his experience as a leader of the CCNY ��ñ�� chapter. He was chapter president during his junior year.

“Through being a leader with ��ñ��, God revealed so much to me about his plan for us to reach the world around us and the world at large,” states Andy. “I’ve developed a much bigger view of what it means to be on mission with Jesus—going to Urbana was one of those times.”

“A lot of what we do at our church plant is taken directly from the things I learned at ��ñ��,” shares Andy. “And Urbana really sparked in me the idea of missional living.” (Urbana is ��ñ��’s triennial student missions conference, coming up December 27-31, 2012, in St. Louis – Register today!)

Renewing the Campus

During his junior year, Andy leveraged his influence as ��ñ�� president and as a Resident Assistant in the dorms to hold all kinds of events, from Bible studies to events focused on bringing awareness to global issues like hunger and poverty.

“Because CCNY is the second most diverse campus in America, I was able to build friendships with people from all over the world and teach some of them how to be effective missional leaders,” says Andy. “Some of them have since returned home to other countries.”

Andy’s leadership was instrumental in seeing the ��ñ�� chapter at CCNY double in size this past year and paving the way for other musicians and artists to step into cross-cultural ministry at the school.

Becoming a World Changer

Today, Andy uses what he learned as a leader in ��ñ�� to be a more effective church planter and leader.

“A lot of what we do at our church is similar to what I learned at ��ñ��—empowering and inviting new leaders to serve, leading small groups, casting vision, and following up with people,” states Andy. “��ñ�� has made me a better leader and thinker, especially as I think about how to use my platform for the greater global mission.”

As a rapper, Andy hopes to change the way people see the world through his art. His songs, “Everyday Thing,” “In My City,” “Formerly Known,” and “Fools Gold” are full of messages about Jesus and the hope that he offers.

“I want to debunk unhealthy Christian stereotypes and build long-term trust with consumers,” shares Andy. “I want to create music and movies that paint a biblical worldview and also foster a safe marketplace where ideas about God, faith, religion and its implications can be discussed and considered.”

Other musicians from CCNY’s ��ñ�� chapter are following Andy’s example and they are finding success and respect in the music industry.

Final Words

Even though, Andy has left quite the legacy on his ��ñ�� chapter at CCNY he has a few last words of encouragement for this generation.

“Dream big, act practically. As you live life, make disciples,” declares Andy. “Be mindful of the next generation and make intentional steps to invest in them. You have no idea the impact you could have on the world through investing in just one person.”

In what ways may God be calling you to “dream big and act practically”? In your ��ñ�� chapter? In your workplace? Who is that one person that God might be asking you to personally invest in?

In January 2014, ��ñ�� had the chance to interview Andy shortly after his new album, Never Land, dropped. For more on the interview with Andy, click here.

In the video interview below, several of Andy’s distinctives come to light: his thoughtfulness, his dedication to his art, his commitment to the church, his humility, and his deep desire to bring glory to God through his talents and passions. And as you’ll see, he’s a lot of fun.

News Keywords

City College of New York

��ñ�� alumni