At Friends University, a change of face occurred in senior David Farinola, a man of perseverance in leadership.

Farinola marks time’s face by occasion of his graduation and departure from Friends this spring. His leaving is significant, because student life has been drastically changed through his endeavors in student government. As current Falcon Activities & Campus Events president in his senior year, executive vice president of Student Government Association and chairman of Student Activities Committee his junior year, and sophomore class senator, Farinola has built a strong legacy at Friends that will be remembered and passed on through time.

Without Farinola’s leadership, FACE wouldn’t exist or function as well as it does.

So who is Farinola and what makes him tick?

Farinola comes from a Christian family of seven, born and raised in Roanoke, Va., in the Appalachian Mountains. As he was growing up, Farinola was well taught and disciplined by his parents, but rather than adhering to their guidance, Farinola took the free-spirited route and rebelled. Farinola did his own thing, trying to fit in and follow after the crowd. “My interests weren’t always healthy back then,” Farinola said.

In his senior year of high school, Farinola joined the Navy. Signing up with the military sprang from his notion that “nobody thought I could make anything of my life.” His plan by joining the Navy was to prove to everyone that he could do something worthwhile.

This plan fell flat when Farinola found that he detested the work he was doing as a nuclear engineer.

“(I) stood up watching meters that just never did anything,” he said, “and (I was) trained to do something if something went wrong with the reactor, but nothing ever went wrong with the reactor. It just wasn’t interesting … I was totally a different person back then. I just wanted out.”

After getting out of the Navy, Farinola went back home in Virginia. By this time, however, all but his dad had moved to Wichita. He and his dad soon decided to move to Wichita as well. Farinola attributes his coming to Wichita to “divine intervention.”

“I don’t really know why I decided to move out here,” Farinola said. “It felt like it was something I had to do.”

Because Farinola’s older sister was already attending Friends, he decided to check everything out.

“(I) immediately felt something different about this place. (I) felt welcomed from day one. I just knew this was where I was going to school,” Farinola said.

Farinola’s freshman year at Friends was difficult, but this was the means God used to change who Farinola was into who he is today. During this time of emotional pain and lowest of lows, Farinola said, “The Lord started really calling out to me.”

He joined a men’s Bible study on campus and began to dig into the scriptures. “That’s where my life turned around,” Farinola said. “The more I would read the Word, the more I discovered ... what life is about.” For once in his life, Farinola found true purpose.

From this emerged a new “Dave,” one who had changed so much that, Farinola said, “people notice the change and said, ‘who are you? You’re not even the same person.’” This is what God does, Farinola said: He’s in the business of changing lives.

His whole life Farinola had been a follower, but after his freshman experience in college, “I suddenly became a leader,” Farinola said.

Farinola has learned that leadership takes perseverance — a lot of it. He said that leadership has taught him to “persevere and keep your head up." Farinola has also learned about himself through his leadership positions.

“To have a team work under you is to encourage … (and) I am an encourager,” he said.

Farinola is passionate about serving others. He has shown this in many ways. Some of those are his two trips to Houston with Campus Ministries, serving in New Orleans a couple times, helping with the cleanup after the Greensburg tornado. Most recently, however, he has given service during the San Francisco mission trip for the alternate spring break. There, he along with several other students from Friends, served in the homeless community. Farinola is also making plans to go to Haiti this summer.

“I feel excited for what’s ahead,” he said. Even though Farinola doesn’t know exactly what he is going to do in the long run, he isn’t going to “freak out about ‘I don’t know what to do.’” Right now Farinola is trusting God to work everything out.

“I think the Lord will open some doors wherever He wants me to go,” Farinola said. “I do have faith in that.”

After graduation, he will miss the people at Friends most.

“(They) have made an impact in my life and help to shape me into who I am. I have so many memories.”

As far as his career goals, Farinola said: “I personally won’t settle for anything less career-wise than something that I truly enjoy,” In light of that, he has accepted the youth director position at his church. He will begin work there upon graduation.

Farinola has considered teaching math, but right now that isn’t where he thinks it would be wise to go. If it does work out for Farinola to teach math in the future, he would like it to be merely the means by which he can serve others.

Farinola also has political ambitions. He thinks that this won’t happen until later in life, but he is assured that at some point he will “make a run.” “I love politics,” Farinola said.

“I don’t wanna do something that I can’t be energized about — that’s not me. I don’t think anybody should settle for something like that. I believe that God has a distinct purpose and calling for each and every person and He wants us to come to knowledge of what that is and He wants us to realize the value that we have … I am a loved person, forgiven when I come short (to the glory of God), and set free to pursue (personal interests) — to live life; to live life to the fullest,” said Farinola.