In 2010, Sam Panderla (MA ’15) was living in India and wanted to use sports as a medium for ministry and community development.
Through family connections he met with Ken Friesen, Ph.D., FPU professor of history and in charge of the international studies and global education program, who was in India on sabbatical. Through their conversations, Sam shared his desire to combine sports, ministry and community development, and Friesen saw the potential.
Ken shared about FPU and encouraged Sam to pursue a master's degree focused on nonprofit organization and management. Just a few months later, Sam was accepted into the Individualized Master of Arts Program (IMAP) and moved to Fresno. In fact, he lived with professors Pam and Marshall Johnston his first year here.
The Lord’s timing led Sam to FPU, a place that would not only shape his academic journey but also ignite and equip a passion for service and community transformation.
A TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE
Arriving in a new country can be a daunting experience, but Sam was met with warmth and hospitality from the FPU community. “I never felt like an outsider,” he reflects.
Not only were professors amazing and knowledgeable, they were humble, service-oriented and committed to what they were teaching and why. Many opened their homes to Sam, inviting him in for meals, and intentionally learning more about where he came from, his community and culture.
One FPU staff member who had a significant impact on Sam was Dina Gonzalez Pina. “She was the dean of spiritual formation back then, and she was basically my mentor. She took me under her wings, and she always told me that I would be a great leader. I went on my study abroad trip to Colombia with her, and I was able to learn Spanish because of her,” he says.
A CALLING TO SERVE
Today, Sam serves as the executive director of the Karuna Shree Foundation (KSF), a nonprofit organization he founded in honor of his late mother, who was a homiletics professor and the chief editor of a magazine within the Mennonite Brethren community. KSF focuses on leadership development, peacebuilding and community-centered transformation. It’s also part of the Five and Two Network, collaborating with global partners to support sustainable development led by local leaders.
Work is deeply fulfilling for Sam as he journeys alongside young leaders, watching them discover their talents and voice to confront justice with wisdom and compassion. Witnessing these leaders grow into change-makers and transform their communities is what he enjoys most about his work.
“FPU equipped me with both the practical tools and the deeper mindset needed for the kind of work I do,” Sam says. “Through the IMAP program, I learned how to design, lead and sustain nonprofits and community initiatives. But beyond academics, FPU taught me how to be a servant-leader.”
The lessons Sam learned at FPU, such as the power of peace-building, the value of listening and the importance of community, guide him every day as he works in the context of India, a country often divided by religion, caste and language.
The response to such division and strife? It’s the type of leadership FPU taught Sam:
“A way of being rooted in service, justice and hope," Sam said.
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