What Service Means: Stephen Beaman’s Servant Leader Journey
4/27/2026 10:00:00 AM | Cross Country, Pride Excellence
For many people, the word "service" has different meanings. For some, it may be simply helping those in need. For others, it may be something they are involved in because of a personal connection to a cause. For senior cross country athlete Stephen Beaman, however, service has a much deeper meaning.
"I would say it means an outpouring of the heart and an outpouring of the self," Beaman shared. "It's a giving of oneself in order to build others up, as well as an outpouring of the heart so that others' hearts can be filled in return."
During his time at Seton Hall, the senior from Johnston, Iowa, has been a star on and off the course. Across his four seasons, Beaman has produced nine top 10 finishes and one win as arguably the team's top runner during that time. Off the course, he has filled the hearts and minds of others, both on and off campus, through his service work, which led to his recognition at the 2026 Servant Leader Awards. For him, no chance to serve lacked meaning or purpose. Whether it was working in the campus ministry or non-profits, participating in Grow a Row, an initiative that helps provide fresh produce to those in need, or helping make Thanksgiving baskets as part of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), it all meant something to him. When delivering the baskets this past fall, the reactions were a reminder to Beaman about how even the smallest tasks can have such a profound effect.
While many paths lead to service for different people, Beaman's path to this larger sense of purpose aligns with his faith. "I think my desire to help the community is really rooted in faith and rooted in the principles of loving everybody," Beaman shared, "loving your neighbors more than yourself." Yet amid all the work, this journey is more about serving people spiritually or emotionally, but it's something much grander: the teachings of the late Pope Francis.
"I think one of the things that really inspired me about Pope Francis was his idea of reaching the periphery," Beaman cited. "I think that's sort of where my passion for serving communities that are overlooked or underserved comes from. Service is not only about the people immediately around us, but serving the people that are on the fringes of society that may not always get the support, resources, time or even thoughts."
The late pope's message pushed Beaman to work with the Family Resource Network (FRN), an organization based in East Windsor, New Jersey, that works with people who have epilepsy or are on the autistic spectrum. During his time there, he worked with their development team, collecting donations and planning community events. When the events were put into action, they unlocked something for Beaman.
"Seeing people's walls come down and knowing that they have a comfortable space to interact with people is super important," Beaman shared. Those walls, especially among people on the autistic spectrum, he recognizes, appear in all different shapes and forms. "Autism has a very broad range," the senior pointed out, "there are people that are nonverbal versus people that might just be more socially awkward. I think it's really about learning to love the person who's right in front of you and really meet them where they're at and provide them with what they need in the moment."
Even though his tenure with the Family Resource Network is over, Beaman is by no means done working within that community. This summer, he will be working with Pathfinders for Autism in Timonium, Maryland, an organization with a similar focus to the FRN. "Last summer sort of kindled that fire and kindled that passion that I have for serving communities that are underserved or overlooked," stated Beaman. "I think it really just filled my heart to see people smile and be in a community that they were comfortable with."
Now, with his college athletic career at a close and a professional future ahead of him, Beaman looks back on his four years with no regrets. "I think if you had told me four or five years ago that this is where I'd be now, I would probably think you're crazy," Beaman laughed. "It has been a big journey, but a bigger growing experience. I feel like I've embraced this opportunity, and there aren't any regrets for me. If I could do it over again, I definitely would because it's been so much fun."
What's coming down the road for Beaman remains to be seen, but he sees the path he wants to follow. "I have one more year of grad school after this summer," he shared, "and then I would love to get some sort of full-time role in the nonprofit world so that I can help to serve the community at the grassroots level. A lot of what I do as a diplomacy student is writing policy memos and looking at how policy can be different or changed to create better outcomes."
His recent conversations with people who handle policy and advocacy work for nonprofits have confirmed that this is the path he wants to pursue. Like the runner he is, he is staring out at a world that is an open cross-country course waiting to be run. As he prepares to start the race that will define his career and life, he is not nervous. He knows that he wants to be of service to people from all walks of life to make this world a better place. While the course remains unseen, he has faith he will find his way to the finish line having made that difference. Until then, it is simply hazard zet forward.
"I would say it means an outpouring of the heart and an outpouring of the self," Beaman shared. "It's a giving of oneself in order to build others up, as well as an outpouring of the heart so that others' hearts can be filled in return."
During his time at Seton Hall, the senior from Johnston, Iowa, has been a star on and off the course. Across his four seasons, Beaman has produced nine top 10 finishes and one win as arguably the team's top runner during that time. Off the course, he has filled the hearts and minds of others, both on and off campus, through his service work, which led to his recognition at the 2026 Servant Leader Awards. For him, no chance to serve lacked meaning or purpose. Whether it was working in the campus ministry or non-profits, participating in Grow a Row, an initiative that helps provide fresh produce to those in need, or helping make Thanksgiving baskets as part of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), it all meant something to him. When delivering the baskets this past fall, the reactions were a reminder to Beaman about how even the smallest tasks can have such a profound effect.
While many paths lead to service for different people, Beaman's path to this larger sense of purpose aligns with his faith. "I think my desire to help the community is really rooted in faith and rooted in the principles of loving everybody," Beaman shared, "loving your neighbors more than yourself." Yet amid all the work, this journey is more about serving people spiritually or emotionally, but it's something much grander: the teachings of the late Pope Francis.
"I think one of the things that really inspired me about Pope Francis was his idea of reaching the periphery," Beaman cited. "I think that's sort of where my passion for serving communities that are overlooked or underserved comes from. Service is not only about the people immediately around us, but serving the people that are on the fringes of society that may not always get the support, resources, time or even thoughts."
The late pope's message pushed Beaman to work with the Family Resource Network (FRN), an organization based in East Windsor, New Jersey, that works with people who have epilepsy or are on the autistic spectrum. During his time there, he worked with their development team, collecting donations and planning community events. When the events were put into action, they unlocked something for Beaman.
"Seeing people's walls come down and knowing that they have a comfortable space to interact with people is super important," Beaman shared. Those walls, especially among people on the autistic spectrum, he recognizes, appear in all different shapes and forms. "Autism has a very broad range," the senior pointed out, "there are people that are nonverbal versus people that might just be more socially awkward. I think it's really about learning to love the person who's right in front of you and really meet them where they're at and provide them with what they need in the moment."
Even though his tenure with the Family Resource Network is over, Beaman is by no means done working within that community. This summer, he will be working with Pathfinders for Autism in Timonium, Maryland, an organization with a similar focus to the FRN. "Last summer sort of kindled that fire and kindled that passion that I have for serving communities that are underserved or overlooked," stated Beaman. "I think it really just filled my heart to see people smile and be in a community that they were comfortable with."
Now, with his college athletic career at a close and a professional future ahead of him, Beaman looks back on his four years with no regrets. "I think if you had told me four or five years ago that this is where I'd be now, I would probably think you're crazy," Beaman laughed. "It has been a big journey, but a bigger growing experience. I feel like I've embraced this opportunity, and there aren't any regrets for me. If I could do it over again, I definitely would because it's been so much fun."
What's coming down the road for Beaman remains to be seen, but he sees the path he wants to follow. "I have one more year of grad school after this summer," he shared, "and then I would love to get some sort of full-time role in the nonprofit world so that I can help to serve the community at the grassroots level. A lot of what I do as a diplomacy student is writing policy memos and looking at how policy can be different or changed to create better outcomes."
His recent conversations with people who handle policy and advocacy work for nonprofits have confirmed that this is the path he wants to pursue. Like the runner he is, he is staring out at a world that is an open cross-country course waiting to be run. As he prepares to start the race that will define his career and life, he is not nervous. He knows that he wants to be of service to people from all walks of life to make this world a better place. While the course remains unseen, he has faith he will find his way to the finish line having made that difference. Until then, it is simply hazard zet forward.
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