A résumé can list leadership positions. Experiences reveal what kind of leader someone will become.
The summer after his first year at the University of Dayton School of Business Administration, Zeb Borchers ('28, Accounting) chose an experience that wouldn't just strengthen his résumé—it would shape his leadership perspective. Through the University of Dayton Summer Appalachia Program (UDSAP), he spent eight weeks serving families in rural Kentucky, learning that the strongest business leaders aren't defined by titles, but by their willingness to serve others first.
Through this program, Borchers and 11 other UD students helped run a day camp for young children, mentored teens in evening programs, and helped build community in one of the region's most economically challenged areas.
Transformative Summer
"I think this service trip has been a very grounding experience," Borchers said. "I'd love to be an accountant for a great firm someday, but that's not why I am here. That’s not my life’s sole purpose. I am a person who wants to be in a community, to love people and make them feel appreciated, and be a light in the world."
That perspective reflects a defining characteristic of a Marianist business education: preparing graduates who use their talents to serve others, not just themselves.
As the team's treasurer, Borchers managed the group's budget while learning to take ownership without constant direction. Away from spreadsheets, he discovered leadership often looked less like giving answers and more like listening.
“I feel like a different person coming back. I carry myself in a different way,” he said. "I learned I don't have to be the loudest person in the room. I can take a step back, give everyone my full attention, and help everyone else feel heard."
Building Relationships
Some of his most meaningful lessons came from the children he served. One 8-year-old welcomed him with a small marble and toy dinosaur—simple gifts that left a lasting impression.
"He was one of the most selfless kids I've ever met," said Borchers. He also described a bond with a teenager who confided in him about turning his grades around and staying out of trouble.
"I just felt like a brother to him," Borchers said. "I was so happy for him."
By the end of the summer, saying goodbye proved harder than he expected.
"I felt like my work wasn't finished," he said. "I still think about those kids every day."
Service as a Foundation for Leadership
At the School of Business Administration, service is more than an extracurricular activity—it's one of the co-curricular pillars that prepares students to become ethical, purpose-driven business leaders.
Grounded in the University’s Catholic, Marianist tradition, service begins in the Career Flight Plan as part of a curriculum designed to help students engage beyond the classroom and within their communities. Every business student completes a service experience before graduation, using their time, talents and business skills to strengthen communities while developing the servant leadership skills employers value.
For Borchers, that experience became far more than a graduation requirement.
"I felt called to make a difference in people’s lives, but service is for everyone," he said. "You learn a lot about who you are, and you realize you love helping people."
His summer in Appalachia reinforced a lesson that will shape his future career: the best business leaders measure success not only by what they accomplish, but by the impact they have on others.
