Rob Lewcun, a freshman at Arcadia University, knows what it’s like to go above and beyond.

As a member of Arcadia’s First Year Preview class trip to Costa Rica in March, he managed to raise $1,615 in donations for a special needs school in San Jose.*

When his professors asked this year’s group to create individual GoFundMe accounts to raise funds, Rob upped the ante: he turned to his parish at St. Albert the Great Church in Huntingdon Valley.

“I spoke after mass and presented the idea of our class taking a trip to Costa Rica to help the special education schools in the San Jose area,” he said. “The parish was very encouraging, generous and helpful with their donations. Our church has a big emphasis on community and being supportive of one another.”

Rob had previously earned his parish’s appreciation when he dedicated himself to the creation of a Rosary garden on church property. His efforts were part of an Eagle Scout project and taught him the ins and outs of fundraising.

“I turned a swampy, muddy patch of land into an outdoor place of prayer. I visited similar projects in the area, and realized how massive an undertaking it was going to be. I started fundraising in the spring of 2020. I had to do the research to get the estimates for landscapers and supplies, including electricity and plumbing. It was definitely a lot,” he said.

Rob was able to get plenty of donations for the project through self-driven advertising.

“I started the work in spring 2020, and my dad and I worked with boy scouts to form the base. That summer, a family came forward and offered to finance the complete renovation, including statues and a concrete foundation and help with overhead costs. We worked side by side and talked through our ideas,” he said. “They eventually took over the really hard jobs, like the concrete, the installation of the cross and statues. I took over the landscaping and the garden side of things.”

A graduate of Father Judge High School in Philly, Rob officially became an Eagle Scout in December 2021, entering a rare class of service-driven individuals. A ceremony in May 2022 was attended by Congresswoman Dean, who congratulated Rob with a plaque and a certificate of special congressional recognition.

With the trip to Costa Rica a recent memory, Rob looks forward to presenting what he learned and the service he provided with his class during Arcadia’s Global Expo this Friday from 3:00pm to 5:00pm.

“I’m experienced with service trips around our area, but it was really neat to do the same thing in Costa Rica. You realize that it’s not so different. It’s service and helping those in need,” he said. “No matter where you go, you can always lend a hand.”

For more on Arcadia’s First Year Preview, you can read Glenside Local’s previous coverage here. For more on St. Albert the Great, you can read this article by Northeast Times, or this article by Catholic Philly.

*It’s worth noting that Rob’s class totaled $4,000+ in donations, a sum which quadrupled the class’ combined efforts in 2019. Pura vida.