24 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN The CSO hosts many long-standing programs, such as Spring Fling, a one-day event developed with input from Bethlehem residents where children and families from community schools are invited to campus for a carnival-like day of fun and education. Another impactful program is the Great South Side Sale, which celebrated its 30th year in 2026. Donated items from student move-outs are sold at the annual event, which raised nearly $27,000 in June to support children’s programming in South Bethlehem through Donegan and Fountain Hill elementary schools and Broughal Middle School. Evolving partnerships with the Bethlehem Area School District continue to enrich community schools, while weekly service at the Victory House remains a fixture for students as they help provide shelter and resources to local veterans. Those programs did not emerge overnight. Hernandez emphasizes that community partnerships are built through years of trust and consistent investment. One recent moment made that impact unmistakable. At the Student Access and Success First-Generation Breakfast celebrating graduating seniors, Crystal Flores ’26 addressed the audience as the student speaker. A South Bethlehem native, Lehigh’s students and services were part of Flores’ education since elementary school. She remembers being in Reading Rocks, a program where Lehigh student-athletes tutored at Donegan Elementary. When she attended Broughal Middle School, she participated in the CSO’s Homework Club. It was that support, Flores says, that ultimately led her to feel confident enough to pursue higher education and apply to Lehigh. “During my first year at Lehigh I was one of the CSO tutors,” Flores says. “This full circle moment was so important to me because I was able to motivate students to follow their dreams just as those before me did. I will always be grateful for the CSO.” It’s moments like this, Hernandez says, where the outcome is not immediate, but makes the investment even more significant. When the CSO was established, “there was nothing but creativity and innovation,” Hernandez says. They set out to create a culture of participation and active citizenship. Today, Lehigh students, faculty, staff and alumni are engaged in community service initiatives across the university and globe, from Greek life to the basketball court and everywhere in between. While abroad in Negril, Jamaica, Landon Patoir ’28 took part in a global service initiative for his fraternity, Delta Upsilon (DU), helping to construct a local school. It was an experience he says makes him feel “more inclined to do service work around the world.” His role as chapter vice president for philanthropy is one he takes seriously. “Being able to help people in person is one of the few things that still feel authentic to me,” Patoir says. “You don’t need to have help from AI or post it to social media to do service, and it’s something that’s still human in an increasingly technology-reliant world.” In addition to global service, Patoir works alongside the CSO team for upcoming opportunities in Bethlehem so he can facilitate service experiences for DU members. His chapter has volunteered at the Grace Community Foundation Food Bank, the Young Women’s Christian Association, New Bethany, Relay for Life and the SouthSide Arts District, among others. DU averages nearly 150 hours of service per semester. Lehigh’s fraternity and sorority members raised a total of $82,277 for philanthropic partners and completed 11,074 service hours in the Bethlehem area in 2024-2025. “In the community, we’re one Lehigh,” Hernandez says, “and it’s important for us to be aligned and on the same page. We’re making sure that we are going out and integrating the voices of our community partners.” Community Service in Every Corner of Campus Life “In the community, we're one Lehigh, and it's important for us to be aligned and on the same page. We're making sure that we are going out and integrating the voices of our community partners.” —Carolina Hernandez, assistant dean and director of Lehighʼs Community Service Office Carolina Hernandez
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