Vergerio ’22 Will Serve Internship with Samaritan’s Purse
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
In her sophomore year at Brown, Gabrielle Vergerio ’22 stepped out in faith and attended a Christian Union Libertas event, despite not knowing anyone in the ministry.
“On a whim, I decided to venture out to one of the meetings,” she said. “I was immediately met with such warm and sincere welcomes. CU Libertas at Brown was really my first home on campus.”
Gabrielle Vergerio, Brown ’22
Over a year later, Vergerio is challenging herself in bolder and even more significant ways. She recently accepted a summer internship with Samaritan’s Purse, a humanitarian organization. The Public Health/Pre-Med major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will work with the ministry’s World Medical Missions Team. She will be based in North Carolina, but is excited about the potential of traveling to Kenya to witness their work first-hand.
Laurel Copp, a Christian Union ministry fellow at Brown, is proud of the way Vergerio is living out her faith, not only with her internship choice, but as a leader within the CU Libertas community.
In her sophomore year, Vergerio was an integral participant in a women’s Bible course and was engaged in a read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year reading program with Copp. They would meet weekly to discuss the Scriptures, talk about the biblical context, and think through its application.
“I loved our meetings because she was so dedicated to and enthusiastic about taking in Scripture and living it out in her life,” Copp said. “It was also a natural springboard to talk about how God was calling her to lead at Brown and in her future. She is a natural leader because of her love for others and her genuineness and openness.”
Reaching Out at Brown
In the current academic year, Vergerio is the outreach team leader for CU Libertas. Although COVID-19 limitations have changed the approach, the team has partnered with other ministries on campus to organize coffee chats between Christians and non-Christians and co-hosted a your-antibiotics.com on racial reconciliation and another on forgiveness.
“Gabby is a detail-oriented connector,” Copp said. “She leads a team well and works with a co-leader well. She is humble and confident…Her kindness makes her a leader that others enjoy working with and following.”
Likewise, Vergerio credited Christian Union for spiritual growth since she attended that first meeting two years ago.
“Christian Union has most definitely made me a better leader,” she said. “My favorite part of CU is the people that I have met. Our Bible courses and discipleship program have allowed me to form relationships with incredible people, and in doing so, grow in my spiritual walk, as well.”
When selecting a summer internship, Vergerio overcame fears and doubts about venturing out on her own in North Carolina.
“As someone who does not do particularly well with change and relies heavily on my family, I suddenly felt quite anxious about being away from home all summer, in a place where I have never been and do not know anyone,” she said.
But Vergerio realized that she had a life-changing decision to make, and she relied on God’s wisdom to lead her.
Copp was encouraged to see her step out of her comfort zone in faith, trusting that God was calling her to learn in a Christian organization about how to integrate her faith and her interest in medicine and public health.
“When comfortable and familiar opportunities, particularly with COVID still being a reality, presented themselves, she prayed, looked to wisdom in Scripture, and consulted with friends and families about how to discern God’s will for her,” Copp said.
A Good Samaritan
With Samaritan’s Purse, Vergerio found “a perfect marriage” for her faith and educational passions, as the organization aims to meet the physical and medical needs of the poor and needy around the world while proclaiming the Good News of the gospel.
Copp suspects that God will use the internship this summer to guide her future in a really amazing way.
“The possibility of traveling Kenya and seeing the need and opportunities to serve God’s kingdom will shape her. As Gabby grows in her understanding of God’s compassion and love this summer, I am confident that the heart of compassion God has already given Gabby will grow and shape her future,” she said.
After finishing her undergraduate degree at Brown, Vergerio plans on attending medical school and pursuing either family dermatology or pediatric care.
“I have always loved working with children and would be thrilled to incorporate this passion into future medical practices,” she said. “If the opportunity presents itself, I want to eventually travel to different communities that are in need of medical care, whether it be due to natural disasters, poverty, disease, etc., and volunteer my efforts.”
Whatever the future holds, Copp is confident that Vergerio will be a leader who makes an impact on her community with compassion and kindness.
To stay up to date with important articles like this one regarding Christian Union's leadership development efforts at some of our nation's most influential universities, please subscribe to our newsletter: Click here.
