Service has been important to Michael Love for as long as he can remember. The prospect of helping those around him has long been a motivator and a guiding light in his life. As a college student, he wanted to continue the moral obligation he felt to those around him.
When he found Lambda Chi Alpha during his undergraduate career at Central Michigan University, Love did not even realize the amount of community service and philanthropy the brotherhood promoted. Immediately, he fell in love with the fact that he would be surrounded by a group of gentlemen who wanted to make a change.
“All the stereotypes of fraternity and Greek Life aren’t true, and there is a lot more to it than just the social aspect,” said Love.
After throwing himself into all that Lambda Chi had to offer by serving in several offices, Love knew that this was a bond that would never be broken. The lessons and his love of service that he shared with his brothers would carry forward.
And so it did.
Following graduation, Love was hired at State Farm Insurance and worked for their corporate office for a few years before opening his own Allstate Insurance agency. For the past 11 years, Love has been expanding his agency and doing what he does best: helping others.
But Love’s commitment to his community does not stop there. In addition to his responsibilities to his agency, Love also volunteers with third and fifth graders, to whom he teaches Junior Achievement. Junior Achievement aims to teach children business, entrepreneurship, and economics, based on their skill level. As an added bonus, the classroom in which Love assists is that of one of his chapter brothers.
While volunteering on a regular basis in a classroom might be enough to check the box for most, Love does not stop there: he also serves as a volunteer firefighter/medical responder for his township in Michigan.
“It is something I have always had a passion for and something I truly enjoy doing,” said Love. “It sounds cliche, but I love helping others and the excitement of it; it’s always something new and something challenging.”
Love says that both teaching and serving as a first responder are rewarding in their own ways and keep him on his toes. Between all of his commitments, it would be easy to experience some sort of burn out. Not for Love, though. For him, the amount of service he puts in is a reflection of the life he has built for himself.
“Eventually, everything becomes one web and tying into who you are as an individual, so I have responded to house fires of clients of mine, I volunteer in a classroom of a fraternity brother who I met in college…so you try to make time for every part of your life, but eventually they all come together and it becomes the fabric of who you are.”
Love has certainly made a name for himself in the Great Lakes Bay Region, where he was recently honored with a RUBY (Recognizing the Upward, Bright and Young) Award. The award is given to “…professionals under the age of 40 who have made their mark in their professions and are having an impact throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region”. Love explains how much this honor means to him and that it is affirmation he is continuing to do the right thing.
“I think my passion, my open-mindedness and determination that I’ve put toward growing my business, and also giving back to the Great Lakes Bay Region, obviously has stuck out and drawn some positive attention, and I’m certainly honored to participate in the RUBY Award,” said Love.
From a passion for service that grew from his time in Lambda Chi Alpha, Love advises other members to find something they are passionate about in their community and get involved. After all, Lambda Chi Alpha is a great place to start fostering a love of service.
“I truly wouldn’t be who I am or where I am today without Lambda Chi Alpha,” said Love.
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