For his capstone project as an ASC Service Award Scholar, Joseph Lindsted put his talents to use.
The senior biology major provided a free, multi-day program focused on event lighting. Using both formal training and personal experience, Lindsted led a camp that gradually increased in complexity, allowing participants to take part in only what they found most valuable for their individual needs.
The purpose of the camp was to support both new and experienced individuals by offering useful content and practical demonstrations. In addition to improving participants’ technical skills, the project aimed to help them discover new passions and build connections that might benefit them in the future.
Lindsted himself has been involved in the technical aspects of theater and live events since the fifth grade. When he graduated from high school, he realized it was also a great way to serve, and it became something he used to fulfill many of his volunteer hours as an ASC Scholar at Newman.
“Opportunities in the tech community, especially on a local level, spread largely through word of mouth, so when others notice that you’re passionate and driven, you begin to see people reaching out to you asking if you’d be willing to help them with their projects,” Lindsted said.
This led him from musicals and plays at his high school to country concerts at Intrust Bank Arena and private events for the Beech family.
“When it came time to decide what I wanted to do for my capstone project, I knew I had to do something that would equip people with the same passion and skillset that has provided me with so many unique opportunities and ways to give back to the community,” he said.
For Lindsted, the hardest part of the capstone project was the nerves.
“I’ve always been pretty introverted, but I’ve also always had a passion for service,” he said. “For me, tech was a way to serve while remaining as behind the scenes as possible, and I really had to push myself out of that mindset to accomplish this project.”
He doesn’t feel he excels at public speaking, so meeting new people and teaching them about lighting systems for extended periods of time seemed intimidating.
“That being said, nothing has brought me out of my shell more than the jobs I’ve had in tech, so hopefully people can gain similar confidence as a result of my project as well,” Lindsted said. “I also hope that my project can teach people about the countless ways a person can serve, and that you don’t always have to be an outspoken leader to make an impact.”
A multi-faceted student experience
Even though Lindsted has no intention of pursuing event tech as a career, he’s grateful for the skills he’s built. He’s been accepted into the Kentucky College of Optometry — an institution with a mission rooted largely in service to the community — so it was helpful to cite his volunteer hours as an ASC Scholar on his application.
“Even though optometry and event tech aren’t really related, I have no doubt that both my capstone project and the ASC Scholar program played a huge role in my acceptance,” he said.
Lindsted said much of his gratitude for the ASC Service Award came when he was able to look back on it.
“Obviously, I was super thankful when I initially received the award, but the experiences I’ve shared with my fellow recipients have been the most valuable,” he said. “After four years of classes together for many of us, it felt like there wasn’t much we were uncomfortable sharing with each other. It’s the things that I’ve learned from the perspectives and stories of my classmates that I’ll remember most about my time in the program.”
Apply for the ASC Service Award
Named for and sponsored by the founders of Newman University, the Adorers of the Blood of Christ (ASC) sisters, the ASC Scholarship is automatically awarded at the time of acceptance to students who report a 3.75-3.89 GPA.
