The Do-gooders: Eager to change the world

Some people think they can change the world. Irene Fernando and Greg Tehven know they can.

They met last fall at Territorial Hall on the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus, two freshmen who became fast friends when they realized that they could talk about things that mattered. Fernando, the dark-eyed daughter of Filipino immigrants, grew up in California and even in April wore a stocking cap clamped over her ears. Quick with a hug and a quip, she gets

around campus on a battered skateboard. Tehven, a skinny North Dakotan with sandy curls and a constantly ringing cell phone, favors a backwards Red Sox cap. He's a talker, too. And a dreamer.

Their plan to change the world -- Tehven does not smile when he says that -- was hatched in a wee-hours dorm room conversation with friends. Tehven, who was active in leadership activities in high school, had been challenged to get involved in the pay-it-forward movement, which is based on the idea that kindness and good deeds can start a chain reaction.

Pay-it-forward philosophyJim GehrzStar Tribune Out of that day sprang "Students Today Leaders Forever." The group's motto is "promoting initiative and living with passion, believing that one student can make a difference." One of their first activities was to hold a "simple acts of kindness" demonstration before a Gophers hockey game, waving signs that said such things as, "Call your mom!" and "Put others first."

They met with the California author who popularized the pay-it-forward movement and spread the word about a spring break bus trip to cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Forty students from around the Midwest paid $400 apiece to work at food banks and homeless shelters, pick up trash and help children.

Tehven, a Lutheran, wears a black What Would Jesus Do? bracelet. Fernando is a devout Catholic. They have taken pains to keep their religious convictions separate from "Students Today."

"I live my faith," Tehven said. " ... If I want to do something, I tell people because I think they will help. And they do."

Next year, Tehven is hoping that five to 10 buses from Minnesota, North Dakota, New Hampshire and Texas will cooperate on a pay-it-forward tour. When he graduates and eventually becomes manager of the Minnesota Twins (he does smile when he says that), he hopes that "Students Today" is strong enough to continue under new leadership.

After graduation, Fernando is interested in working with orphans or children who need help. "I thrive on optimism," she said. "One person can change a life."