Derek Lyssy '11

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz welcomes Derek Lyssy, a 2011 Benedictine College graduate and Executive Director of the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas, to share his journey of faith, leadership, and discovering purpose beyond his original career plans.

Derek reflects on his time at Benedictine College, arriving as a business student considering corporate sales and leaving with a formation that would shape his faith, friendships, and future. He shares memories of campus hospitality, lifelong friendships, meeting his wife in Scholastica Hall, and the culture that made Benedictine feel both deeply personal and transformative.

Through mission trips to El Salvador, playing basketball inside a state penitentiary, and growing in conviction about his Catholic faith, Derek explains how Benedictine prepared him not just for a career, but for a life of service. What began as an interest in business evolved into missionary work with FOCUS, advancement roles in Chicago and Tulsa, and ultimately leadership in Catholic philanthropy.

Listeners will hear a thoughtful conversation about vocation, mission-driven leadership, marriage, and what it truly means to live with purpose. This episode is perfect for alumni, young professionals discerning their path, and anyone inspired by stories of formation, service, and paying forward the gift of a Benedictine education.