Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) prioritizes serving others and strives to instill this value into every student who attends the university. As we celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month this April, we are spotlighting two members of our PBA community who embody the university’s mission to serve God boldly, both during their time at PBA and beyond.
A Legacy of Giving Back
For A.J. Titus, a South Florida native and PBA alumnus, his desire to serve others stems from an immense sense of gratitude. Now the President of Signarama, the world’s largest sign and graphics franchise, A.J. remains involved at PBA through serving on PBA’s Titus Center for Franchising and the Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. School of Business Advisory Boards.
“I just love PBA, and I always want to give back however I can,” A.J. shared. “Being involved on both advisory boards gives me the opportunity to impact and give back to students.”
Entrepreneurship runs in A.J.’s family. His father, Ray Titus, is the founder and CEO of United Franchise Group (UFG), which is home to an affiliated family of brands and consultants. Ray is also responsible for starting PBA’s Titus Center for Franchising, which helps students master the principles of business franchising while also providing professional education for people who want to work in franchising, buy a franchise, or franchise their business.
“Growing up, I was so blessed to have my dad who owns a company,” A.J. explained. “I was able to get great experience that I never would have had without him. I want to give back to other people so they can have the same experience that I did.”
A.J. is also involved in PBA’s Mentor-Protégé Program, which allows students to participate in a one-year mentoring experience with senior managers and executives, most of whom are PBA graduates. He meets regularly with students to offer wisdom and guidance, talk through his different experiences and more.
“I wouldn’t be the person I am without PBA,” he said. “It’s where I met my wife and life-long friends. I learned so much about business and about myself and I did it surrounded by some pretty amazing people.”
A Heart for the Community
For Da’Naja Willis, a senior nursing student, she found her passion for serving through Workship, a distinct community service program at PBA that responds to human needs with Christ-like action in the community and the world. Since the program’s founding in 1968, PBA students have volunteered more than 4 million hours. Da’Naja was so impacted by the program that she decided to become a Workship leader, and she has led students on several service projects around Palm Beach County.
“Serving and working with different organizations in the community through Workship has taught me that everything I do is for the glory of God,” she explained. “It has also taught me to feel more confident and advocate for others in the community. As a student Workship leader, our aim is to encourage students to serve churches, schools, government organizations and nonprofit organizations.”
Just recently, Da’Naja led a project with First Care Women’s Clinic in West Palm Beach, whose mission is to empower women facing crisis pregnancies to choose life for their unborn children. She and a group of students helped assemble baby bottles for the clinic’s annual Baby Bottle Boomerang event. The donations collected through the event supported First Care Women’s Clinic in providing life-saving resources such as literature for women facing unplanned pregnancies, compassionate counseling, ultrasounds, lab visits, and more.
Da’Naja’s involvement with Workship helped her grow spiritually, and it also shaped her purpose.
“My experiences with Workship have taught me that you may not discover your passions until you step outside your comfort zone,” she said.
As we recognize Volunteer Appreciation Month, we celebrate the countless individuals who give of their time and talents to PBA. To learn more about PBA’s programs, visit www.pba.edu.
