Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve 

by Hugo Bravo  

Before piano lessons at The Salvation Army Trenton Citadel, teacher Adonis Valdez Melendez prays with his students. Together, they ask God for guidance as they learn music and thank Him for being able to come together for their Wednesday night lesson.  

(Photos/Courtesy of Adonis Valdez Melendez)

Starting and finishing a class with prayer is something Melendez carried over from his years at Morris College, the historically Black, Baptist college in Sumter, South Carolina. Morris College traditions such as prayer in class and mandatory Bible hours were new to Melendez, who grew up going to public school in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Ministry and education coming together went beyond the classroom at Morris. The college’s motto Intrare Libris, Dispartire Servire (“Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve”) is embedded in each student’s experience from their first day of school. 

“I was part of the choir,” says Melendez. “We traveled with the college president when he visited churches and preached. It opened my eyes to being in service, the role of a student ambassador, and engaging the community.”

Heart for Jersey 

After graduation in 2015, Melendez returned to New Jersey and worked as an auditor. Changing careers, he joined a criminal defense law firm, and in 2022, he enrolled in law school. He also joined the Trenton Rotary Club, where he met Captain Alan Porchetti, corps officer at The Salvation Army in Trenton.  

“Captain Alan invited me to come to the corps to learn about a project they were starting: a chapter of young professionals who represented The Salvation Army called Echelon,” says Melendez. “We flew to Palo Verde, California, to meet members of Echelon from other territories.” 

Since then, Salvation Army Echelon chapters have been created in Trenton, Morristown, Camden, New York, and Philadelphia. Living in Trenton allows Melendez to easily travel to visit his fellow Echelon members in other chapters to support them and engage in networking activities.  

As Echelon was growing across the territory, he saw another opportunity to serve locally at the Trenton Corps.  

“The corps needed someone to help teach piano lessons. I had never taught before, but I had taken piano lessons in college and had started playing again to help me unwind after stressful days at law school,” says Melendez. 

The piano classes go by semester, and Melendez, currently in his second semester, teaches the basics such as understanding notes and reading music. When students show progress, they move to a more advanced class taught by Porchetti.  

“The Salvation Army gives a lot of support to its volunteers. I’m still learning myself, and they know I’m not a teacher, so if the classes get too large, I have assistants ready to help,” says Melendez. “When I asked to organize a recital presentation for the students’ parents, they helped me set it up. We all wanted to show off what the kids now knew.”  

Melendez still firmly believes in the importance of entering to learn and departing to serve. That is also a reason he incorporates prayer into his lessons.

“Learning music isn’t easy. It’s like learning a new language. But children can pick up a new language very quick if they’re exposed to it,” he says. “My hope is that by them being exposed to prayer along with music, they can become familiar with both and take it with them.” 

Growth spurts 

Growing Echelon has faced some challenges. Melendez, the recruitment chair, has seen that a chapter can start with good numbers but lose people over time. As someone who followed his education over 600 miles away from home, he understands that young people today tend to move from place to place, with the desire to meet new people and have new experiences. 

“At the same time,” he says, “you can’t build your roots if you’re always moving around. That was a reason why I chose to stay in Trenton and be part of Rotary and The Salvation Army. I wanted to build a foundation and help grow a community. So, in Echelon, we ask: What can each of us do to bring in fresh faces, and engage them to stay with us? 

“It’s like a puzzle where we each have our pieces to add. When we find a place for our pieces, we come together to build something great, both in Echelon and in Trenton.”