He started his small, faith-based housing organization with a dream — to build houses for a million people who did not have one. Monday, he shared that dream and how he reached it with the students and faculty.

Millard Fuller and his wife Linda are founders of Habitat for Humanity, an international Christian housing ministry that has built homes for more than one million people worldwide and operates in 100 countries.

The Fullers are this year’s honorees of the Center for Student Leadership, Ethics and Public Service’s 20th annual Role Model Leaders Forum. Each year, the forum honors a leader who has done outstanding work in the community, nation or world.

This is the first time that two people have been honored in one year, according to Mike Giancola, associate director of leadership, ethics and public service.

“I’m honored to be here today,” Millard said. “It is such a joy not only to build houses, but to speak to groups about my work.”

The Fullers founded Habitat for Humanity in 1976 at the small Christian community of Koinonia Farm outside of Americus, Georgia.

The concept of “partnership housing” was born several years earlier with the help of Clarence Jordan, the founder of Koinonia Farm. The Fullers carried this idea with them to Africa where they spent three years building houses before returning to the United States and starting Habitat for Humanity.

“My life’s passion has been to build homes for those who do not have adequate housing,” Millard said. “Habitat for Humanity totally changed my life — made it more joyful and exciting and strengthened my faith.”

Early Monday, Millard spoke to a group of University Scholars in the Campus Cinema. The speech was part of the Scholars Program’s weekly forum schedule.

“He was as excellent speaker with a message of hope,” Amanda Sain, a freshman in biomedical engineering, said. “He shows that any dream or goal a person sets can be accomplished with a little faith and a lot of work.”

The Fullers were fired from Habitat for Humanity in 2005 because according to Millard, the direction they wanted to move in was not in agreement with the Board, and they started a new organization: The Fuller Center for Housing.

The Fuller Center for Housing is currently focused on rebuilding and renovating homes on the Gulf Coast that were destroyed by hurricanes. The Fuller Center also has ongoing projects in Nepal, Nigeria and Sri Lanka.

Millard said “as long as I am able to continue building houses for those who need them,” he is satisfied.

According to Millard, the Fullers chose to build houses to benefit the needy because at the time, no one was doing it as an expression of faith. Today, Habitat for Humanity has built over 200,000 homes worldwide.

“Habitat for Humanity is a great way for people to help out in their community,” Sain said. “The Fullers have helped so many people and have brought together people who would not normally get along by simply building houses.”

In addition to working with the Fuller foundation, Millard and Linda travel the country and speak about their experience with Habitat for Humanity. Millard hopes that these speeches will drum up more interest and involvement in the organization and others like it.

“Habitat for Humanity is about giving people an opportunity to do something in the world,” Millard said. “It is an organization that brings out the best in people and the best is what is needed in the world today.”