Reflective Essay: Service Learning Experience

I spent my middle school years and early high school years helping out in Mrs. DiIanni’s 3rd grade classroom at Lee Elementary in Middleville. While helping Mrs. DiIanni with little things like filling and grading papers, I also helped the kids with problems they were working on. I had a lot of fun helping them with educational art projects and learn to write in cursive. I had also helped organize some of their holiday parties, and well as joined them in the festivities. I had done so many things with these kids and I hopeI at least impacted one of their lives.

During my junior year at Santa Teresa High School, I was in a class the required us to volunteer at selected locations and I had decided that I would volunteer at Edenvale Elementary. I was designated to a second grade classroom where I would be assigned to work with five students who were falling behind in the class. There was one student from that group that had a major impact on my decision of becoming a teacher; for his privacy I will call him Jeremiah. He is a student who has trouble at home, often absent or late to class, and has difficulty with reading and writing. One day I was grading papers for the teacher and Jeremiah was having a rough time understanding what his assignment in class was. He approached his teacher and asked for help,

I learned to never go somewhere if you’re not informed on what will be going on or the type of environment I’ll be in. Never put myself in a situation where I’m stranded. Always drive my own car, that way I can leave when I am ready to go. This experience was not so great but there have been many other opportunities of service I’ve done that has impacted my view on the community. I actually enjoy doing volunteer work and helping out in my community. When I volunteered with Feed the Children, it opened my eye to how many families are struggling and are in need. While putting boxes together it made me wonder what family would receive it and what’s their life story. Volunteering has had a positive impact on me. I’ve gained confidence within myself, happiness, a sense of purpose, experience and communication skills. It’s a great way to connect with others. Knowing that I am helping someone in my community and also having a positive impact on their lives warms my heart. Doing service for others has helped me become more grateful and appreciative for the things I have. It showed me the lifestyle of living pay check to pay check and struggling and that’s what motivates me to figure out this college thing, so I can become successful and continue to help my community.

There has always been a special place in my heart for helping others, and when the opportunity arose, I took it. We collected items for students who are less fortunate in my district and then distributed them to each school for those kids in need, especially in the winter months. The results of this project gave a sense of value to those kids as well as a satisfaction for myself and those involved in the project. The students know that there are people in this community that want to help them and make them feel like any normal student because they do not always get that feeling. By receiving this assistance it gives the kids a sense of value and they are more likely to perform better in school because someone believed in them to succeed. Every child should have this feeling of success and I want to help nurture that feeling in my

This project helped me gain knowledge, I helped out the community, and I can learned new things about myself and others. People can learn what their strengths and weakness are in the field they are volunteering in and can develop the skills they need to better themselves. Volunteering not only is good for the community but, it’s also good for the person volunteering. When I volunteered at the Feast of Sharing, I felt satisfied and good knowing that I was helping out people who might not have been able to provide meals for themselves or their families. Someone’s self-esteem goes up and their stress goes down, knowing they are helping others in need. That means that they can live a healthier, more satisfying, lifestyle. It also improves someone’s ability to speak to others and gain communication skills so they can use in the future. Gaining all these abilities will help in everyday life from speaking to people to giving a helping hand. Because of me volunteering as a coach, I now understand what it’s like to try to control and teach elementary students, at the same time. It was really difficult but because of me going through that situation, I can now assume that if I do plan on being a coach one day, that I ,at least, am prepared on what I am getting myself into.

I wanted to reach out personally to discuss the format in which I will be taking this course. Before, I registered for the course I was under a clear impression that anything involving the service learning component of the lab I would not have to take, but from the introductory class this past Tuesday it appears that I indeed have to take part of the service learning.

All throughout the summer of 2016, my time was spent volunteering at the Chinese Christian Mission kid’s summer camp. After my summer vacation ended, I found myself genuinely appreciating the accompaniment of children and wanting to continue my involvement with them. I sought out for more opportunities to work with children and discovered an after school homework club through a friend's Facebook post. After reading up on their website, I was interested in helping elementary school students develop essential math and literacy skills. It was my objective to enhance their self-esteem through improvement in academic skills and ignite a passion for learning in a safe and caring environment. Starting out first as a tutor, then becoming coordinator, I have volunteered with Learning Buddies Network for more than a year now.

For my second language arts project I decided to do the lend a hand project where you volunteer to help an organization that helps the less fortunate. The organization I volunteered at is Kids Fighting Hunger for their 4th annual We are Thankful. I packaged food there from 11:00 am to 3:00pm on November 20th. This organization that I volunteered at packages food and sends it to countries that need it like Asia and Africa. Packaging food made me feel like I was making a difference like Mother Teresa said “if you can't feed a hundred people then just feed one.” Volunteering at places like Kids Fighting Hunger makes you think about how lucky we are to have food, a roof over your head and clothes to wear. Not everyone has these luxuries you should

One of my greatest memories from volunteering was when we went to the Family Outreach Center in Stronghurst. I started by organizing clothes that had been donated to the community center. I then helped men and women of all ages locate what they wanted from the community center, they were incredibly grateful for something as simple as reaching up and getting a shirt they wanted and that kind of kindness is something that I will never forget. We also collected canned foods for the Jamieson Center and then watched the workers prepare some of the meals to be able to get a grasp on how much hard work was put into something as simple as lunch. Once I had experienced the taste of volunteering I couldn’t get enough of

I learned that even if you don't want to put work in or it's “too hard”, volunteering is a very unique experience. Whether it's helping other through donating or helping the community it's very eye opening and satisfying. I recommend that anyone presented with this opportunity they should take it. Ultimately this will help me be a better person because I learned the importance of hard work and dedication. It was an unforgetting experience and would do it over in a

To do service is to help others and to do justice is to serve. With limited service experience and minimal justice work, I have a different understanding of what justice is and how I can do it as a professional. The service work that I have done while at Creighton happened during my freshman year. My idea of justice comes from how I was raised, some personal experience, and one of the readings that was discussed in class.

When I think about service and how I can play a role in it, I think about community service. Since I have been at Bethany I have been in a couple of different organizations and community service is always a major focus. Right now, I am the active Pledge Master for the fraternity, Gamma Kappa Alpha. By being in this leadership position I am obligated to help out the community and try to make the people in my organization the best that they can be. There are multiple services that we provide for the community, such as, volunteering for churches, helping out with residents yard care and going to the retirement home to talk to and comfort the people who are living there.

Community service: the 20 hour requirement every incoming freshman dreads. I vividly recall my mom and I sitting at the kitchen table as she asked me if I wanted to volunteer with my church to help those affected by the tornado that hit. Knowing I would be stuck in the mud and rain, I reluctantly agreed, in hopes of getting some of the mandatory hours out of the way.The growth and maturity I received from this experience was far beyond what I expected. Not only did I begin to appreciate the little things in my life that I take for granted but the experience sparked my interest in helping others who have it worse than me.

For all my life, I have always been fascinated by the extensive world of Science and Technology. Even though I was a very outgoing student in my school, I was not particularly interested in global engagement. While I was doing a research on Engineering, I found an organisation named Engineers Without Borders. It caught my attention and made me become interested in its volunteering aspect. My whole perspective about volunteering and contribution started to change when I started my second year of high school. At the beginning of 10th grade, I made an incredible decision by joining a community service club called Interact Club.

First, I decided to volunteer at the elementaries Halloween celebration.This was the seventh of October and in the primary building. When I got there I finished help setting up, and after setting up was done then sent me right to work. My job was to help at a few games and tell the parents and students the rules and objectives of the game. In all honesty, I was not to thrilled I had to spend a Saturday helping little kids out with a Halloween party. After I got there and while I was helping out I learned that I had been very helpful to teachers. At the end they had thanked me for my volunteered time, and they informed me that I was a big help. The most important thing I learned was by me taking two hours out of my day, I made variety of kids and teachers day much better. If one volunteers their time they can make a difference, whether it’s big or small.