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When I came to Gettysburg College, I got very involved with community service. In my first semester, I joined Alpha Phi Omega, the service fraternity on campus. This exposed me to many different service opportunities, and introduced me to CPS. When I learned of the opportunities to work with CPS, I knew that I wanted to take a leadership role, and help others find the same enjoyment with community service that I have. I had not volunteered at Re-Entry except for GIV day. However, out of all the positions available, that was the one the piqued my curiosity the most.
Compared to when I started at my position, I have made enormous gains in many different aspects of my life. I have learned so much about the prison system and the social services system. Through contact with the clients, I have gained insight into other lifestyles. Through interaction with the volunteers, my understanding and appreciation for what we do has been deepened. Through my learning circle, I have learned so much about class issues. I have also gained professional skills through my work. While I know that I am probably not going to continue in my work with the prison system after college, I do know that I will take all of the skills I have learned and apply them to my life. I hope to continue learning in the patterns that I have already established. I want to learn more about the systems in which we work, and how they affect everything an individual and society as a whole does. I am only just beginning in my learning experience with CPS.
In my partnership with SCCAP Prison and Parole Re-Entry Services, I have two roles. I recruit and train volunteers from the College to help with life skills classes at the agency. I also lead a current events class and a sports night at the agency.
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Community partnerships, the core of Center for Public Service programs, strive
to be mutually beneficial – fulfilling both a community-identified goals and
providing a learning experience for students. Program coordinators serve as
liaisons between the Adams County and campus communities to ensure a solid
partnership.
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EXPERIENCE
My experiences with community partnership have been good ones. Being partnered with a community partner has allowed me to expand my experiences in working in a professional relationship. Working with a community partner is an interesting and educational relationship. I have found my community partner to be an amazing window into the community. Through my work with my community partner, I have been exposed to many different aspects and people in our community that I probably would not have seen without these connections.
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LEARNING
The learning that has taken place as a result of my relationship with my community partner has been largely experiential. My community partner has exposed me to many different parts of the community, and through this exposure I have learned a great deal. I have met many different people in the community, and have formed bonds and relationships with people I would not have otherwise met.
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Learning Circles aim to bring people from diverse backgrounds together to develop trust, understand each other's experiences, explore social issues and work together for long-term change. For 2007-2008, there are three groups focused on race, class and migration respectively. Emma focused on class and participated in a community initiative named Cirlces of Support.
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EXPERIENCE
Reflecting on the person I was when I started going to Circles of Support at the beginning of the year, I am amazed at how much I have experienced and learned in Circles, and how much it has affected me. I started this year not knowing that much about poverty or class issues. However, through attending Circles and befriending the women in Circles, I have gained a lot of insight into class issues and challenges. My experiences in Circles have been positive. My friendships in Circles have taught me a lot about class issues and about life in general, and I think these experiences are invaluable.
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LEARNING
For the past year, I have been involved with the class learning circle. In the class learning circle, we attend Circles of Support meeting. The people I have met and befriended at Circles have taught me more about class issues than any text book could. I have learned about the policies and laws about poverty and class issues such as living wage, healthcare, and discrimination. However, even more importantly, through my experiences at Circles, I have learned about personal struggles against class issues. Being able to put a face, and a friend’s face at that, on class issues has really made a difference, and brought home this issue for me.
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Through the Center for Public Service, Program Coordinators support student volunteers through education, training, reflection, communication, logistical coordination and the fostering of community/campus partnerships.
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EXPERIENCE
My student leadership on campus over the course of this year has grown immensely since last year. I have found being a leader on campus to be an experience that is both gratifying, yet tricky at the same time. It is gratifying, because if done right leadership can be great. Through my work at CPS, I have been able to lead my volunteers, by training, interacting and reflecting with them. As a result of these experiences, I have also risen to a position of leadership in my other extracurricular activities. This year, I was elected president of Alpha Phi Omega, a national, co-ed service fraternity that is about 150 members strong on campus. I have also found student leadership to be tricky, as I would imagine any sort of peer leadership would be. The balance between being a peer and being a leader is a hard one to walk, however I have found it to be manageable. Overall, I have found my experiences with student leadership to be positive, because I will definitely be able to apply the leadership experiences I have gained through CPS to the rest of my life.
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LEARNING
During the past year, my education about student leadership has been tremendous. My first year at college, I did not have nor seek many leadership roles. Thus, becoming a Program Coordinator at CPS, and then president of APO all in one year has increased my knowledge and skills as a student leader tenfold. I have learned how to be an effective leader, and specifically how to lead my peers. I have learned a lot through my experiences with CPS, having to recruit and train volunteers. I have also learned a lot from my program, Re-entry services, as I am a leader there as well. I have facilitated courses at Re-entry, which has provided a whole other spectrum of leadership.
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Through experiences with the Center for Public Service, Program
Coordinators have the opportunity to connect with community, develop
professional skills, and find a supportive environment to discover
their voice in social change.
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EXPERIENCE
Professionally, I have grown in many areas. I have developed many professional relationships, and have had to maintain professional contact with various people, which have led to growth in my communication and social skills. I have also been able to practice my public speaking and presentation skills, and furthered my experience with computer programs, such as video editing. All of these experiences and opportunities have lead to major professional growth when compared to where I was when I first came to CPS.
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LEARNING
My experience with personal and professional development has been a good one. Over the course of last semester, I have had many opportunities to grow both personally and professionally. Personally, I have had to deal with a very wide variety of people, which challenged my social and professional skills. This new exposure to people of very different backgrounds was and is valuable.
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300 North Washington Street · Gettysburg, PA 17325