Tanya Smith's Reflections

As an Immersion Projects Coordinator Level I, I am in charge of advertising and promoting Immersion Projects throughout the campus. It is my responsibility to be constantly thinking of new ways to reach and teach the entirety of the campus about these awesome experiences. Once we do have students commit to the trips, I am in charge of leading an orientation for the students, and I am in charge of coordinating project logistics. Lastly, when the students get back to campus, I am responsible for trip surveys, thank you letters to sponsors, and making sure that the groups come back together to create something to show the whole campus.

While working with Immersion Projects I do not necessarily work with community partners on a day to day basis. My community partners extend beyond the Gettysburg community to various domestic and international communities. I am working towards extending the Gettysburg campus community to learn through reciprocity and experiences other cultures and ways of life. My co-workers in the office are partners that I interact with almost daily. I have built great friendships with Hisela, Dominique and Sara. Through these friendships, not only is it easy and fun to work with them, but I have also learned many valuable lessons and listened to life experiences which has extended my personal and social life. We all share similar interests and encourage each other to attend various on-campus activities and events. These experiences and friendships are priceless.

I have learned what it means to be a co-worker and I am still learning how to communicate and get work done effectively and efficiently. My CPS partners have taught me how to do both these things. I have continued to learn how to act and grow professionally. Also, I have learned that keeping in constant communication with community partners is a key ingredient to success and partnerships. We have started to keep continuous relationships with our domestic and international partners, who help us better prepare the students to go on the Immersion Projects. Constant feed back and communication are important for meaningful partnerships.

During our learning circles, there were a lot of hands on experiences which drove the importance and reality of migration issues. We visited local orchards and had the opportunity to meet the growers and workers and see the work environment and tools they used to pick the fruit. We also had local families of migrant workers come to CPS and talk and answer questions about migration issues, specifically for those living in Adams County. As the migrant learning circle, we hosted an event in Glatfelter Lodge where we invited local growers and workers to have a discussion panel for students/faculty/ and staff to ask questions. We also hosted a migration advocate/ film maker by the name of Angelo Mancuso. A film called “American Harvest” was presented at the Majestic and the Gettysburg Campus and community members a like were invited to watch. There was a reception at the Gettysburg Hotel, where a milieu of migration oriented officials answered questions and addressed concerns. This gave the students and community members a chance to ask questions to a panel of many migration issue hats.

I have learned many things through the migration learning circle. Originally, I joined the migrant learning circle because of all three circles migration was the topic that I knew the least about. I knew that there were fruit orchards here in Adam’s county, but it wasn’t until attending these learning circles that I started to fully understand how much immigration affects me personally. I was never aware of the huge amount of migrant workers and migrant growers right here in Adams county! After obtaining knowledge and getting a first hand experience on how the fruit goes from a seed to an apple on the grocery store shelf, I now will never look or think about fresh produce and fruit in the same way. We learned about migration issues through articles off the internet and newspapers, and through speakers and advocators of migration rights.

Towards the end of high school and in these first few years of college I have realized that I thrive on being a leader. I feel like I have learned a great deal from working at CPS about how to effectively lead, motivate, and spur students’ interest in social justice topics. By working with Immersion Projects, I have presented numerous information sessions and orientations to interested students on campus. I feel like the experience of creating and holding meetings and public presentations is great for holding meetings and public presentations in jobs beyond college.

I have engaged myself on campus by holding CUB tables during common hour, giving presentations in class, and talking about Immersion projects at information sessions.

As far as other leading experiences, CPS has helped me a great deal with planning and organizing Habitat for Humanity trips. CPS stresses the point that before a trip or activity is going to happen, a lot of planning and details need to be worked out through effective communication. Also, after and during the trip reflection is very important for evaluating the students’ learning progression and their own personal experience.

CPS has helped me understand and practice the roles and responsibilities of student leadership. I have learned that being a student leader requires an immense amount of effective communication and patience. In order to lead, you need to have a plan and then a couple of back up plans in case everything falls through. Student leaders need to be proactive and constantly thinking of ways to improve their performance. I have also learned that while leading a group, it is imperative to let everyone in the group participate and have their voice heard. It’s important to remember that everyone brings something good to the table.

I have had many experiences and opportunities at CPS to improve my personal and professional development. I find that my coordinator position in Immersion Projects has more or less forced me to become more outgoing and has taught me how to handle myself as an adult in the process. I have given numerous public speeches, advertised many ways, analyzed budgets, learned how to use a copying machine, and have written thousands of emails. I think that CPS prepares PC’s for the real world. We have journals/ reports due bi-weekly, we have multiple meetings a week, we have deadlines and we have an obligation to analyze society and promote social justice and create social change! I have been exposed to so many things in regards to social inequality that it has changed my outlook on life. CPS has made a huge impact on my life and has given me social skills which will no doubt be useful for my professional life after college.

I have learned that promoting social change, such as getting students to go outside of their comfort zones to go on Immersion Projects can be very difficult at times. I find the same thing in Habitat and in my social network of friends. I have found that Gandhi is right when he says that, “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” Sometimes it is a battle trying to get someone with close mind to open it. CPS has taught me that you can’t always change people, but you can always plant that first seed for someone else to finish growing later.