As we near the end of the year and the presentations of our grant proposals, I’m filled with both immense excitement and nerves. This class has afforded me and my classmates an opportunity not only to learn, but also potentially make an impact. The Learning by Giving provides a platform in which students can become effective leaders in the classroom and in communities. Through our classwork, collaboration with community agencies, as well as discussions throughout class, I can proudly say that this class has been one of the most interesting, challenging, and insightful classes I’ve ever been a part of. I’ve gained experience in grant writing, presenting, teamwork and decision making. Through this experiential learning opportunity, my classmates and I have been able to uphold our responsibility to and investment in change.
I am fortunate enough to have been engaging in my internship at the same place that a few of my classmates and I partnered with for this grant proposal. This has allowed me to grow as a human service professional in just a few short months, challenging myself to dig deeper and ask the tough questions. I’ve been fortunate enough to have great mentors at my internship and through this class (and others) who have guided and supported me in my personal and professional growth.
On one of the first days of class, our professor shared a few quotes about philanthropy with us. As the semester went on, this one continually stood out to me. To me, this quote is very straightforward. It exemplifies what passion and care can mean in this world. Spending 4 years at a university studying Human Service Studies has been incredible but there’s only so much I can learn in a classroom. I can’t truly show how much passion I have to make a difference, if I’m not making one. This semester gave my classmates and I an opportunity to do so, through experiential learning.
I think I can speak for all my classmates when I say that our passion to make a difference, to serve others, and to make an impact is immense. We all have different strengths and areas in which we’ve grown tremendously through the course of this semester. We have challenged ourselves and committed ourselves to addressing a variety of needs in our neighboring community. While the nerves of onsetting graduation is kicking in, when I take a deep breath I see all of the knowledge and experience I’ve cultivated through my time at Elon. This class is one I’ll never forget for the personal and professional growth it allowed me as well as the experience itself. Thank you to our professors, community partners, classmates and particularly the Learning by Giving Foundation for the opportunity and support through it all.