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Expo shows
students how to serve, learn
Adam Eickerman
Mesa Legend
Students who were looking for a chance to gain service hours for
AmeriCorps or looking for a service-learning site for their classes
had the opportunity to sample a wide variety of organizations in
the Kirk Center on Feb. 2 and 3.
The Community Involvement Expo has typically had 20 to 25 agencies
attend in the past and most of them return due to the positive reaction
of Mesa Community College students.
The expo brought a great deal of significance to students because
it offered such a wide variety of opportunities to get involved
in the community.
“My favorite is the intrinsic rewards that an individual can
get from serving another person,” said Dawn Russell, the Service
Learning Advisor at MCC.
The rewards do not include trips to exotic places or chances to
be a millionaire, but rather the satisfaction of knowing one person
can make all the difference in the world.
Another tremendous benefit to the students who get involved with
service learning and other service related activities is that it
gives them an edge in the competitive job market.
“If you have an applicant who has the same course work, same
GPA, maybe have the same work experience, but then you have the
one applicant whose had service and shows that they are dedicated
to giving back to the community, especially if that business or
organization values that candidate,” Russell said.
Service-learning or community service can now be the fine line of
getting that dream job or not.
While most classes do not require service-learning, it is still
a good idea to get involved in the community because it can make
anyone a well rounded individual, Russell added.
Mary Coe looked to the expo to get involved in the community and
to volunteer for any organizations that needed help.
“I have free time and would like to volunteer,” Coe
said.
She liked the organizations that give back to kids because she believes
that they do not have many positive role models.
Service-learning can also be a good resume builder and can open
the door for scholarships, added Russell.
Some of the agencies like the Mesa Fire Department have attended
the expo for several semesters.
“We have come to the expo for four to five years, four for
sure,” said Michele Adamczyk, the Connector Coordinator for
the Mesa Fire Department.
The expo can also give students the opportunity to ask specific
questions they might have had about the fire department, added Adamczyk.
Another organization, Care Partnership, INC., has attended for three
semesters and the expo has been very successful, according to Youth
Supervisor, Korey Lewis.
“People do show interest. It’s a good feeling to be
involved in the community,” Lewis said.
The free fair styled event started in the Fall of 2001, and has
continued to be a success with most agencies being non-profit programs
or government employers.
Some of the agencies that attended were the Phoenix Fire Department,
The Girl Scouts, United Blood, The Boys and Girls Club, and Thomas
J. Papas School for the Homeless.
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