Community Service- MASC/MAHS Summer Leadership Camp 2018

For the past 4 summers, I have volunteered as a junior counselor at MASC/MAHS Summer Leadership Camp. MASC/MAHS is an organization that promotes student leadership skills in high school students. Every year they put on a week-long summer camp where high schoolers from all across the state of Michigan come together to network, grow, and learn about how they can be better leaders in their schools and communities.

This year, I was placed at level 2 at camp. Level 2 is designed for second-year campers to critically think about themselves as leaders. As a level 2 JC, I helped each of my 22 campers develop a goal for themselves to work on during the upcoming year. These goals are called BE goals (BE stands for better every day). Throughout their week at level 2, students learn that leaders never stop growing and becoming the best version of themselves that they can possibly be.

My staff partner for the week, Roselie, and I really challenged our campers to create a goal that has meaning for them and will be a challenge to accomplish. We reminded them that leaders aren’t made overnight and true leadership and self-development is an ever-going process.

I was so grateful to be able to volunteer for my 4th year at MASC/MAHS student leadership camp. This camp holds a special place in my heart and I hope to volunteer at it next summer as a senior counselor.

Lead Team: LAS in The D

 

A sign inside CASS Community Services, where LAS students volunteer during the trip.

This year I had the opportunity to serve on the LAS in The D Lead Team. This lead team, a committee of upperclassmen-Leader Advancement Scholars, is responsible for planning the annual service trip in Detroit that LAS Freshmen attend each year. The LAS Freshmen attend this trip as part of their LDR 200 course to learn about the city of Detroit and to put leadership practices, like servant leadership, to action.

Unfortunately, the due to an impending snowstorm, the trip was canceled this year. However, being on this lead team and planning this trip for the freshmen was a very growing experience. For the past 3 years, I have been involved with the LAS in The D Service Trip. My freshman year I was a participant, and my sophomore and junior years I was on the lead team.

What I learned most from this experience was the importance of synergy when working together in a group setting to plan an event like the LAS in The D Trip. Each member of the lead team brought with them different experiences they had on their trip or experiences they had previously as facilitators. While we each had our own experiences with the trip in the past, we were able to come together and compile a list of strong aspects of the trip as well as aspects that could be improved on in order for the freshmen to get as much out of the trip as possible.

Additionally, our lead team worked together to have one overarching goal for the 2018 trip. Many lead team members brought up that it would be beneficial to make the discussions and the reflection guides more intentional. During our meetings, we sat down and looked through each reflection question and found ways to make those questions more introspective and thought-provoking. Having intentionality as our overall goal allowed our team to brainstorm many ways to make this trip more intentional for the freshmen.

Overall, the LAS in The D Lead Team was a growing experience and allowed us to come together and work toward putting an impactful service trip together for this year’s freshmen.

 

Service Learning: MASC/MAHS Leadership Camp 2017

This past summer I had the opportunity to volunteer at MASC/MAHS Summer Leadership Camp. MASC/MAHS Summer Leadership Camp is a week-long leadership camp geared towards high school students who have the desire to develop their leadership skills and network with other student leaders across the state of Michigan. Students come to camp from all different backgrounds to learn about ways to better themselves, their community, and the world around them.

This was my 4th year at the camp in total, one as a camper and three on staff.  In previous years I was a counselor for level 1 campers, students who were experiencing camp for the first time. This year I had the opportunity to work with students who were attending camp for the 3rd year. Throughout the week, my staff partner, Zack, and I led these students through various activities, simulations, and discussions all to help students understand their strengths and weaknesses and how they can use their attributes to better themselves, their communities, and ultimately our world.

Every year I find myself taking away something different from camp. This year I was reminded of the importance of being intentional in my relationships with others and also finding ways to improve on my weaknesses. Since level 3 requires students and counselors to fill out a Leadership Practice Inventory it allowed me to see my strengths and my weaknesses and how my leadership style would be best put into action.

I am very grateful for another opportunity to volunteer at MASC/MAHS Summer Leadership Camp and I am excited to return next year.

SMEA

One student organization that I have been involved in since my freshman year of college is the Student Michigan Education Association (SMEA). SMEA is a student organization for pre-service teachers at the elementary and secondary level. Our organization provides many professional development opportunities for future educators such as conferences, workshops, and speakers. Additionally, SMEA emphasizes the importance of community service so each member is required to do at least two community service events per semester along with participating in our outreach service project where we paint murals in local elementary schools.

Being involved in SMEA the past 3 years has been one of the best experiences of my college career. Not only has this organization allowed me to network with other future teachers, it has provided me with ample community service opportunities and professional development opportunities that would not have been possible by just attending my education courses.