2008 Service Trip to New Orleans

Personal experience is one of the best motivations for wanting to make sense of the world. As I take time to prepare for my role as adviser, I find this idea very fitting to describe the great potential and inherent challenges of my responsibility. I see my function as one that will guide students in the application of their newly found skills, attitudes, and theories without defining this meaning for them. I am mindful that meaning is on-going and it reveals itself in multiple ways. I am excited to connect with a diverse group of students who may become fragile and passionate toward what they encounter.

The two student leaders and I have worked hard to address expectations about our upcoming week. We believe that we must start by erasing our own agenda and recognize that, because we are working with a grass roots organization, we need to be open to what the specific need is when we arrive. From past service experiences, I recognize that someone can have the best intentions to serve but not effectively match a need. We need to value the voice of this community as our first “assignment” and observe, listen, and be flexible upon arrival. In addition to our actual ability to create a small positive impact, I have also spent time considering the ways we can share and connect this experience back to the campus community and local Winston-Salem area. Blogging our experience will be a unique way to enhance student learning as we address many important questions and hope to generate meaningful dialogue and informed action among Wake Forest students.