Community service is something many of us partake in for one of two reasons: We either want or have to do so. Often, it is extremely rewarding, but sometimes, it can also feel like a burden, especially when it means waking up early on your only day to sleep in.
Prior to attending the university, I had read about the 120-hour ministry credit requirement placed on students, but didn’t think much about it because I had a similar expectation in high school.
For APU, the requirement is not intended to place a burden on students. Instead, it is meant to create well-rounded individuals. After all, service is one of the four cornerstones that defines the university.
According to the Center for Student Action website, the purpose in getting students to serve is to “connect to a deeper relationship with Christ, develop a greater sense of community, and model scholarship into practice.”
While that is all very important, I can see how the requirement can feel overwhelming for many students.
In my Spanish class this semester, we are required to complete four different service-learning requirements. We must participate in a farming activity through an organization called Food Forward and volunteer at a local elementary school for a total of six hours (three two-hour sessions).
When first hearing about this requirement, I thought it was unnecessary, as did many of my classmates. College already comes with a large enough to-do list and adding one more thing felt impossible.
I found myself dreading each session at the elementary school because it was taking away from “my time,” and I could not quite wrap my head around the fact I was driving to Van Nuys just to pick grapefruit from someone’s backyard as a class requirement.
However, after discussing with my professor the true purpose of this requirement, it all began to make sense.
“When you do these kinds of things, you are taking responsibility,” said Marcela Rojas, associate professor in the Department of Modern Languages. “I am part of the world and I am not just part of Azusa and my bubble here at APU.”
Professor Rojas’ statement is true. Service learning and community service help create a sense of community and allow students the opportunity to not only meet the people who live right next door but serve them as well.
When we participate in community service, we have the chance to come face-to-face with the people with whom we share roads, grocery aisles and even gas pumps.
“This is an opportunity to discover yourself, your perception about other people and other cultures,” Rojas said.
For a brief period of time we are able to talk and make direct connections with Azusa residents and they told us about their lives, their families and even their culture. Soon enough, we become much more aware of our surroundings and how different lives vary city to city.
Not only does this allow us to serve our community, but research conducted by the Corporation for National and Community Service showed that volunteering has a positive effect on our health.
Researchers found that “in general, volunteers report greater life satisfaction and better physical health than do non-volunteers, and their life satisfaction and physical health improves at a greater rate as a result of volunteering.”
Although volunteering as a requirement does sometimes feels disingenuous, it can end up being a rewarding experience for everyone involved.
“It has been such a great experience,” said junior accounting major Mariah Vande Brake, a volunteer at a local elementary school. “I have learned so much and have received so much love from the kids. After I got past the idea that I was required to be there, I really began enjoying my time with the students.”
Sometimes it takes looking at the bigger picture to discover the rewards of serving.
Yes, 120 hours is a lot of time, but it is nothing compared with the 30,000 or so hours we spend enrolled at a four-year university.
In the end, not only is the community benefiting, but so are you. You walk away feeling like you impacted others in some way and helped make someone else’s life just a little bit easier.
So next time you are dreading getting up in the morning to volunteer, think about the positive aspects of your service and be challenged by the opportunity placed before you to make someone’s day.