Enact role of service as a professionally educated member of society
The topic of community service is very near and dear to my heart, especially over the last three years. I started my college career at Everett Community College, where I obtained my associates degree. During those two years I was very focused on my scholarly works in an effort to ensure my acceptance into a four-year program. Unlike my high school years, I did not branch out into any organizations or community projects. Once I was accepted into the nursing program at Pacific Lutheran University I made it a goal of mine to maintain my grades but also to join other organizations and get involved in school activities. Through the last three years I have made leadership and service an important part of my nursing school experience.
What did I learn?
I have
learned more about myself through my experience with service then I have in the
classroom. I have learned the importance of giving back to the community, the
meaning behind service, and using one's knowledge to provide services in the
surrounding community. My involvement in service activities has allowed me to develop
skills such as organization, delegation, communication, leadership, professionalism,
and time management. Through a mentor I have learned that service is not about
the person providing it but about those that you are providing for.
How did I learn it?
The
skills that I have mentioned previously have been learned over the last three
years through classroom experiences, group projects, and Delta Iota Chi. Delta
Iota Chi, a student-led organization, basis its bylaws on service. I have been
fortunate enough to work with numerous organizations such as Relay For Life,
The American Heart Association, The National Alliance on Mental Illness, and National Student Nurses Association. These examples represent just a few organizations that I have been fortunate enough
to use my skills of nursing. For example, at The American Heart Association
walk, PLU nursing students performed free blood pressure screenings while
others handed out water and cheered the walkers on. This last year
I stepped up into the Vice President role in Delta Iota Chi. It was in this
role that I expanded my leadership abilities such as communication and
delegation.
Classroom
experiences that show my role of service include my teaching
project on adolescent hearing and homeless connect. Homeless Connect
is an annual event in Tacoma that brings multiple services to one site for one
day for those that are less fortunate. Within this service project I also
became a member of the Medical Reserve Corp., which allows me to help in
disaster-like situations. I have also been very active in the American Cancer
Society over the past three years through Relay For Life. I have learned
the importance of education, lobbying, and giving back to the community and its
members. I have been reminded on countless occasions to take a break and enjoy
life. I have been honored in the recent
month for my leadership. I was chosen to attend the National Student Nursing
Association Conference in Orlando, Fl. where I attended workshops and
presentations. I accumulated a wealth of knowledge, which I brought back
to my fellow students. I was also recently nominated and selected as a
recipient of the Ubuntu Award; " For living the leadership and community values of 'I am because we are'."
How will I continue
to use it in the future?
I plan
on continuing to join and participate in community service projects and
professional organization. I plan on joining the Emergency Nurses Association
once I have become an RN. I want to become more active in the service
activities and encourage other to do the same. I will take the skills that I have
learned through service and expand on them. I will be using many of the skills
mentioned previously during and after I receive my Masters in leadership and administration.
