Service Learning Theme Community Student Profiles
As was reported in a previous TechNews issue, IIT is participating in the national OneShirt competition. Anita Thomas, the RA of the Service Learning community in MSV is working with Lynne Meyer, Director of Service Learning and Spiritual Life, to encourage IIT students and Chicago residents to donate their unwanted articles of clothing instead of throwing them out and overcrowding landfills. From April 1 until April 21, anyone can donate clothing, shoes, coats, etc. to any of the following finalized drop off locations: MSV center lounge, SSV front desks, Gunsaulus Hall lounge, Office of Campus Life, and IIT Tower security desk (1st floor). On April 27, all donations will be weighed and then donated to God's Closet at First Trinity Lutheran Church.
The Office of Service Learning is also recommending students opting for on campus housing next year to choose the Service Learning theme community. Below are two profiles of students who have spent the last academic year in that same community and highly recommend it.
Name: Jing Li
Major: Accounting
Year: Senior
E-mail: ljing3@hawk.iit.edu
Comment on the importance of service in your life. It is an important part because the meaning of life is about giving back to others.
How do you integrate service into your academics? Doing service work in free time is a good way to relax from busy study.
Comment on how it has been living on the Service Learning floor. I am sure that I will miss everyone on my floor and all the activities when I leave.
Name: Weitong Wang
Major: Psychology
Year: Sophomore
E-mail: wwang57@hawk.iit.edu
Comment on the importance of service in your life. Community service is a source of learning new things, meeting new people and gaining valuable experiences. It makes my life colorful.
How do you integrate service into your academics? Service is actually a way for me to relax from intense academic works.
Comment on how it has been living on the Service Learning floor. I really appreciate the overwhelming opportunity to have access to volunteering and service experiences. I am very lucky to live on this floor and am eager to live on such a floor in the future.
Name: Christopher Stovall
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Year: Sophomore
Email: cstoval1@hawk.iit.edu
"Service means a world of difference to not only me, but to the people that you impact by providing it. All throughout high school, community service was stressed as a mandatory graduation requirement, which meant doing it was a task. However, after experiencing what it means to give back, it no longer became an obstacle, but an unspoken responsibility among all the students. Personally, I saw it as a way to provide opportunities for deserving individuals who didn't have the resources to provide this service for themselves. As a volunteer mentor and tutor at Hesed House, a homeless shelter based in Aurora, I was able to obtain a glimpse of the life of people who have fallen on hard times and who just need a hand to get back on their feet. It showed me that service isn't something that you have to do, but it should regularly be a part of your life because of the valuable insight and positive impact that you're making on the lives of others."
Name: Carolyn Boswell
Major: Mechanical Engineer
Year: Sophomore
E-mail: cboswel1@hawk.iit.edu
“Service is very important in my life; it helps me stay in touch with the needs and wants of people that I will continue to serve with my future doctorates in mechanical engineering. I integrate service into my academics by evaluating and then attempting to solve daily problems people undergo. I then try to find ways to incorporate these solutions into the mechanical engineering field, such as using alternative resources and discovering new building materials for car manufacturing. Living on the service community floor has been greatly beneficial to both my academic and social life."
Name: Shafaq Imtiazi
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Year: Junior
Email: simtiazi@hawk.iit.edu
“Working with, and for, people in any community I live in has been an important aspect of my life since my first neighborhood litter-picking expedition in the third grade. Since then, I have realized the many advantages of being involved in community efforts. As I grew older, helping my community went from a localized definition of neighborhood as community to the global community at large. Working with school children, I became aware of the importance of supplying our children and peers with positive role models and mentors. The human experience is a shared one, a common one. When people are made aware that there are others who have been through, are going through, or just are empathetic towards their individual struggles and experiences, they are less likely to lose hope or feel alone, and more likely to ask and get the advice that they need. Living on the service learning floor has been an enjoyable experience since I have been able to meet people who want to give back to their community just like me, and do so for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways. We can all learn a lot from each other, and represent endless perspectives. I highly recommend it!”
Name: Anita Thomas
Major: Applied Mathematics
Year: Junior
Email: athomas5@hawk.iit.edu
"The inspiration behind my volunteerism stems from two sources. First, my mom is an occupational therapist. She has an incredible gift of patience, creativity, and empathy which she successfully passed down to her children. I can only hope to help people to the capacity that my mom has throughout her career. Second, I sincerely appreciate genuine help from others and I hope that I evoke the same gratitude in others through service."
Why do I serve?
"My success sets a standard for the next generation. My dedication to community service is my way of ensuring that kids today are prepared to fulfill that standard. I derive a sense of personal satisfaction from continuing a legacy of strength and success."
