The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
Chelsea Merriman's speech given at the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll Awards Ceremony on Monday, Feb. 11, 2008:
"Community
service has been major part of my life since I was 10 years old. I’m now a
junior psychology major at Otterbein
College.
My service has given me the opportunity to work with a multitude of people – from the elderly, to the handicapped, and most importantly, children.
Last year I started a program working with youth in a residential foster care center called “Grow Something With Them.” This program focuses on the importance for cultivating your own personal garden as a metaphor for your future.
We start out as seedlings with all the potential in the world
Then when our roots sprout,
Through love and attention we suddenly have the ability to become something more.
This program has shown the 35 youth and 30 volunteers who’ve participated in our garden, that life is more than living; it’s about realizing your capacity to learn and serve.
When last week, I asked my kids what they wanted to name their garden, one boy spoke up and said “Let’s call it AGAPE” – That’s when I realized that they’d gotten it – for Agape means "self-less love."
We only come to understand and learn through experience – and service-learning acts on a continuum between classroom knowledge and community encounters.
As a psychology major, my interest lies in developmental psychology. Part of our gardening project is to help the youth in foster care to move forth in their development and to live their life with a purpose. They’ve shown us that they already have the capacity to look beyond the confines of their social situation and they in turn teach us how to view the world through their eyes.
My service has helped me to develop who I am today and it has solidified my belief in a life-long commitment to serve. My combined experiences within the classroom and outside in the community have allowed me to take part in a more complete educational experience over the past three years."
Back to Awards and Recognition
