I have had many different opportunities throughout my time at the University of Mary thus far to get out into the community and serve. Being apart of different organizations across campus has granted me the chance to serve in a multitude of ways.
EMERGING LEADERS ACADEMY Devils Lake High School – In the Spring of 2020, a group from our junior ELA class took a trip to Devils Lake to speak to the freshman on different topics. The presentation I gave was about Growth Mindset. This was a great opportunity for me due to my pursuit of an education degree, in addition to show these students what they have to look forward to in college. Tutoring – During the Fall of 2018, I was apart of a group of students who went to Mandan High School to provide help where needed. Many of the students were able to tutor in the library. Due to my knowledge of special education, I was brought to the special education room to hand out with the students. I got the insight of what they were working on and they were able to ask me about school. I got paired up with a student and helped him organize his materials for all his classes. Penpals – During the 2019-2020 school year, the sophomore and junior ELA classes participated in writing penpal letters to the 5th graders at Lincoln Elementary. We were able to make the connection with them and allow them to express themselves in many ways. Many of the students at the school do not come from families who have attended college in the past. Through our letters, we hoped to spike interest in college and plant the seed that it is possible to follow their dreams.
ODK During the 2019-2020 school year I was inducted into ODK. This organization is all about service. We were involved with many projects across campus including the Giving Trees, KandyKanes for Kindness, Thank You notes for Service Members, Ministry on the Margins, among many others. This organization is a great way to show our support for the community in a multitude of ways.
ABILTIY AND ADVOCACY CLUB Dances – The Amvets Club in Bismarck hosts dances for the special needs community. As supporters of this community, we are invited to come and socialize at their events. They host multiple dances throughout the year, many of them falling around holidays, approximately one every two months. I was able to participate in two of the dances during the 2019-2020 school year. One of those being the Halloween Dance where everyone was dressed up in costumes. The other was the Christmas Dance where we sang Christmas carols. This was great opportunity to meet different members of the community. I met people that I am still in contact with today, where we check in and get coffee occasionally. Bismarck Adult Education – We worked with the Adult Education in Bismarck Public Schools on multiple occasions. I was able to go out to eat with them and played trivia at the restaurants trivia night. Later, they joined us on campus at the Crow’s Nest for brunch. It was cool to see their faces light up when they remembered me from earlier. Building these connections was great. I loved their energy and their positivity. I have seen them during other events which has always been a blast. Walk for Down Syndrome – I was able to participate in the Walk for Down Syndrome at the capital building in the Fall of 2019. I feel that this was a great way to show my support for the community. I was surprised by the amount of people who showed up and how much strength there was at the event. It was so eye-opening and inspired me to want to bring more people next time.
SWIMMING Elementary Schools - Every year at the NSIC Conference Swimming and Diving Championships, the majority of the teams participate in the service opportunity to read with students at a variety of elementary schools. Our team has participated every year, giving us the opportunity to connect with students in West Fargo, Sioux Falls, and here in Bismarck. I have gotten the chance to read with a variety of ages and also promote athletics in college. Special Olympics Bowling - As part of the athletic department at the University of Mary, we help run the Special Olympics Bowling Championship that takes place in Mandan. As athletes ourselves, we support other athletes and do our best to give back. We are grateful to have the opportunities to compete and love that we can help make that possible for others. We help cheer on the athletes, as well as give them cues on when their turn is up. In the end, we see them stand on the podium and receive their medal/ribbon for their accomplishments. This is one of my favorite activities that we get to do throughout the year. Feed My Starving Children - During our training trip in December 2018/January 2019 to Mesa, Arizona, our team was able to visit and help out at Feed My Starving Children. Learning about what we were helping with was eye opening and was a great way for us to help out. As athletes we always get very competitive, so it was fun that there was a competition to see who could pack the most food. At the end, it was great to come back together to pray over the food and send blessings as it went to feed and help many children.
DAY OF SERVICE I have taken apart in Day of Service every year, choosing different areas of the community to serve each year. Nursing Home – In the Fall of 2018 I was able to volunteer at a nursing home. Originally we were there to help deep clean the place, a task that they needed us to do. Through the help of many hands, we were able to accomplish their list in a timely manner. This gave us the opportunity to visit with some of the residents there, giving them a friendly face. Though we were their to clean, my favorite part was getting to walk into the rooms of the residents and see the smiles on their faces. They loved telling us stories from their life and giving us advice for the future. YMCA – In the Fall of 2017 I went to the YMCA to help clean their facility. I ended up being in a group that was assigned to wipe down all of their exercise equipment. Though this was not my favorite task, I realized that it probably needs to be done more than it was but due to needs elsewhere, it wasn't. We made it as fun as possible, as we turned on music. I met many new faces, as it was my freshman year, which is always a bonus to volunteering. Innovation School - In the Fall of 2019 I helped at the Innovation School in Bismarck. I had been there before for class, getting to tour it and see how they pursue education. For the Day of Service we were given the task of organizing their basement. They are all for letting the children build with their creativity so they had cardboard and Styrofoam, among many other random pieces. It looked so much better once completed and we all felt so much more accomplished.